Feis nan Sgeulachdan 2008

The last week of April saw a whole load of laughter ringing around Stornoway during Proiseact nan Sgeulachdan's Gaelic storytelling festival. The festival, which rang over 4 days, saw a jam packed and varied programme.

On Thursday about seventy nurses, presently working and retired, gathered in the Town Hall for an incredible afternoon of stories and nursing detail, and the following day an equal number of Western Isles seamen mused, questioned and laughed their way through a whole day of story -with song provided by John 'Tonkan' Macdonald.

Throughout Thursday and Friday schools were led on Gaelic storytelling walks of Stornoway Castle Grounds by young Gaelic storyteller Sean Macleod, and he was accompanied by young piper Scott Morrison, young dancers Ceitidh Macleod and Seona Scott, and the young and brilliant Gaelic singer Michelle Morrison.

In the evenings the Festival held two story and song concerts where more fantastic talent from the island was on show, as well as brilliant performances from visiting storytellers from Ireland (Micheal Lehane and Dick Beamaish) and from Shetland (Davy Cooper and Mary Blance.) Each night after the concerts a festival club in the County hotel allowed all who attended the days' events to relax and enjoy more story, song and music in a much more informal atmosphere.