Orkney Folk Festival is event of the year

The Orkney Folk Festival has been named Event of the Year, at the Scottish Traditional Music Awards 2011.

The award, sponsored by VisitScotland, was received by various members of the committee, at a ceremony in Perth tonight.

Festival spokesman, Craig Corse said : “We are thrilled to be taking the award home to Orkney. It’s a great way to kick-start our 30th year. The award is testament to the hundreds of volunteers over the years that have brought the festival out every May, and made it what it is today. We’re all delighted.”

Orkney musician and teacher, Douglas Montgomery was nominated for the Music Tutor of the Year prize, which went to Scottish session musician and tutor, Mairi Campbell.

Reigning BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Kristan Harvey from Birsay narrowly missed out on the award for Up and Coming Artist of the Year, to four piece folk band, Rura, but went on to perform at the event later in the evening.