Inverness hosts a Red Hot Highland end to the year
A bumper crowd is expected to gather in Northern Meeting Park Arena, Inverness on 31 December to welcome the arrival of 2015 at the Scottish Highland’s biggest Hogmanay Party, “The Red Hot Highland Fling”.
Sponsored by the Inverness Common Good Fund and Scotland’s Winter Festivals, the free Inverness Festivals event will be hosted by kilted comedian Craig Hill who returns to the Highlands for the fourth year determined to generate more singing and dancing in what he describes as “Scotland’s premier car park” than ever before.
The show will open with the 2014 Scots Trad Music Folk Act of the year Julie Fowlis who recently made history by becoming the first Gaelic solo artist to receive a Scottish Music Award. Julie’s band includes her husband Éamon Doorley, Tony Byrne, Duncan Chisholm and Ewen Vernal.
Following Julie on stage will be Mànran; one of the most exciting and highly rated of Scotland’s new crop of traditional bands. The band has spent the past year hanging out with a film crew and will feature in their very own hour long documentary which will be screened at 10pm on BBC Alba on Christmas Day. The documentary will be followed by a half-hour long programme showing highlights of their gig at Fèis na Mara in Mallaig back in October.
Bringing the show and 2014 to a climax will be The Red Hot Chilli Pipers. From a cameo appearance at T in the Park in 2004 with The Darkness to opening the main stage in their own right in 2014, the past ten years has seen The Red Hot Chilli Pipers become the most famous bagpipe band on the planet! The band’s achievements have reached incredible heights with their ground breaking fusion of traditional Scottish music and rock/pop anthems which they proudly call ‘Bagrock’.
Apart from a short pause at midnight for the traditional fireworks display and singing of “Auld Lang Syne”; the Chillis are planning to deliver a none-stop foot stomping performance which is guaranteed to send the crowd home happy.
Chair of the Inverness Events and Festivals Working Group Councillor Glynis Sinclair said “The Red Hot Highland Fling provides the perfect climax to our annual Festivals programme and everybody is invited to come and experience this wonderful free show. 2014 has been an amazing year and I would like to thank my fellow Councillors and all the stakeholders who have contributed so much and helped us provide our community with some unforgettable experiences.”
Chief Inspector Mark Mackay the Police Scotland Event Commander said: "Officers from Police Scotland will be present at the event where we will work with stewards and other partners with the focus of keeping people safe to ensure everyone in attendance enjoys themselves in a safe environment. This is a family event and our advice is to drink responsibly and stay together with your family and friends and ensure close supervision of children at all times. Over the festive period people may consume more alcohol than usual and in doing so can become vulnerable to accident or crime.
"With the new drink drive limit now in force, give consideration on how you're going to get home later in the evening and be especially mindful of the potential effects of still having alcohol in your system the next morning. Together with the organisers we will be posting messages with information about the event on social media and additional information on festive personal keep safe is available on the Police Scotland website.
"Our message to everyone is enjoy what should be a great night, stay safe and look for out each other.”
As a gentle warm-up to the main event, the 2014 Hogmanay celebrations begin with “The Wee Hot Highland Fling”. Between noon and 2pm on 31 December an assortment of street performers will create the ideal party atmosphere around Inverness High Street. Bring the whole family along to celebrate the final day of the year and don’t forget your cameras.
For further information please contact: David Haas (Mob: 07799 072 061).