Blazin' Fiddles

In 1998 Inverness native Bruce MacGregor created Blazin' Fiddles, a traditional Celtic fiddle ensemble rooted in Scotland's Highlands and islands. His goal at the outset was to assemble a temporary collective for the 1998 Highland Festival that would spotlight the region's varied fiddle traditions by uniting several standout local players. The festival's strong response prompted the musicians to continue, and they issued their debut album, Fire On!, in 2002. Throughout the group's extended run the typical instrumentation has centered on four fiddles backed by piano and guitar, yet MacGregor has remained the only permanent member while regularly refreshing the roster with fresh talent. After that first release Blazin' Fiddles produced five further albums, the last of which was 2014's Six, arriving after the ensemble received the 2013 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Award for Folk Band of the Year.