Additions to the line up for both the RBS Inverness Highland Tattoo and InvernessFest were announced today (14 June) at Fort George, the stunning location for this year’s Tattoo.

InvernessFest will be held in and around Inverness between 15 and 29 July and will incorporate the RBS Inverness Highland Tattoo (25 – 28 July) along with many other exciting events including the InvernessFest Club (19 – 23 July) located in a beautiful Bon Vivant mirror tent, in Falcon Square.

The Royal Army of Oman Pipes and Drums and The Pipes and Drums of the Black Watch were announced today as exciting additions to the acts already confirmed for the RBS Inverness Highland Tattoo.

Today also saw some of the InvernessFest Club and Fringe performers give a sneak preview of what to expect from the eclectic InvernessFest programme.

Craig Hill’s stand up comedy show and ‘Rumpelstiltskin and the Fairytale Laundry’ are just two of the performances that will keep festival goers of all ages entertained in the InvernessFest Club.  While an impressive line up of artists including Karen Matheson (of Capercaillie), Julie Fowlis, Dougie MacLean, the Fred Morrison Band, Boothby Graffoe and Na h'Oganaich will provide fantastic music for all tastes.

InvernessFest Fringe is a celebration by, and about, the many different cultures and cultural groups active in the city and will run along side and complement the main InvernessFest programme.  The Fringe will see a mix of Chinese dance, Russian culture, Bangra and Bluegrass alongside ceilidhs and traditional step dance.  There will also be comedy, modern dance, theatre, visual arts, music and much more to look forward to.

Performers already confirmed to take part in the RBS Inverness Highland Tattoo’s spectacular programme include The Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra, the Golden Lions Parachute Display Team, The Pipes and Drums of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, The Imps Youth Motorcycle Display Team, The Inverness Highland Ceilidh Dancers and Military Bands; the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and The Royal Signals Northern Band.

Tickets are now available for the Tattoo, priced £15 (£10 for children under 12) with group discounts available.

For full details see www.invernesshighlandtattoo.co.uk or visit the Highland 2007 website at www.highland2007.com

Fiona Hampton, director of Highland 2007, said: “We are delighted to announce the fantastic line up for the RBS Inverness Highland Tattoo.  Unique Events and the Inverness Tattoo, with advice from the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, have done a brilliant job creating what I’m sure will be one of the highlights of the Highland 2007 programme in one of the most iconic military settings in Scotland.

“Highland 2007 is also delighted to showcase other parts of the InvernessFest programme including the Tulloch Inverness Highland Games featuring the World Highland Games Heavy Championships, the European Pipe Band Championships and the InvernessFest Fringe and Club. 

“The Fringe will complement the main programme of events by celebrating the many and varied cultures in the Highlands today while the Club will provide a unique venue to showcase some fantastic acts that will appeal to both the younger and older generations.”

Pete Irvine, of event producers Unique Events, added: “Unique are delighted the programme for InvernessFest is finally complete.  Along with The Outsider, InvernessFest will make a big impact in the Highlands this summer and we hope very much that it will continue beyond Highland 2007.

“The RBS Inverness Highland Tattoo, the first time a tattoo of this scale has been staged in the UK outside of Edinburgh, is shaping up to be a spectacular international show and we hope that nobody will miss the Festival Club which we’ve situated right in the heart of the city in Falcon Square.

“Together with the Elton John concert, the Fringe and CITYJAM it should be clear to residents and visitors alike that there is a new exciting arts festival in the Highlands to look forward to.”

Major Roddy Wood, chairman of Inverness Tattoo Committee, commented: “Inverness Tattoo Committee are delighted that, for one year only, we shall be joining forces with Unique Events, and with assistance of The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, will create a truly spectacular production at Fort George as part of Highland 2007 and InvernessFest.

“The Inverness Tattoo is one of the longest running tattoos in the World and has been held in Inverness at the Northern Meeting Park for the past 56 years.   The principal aim of the Tattoo is to raise funds for the three Cadet Services - Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force and Air Training Corps - as well as make regular donations to national and local charities.

“We have always found that visitors to the Tattoo - whether they be from home or overseas - enjoy the taste of Scotland, so tartan, bagpipes, dancing and traditional music are essential ingredients and these can be found in abundance this year at Fort George.   I hope that everyone will make the most of the opportunity to come along to this year's spectacular Tattoo.”

Nick Johnston, RBS Regional Manager, said: “Highland 2007 has been a great success so far and we are delighted to be supporting the festival through our sponsorship of the RBS Inverness Highland Tattoo. The north of Scotland has a rich cultural heritage, and events such as the RBS Tattoo and the whole Highland 2007 programme will contribute enormously to the cultural and economic prosperity of the region, and indeed Scotland."

Additional support for the RBS Inverness Highland Tattoo was received from EventScotland and the co-operation of the Army in Scotland and Historic Scotland has helped to make this event possible.

