Lest I sounded dismissive of the opening day of the Hebridean Celtic Festival (in my entry dated 13 July), I should make brief amends.

While the headline act of the weekend, the Gaelic rock band Runrig (pic below), does little for me, they are a good act with a large following. My highlight was entitled “Ceol Mhor /Little Music” with Iain Morrison and band – plus his father and a friend, Rona Lightfoot, to sing a few Gaelic songs.

It was a culturally enlightening evening and, with the right promotion, should be something that tours more widely. Morrison offers aching, fragile vocals to modern tunes. His electric guitarist in particular was making invaluable contributions: fills and licks reminiscent of Mark Ribot. His name: Iain Hutchison.

Morrison’s father, also Iain, is a Pipe Major (that is, the highest accomplishment in bag piping) but he’s a teacher rather than performer. That may be why this night felt so tacitly touching. (You can read about the show’s origins at www.hebceltfest.com/festival/interviews/iain.php)

The performance was miles –– I mean thousands of miles –– ahead of what the BBC tends to flog as Highland Culture (the most recent teeth-gnashing contribution to the oeuvre aired last Sunday: Highland Heatrbeat or some crap). That programme was like a talent show, competent acts mugging for the cameras while singing mawkish schlock that too often passes for traditional when in fact it’s pastiche. Not even a Scots great-granny was likely to be too impressed.

Other high points of the HebCelt festival were Blazing Fiddles and an Irish singer named Imelda May. The latter is not really a folk act; she has a voice that can move from country swing to alt pop and jazzy ballads, a la Madeleine Peyroux. An act deserving of as much popular acclaim as other more highly strung contemporaries such as Lily Allen or Amy Winehouse.