By Mary Donnelly THE 2017 Islay Sessions are done and dusted, bringing an end to an eventful weekend of music, whisky and the release of the late island musician Fraser Shaw’s tune book. One first-time attendee, Cathy Pidsley, described the sessions as ‘an annual event not to be missed’, with an opening performance by Scots Trad Award Composer of the Year nominee Adam Sutherland and Mark Clement.
Saturday gave visitors a hands-on experience during the day with a musical workshop run by Scots Trad Award Tutor of the Year nominee Emma Tomlinson, followed by a tour of various distilleries including Bruichladdich, Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain.
The evening performances featured artists such as Joy Dunlop, Mhairi Marwick, Ron Jappy, Jen Butterworth and Laura-Beth Salter.