Ends

 

Please contact Julie Corbett or Alison Bell at Highland 2007 for more photographs or information - 01463 702007or 07766 028899 / 07733 123037

 

Editor’s notes

 

1.                   RBS Inverness Highland Tattoo tickets available:

Online
The Booth                           www.thebooth.co.uk 
Tickets Scotland                    www.tickets-scotland.com                                                                                  TicketWeb                           www.ticketweb.co.uk 

           
Phone

Tickets Scotland                        0870 220 1116 (credit card hotline)
                                        0131 220 3234 (Edinburgh)
                                        0141 204 5151 (Glasgow)
TicketWeb                               08700 600 100
Edinburgh Military Tattoo               0131 225 3457

                                               

In person
HMV                                     Eastgate Centre, Inverness
Tickets Scotland                        127 Rose St, Edinburgh
Tickets Scotland                        239 Argyle St, Glasgow
Edinburgh Military Tattoo               33-34 Market Street, Edinburgh

2.Groups of 20+ can book tickets at the reduced price of £12.50 per person. Book by phone or in person at Tickets Scotland or Edinburgh Military Tattoo (details above). Tour Operators should email tattoo@unique-events.co.uk for conditions of sale and information.

3.Bookings for wheelchair users and people with disabilities can be made by phone or in person at Tickets Scotland only. People with disabilities will be charged at full price but each person may take a carer free of charge (a free ticket must be booked for the carer).

4.Projects and events offered funding from InvernessFest Fringe:

ØDr Waheed Khan – Family Bangra music event
ØFergie MacDonald - Celtic Button Box Extravaganza
ØArts in Merkinch - 25th Anniversary of last Kessock Ferry sailing
ØWarehouse Theatre - Celtic and Bluegrass Joined by the Roots - performance
ØCat Harrison - Aerial performance
ØPuppet Lab – ‘War of the Worlds’ street performance
ØMDC Dance Company – ‘15 Minutes’ dance performance
ØThe Love Pylons – ‘Murdina Morag’, The Musical
ØCeol Ur nan Eilean - Inverness Grand Ceilidh 2007
ØRightlines Productions – ‘Illicit' – performance
ØRightlines Productions – 'The Perfect Spot' - performance
ØAbhras Studios – ‘The Trumpeter of Krakow’ – mixed media exhibition
ØHighland Artists – ‘The Art of Being Highland’ - exhibition
ØRussian Cultural Demonstration
ØMacumba Percussion Group in the streets
ØArts in Motion    - multimedia happening
ØSHIMCA - Traditional Chinese dance workshops and performance
ØFeis a Bhaile - Step dancing workshops and performance
ØFeis a Bhaile – Open Art workshop
ØThe Ironworks – Comedy shows
ØHappyness Drum Circle – ‘Beat in the Park’
ØUHI Centre for History - UHI Summer Lunchtime Lecture Series
ØEden Court Arts Education – ‘Midgie Nation’ - performance
ØHighland One World Group –‘Who am I? I am who I am’ – performance

InvernessFest is a two week long celebration of traditional and contemporary culture in Inverness taking place between 15 and 29 July. It will blend the most popular aspects of Highland traditions and heritage with events that reflect the modern face of the city of Inverness and its cultural diversity. The main festival programme will be enhanced by a range of Fringe events in venues throughout the city. InvernessFest will include:
14 - 21 July - CITYJAM Music Festival
15 July – Sir Elton John and his Band in concert at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium
16, 17, 26 and 27 July – Four concerts in Inverness Town House
19 – 23 July - InvernessFest Club in Falcon Square
21 & 22 July – Tulloch Inverness Highland Games featuring the World Highland Games Championships at Bught Park
25 - 28 July – RBS Inverness Highland Tattoo at Fort George
28 July – European Pipe Band Championships at Bught Park
28 July - Summer in the City Youth Festival

The fun doesn’t stop in Inverness – lots of other events are taking place across the Highlands and Islands in July such as The Skye Festival / Feis an Eilein, Hebridean Celtic Festival, Highland Games and many others.  The Skye Festival / Fèis an Eilein (13 – 27 July) is Scotland’s biggest small festival.  Over the course of two weeks around 90 events will take place throughout the Isle of Skye and surrounding area.  The festival incorporates traditional music, jazz, theatre, film, walks, workshops and the book festival Aos Dana. For more information and ticket details call 01471 844207 or visit www.skyefestival.com – some tickets also available through the Booth www.thebooth.co.uk.

Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture, aims to promote the Highlands as a great place to live and to visit through showcasing the unique and special nature of Highland culture past, present and future. The project is a partnership between three principal funding agencies: The Highland Council, the Scottish Executive, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. See www.highland2007.com for full details.

Highland 2007 commercial partners include:
LifeScan Scotland Ltd - Principal Partner
Tulloch Homes Ltd / BBC Scotland / Scottish Co-op - Major Partners
Royal Bank of Scotland/ Clydesdale Bank / Morrison Construction / Bidwells -  Event Partners
Caledonian MacBrayne / First ScotRail / Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd / Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort / Macrae & Dick – In-kind Partners
Fionnar Springs / NBH Holdings / PPD Ltd / EAE Distribution / Inver House Distillers - Suppliers.