Graham Mackenzie: the Legend of Loch Maree With Ailis Sutherland

The Legend of Loch Maree, Faoinsgeul Loch Maruibhe, is the tragic ancient lovers’ tale of Olaf, a Norse Prince, and a Highland maiden, brought to music by fiddler and composer Graham Mackenzie.With its themes of love, misunderstanding, and loss, the story is often described as a Highland echo of Romeo and Juliet.

The newly composed music and traditional songs portray the themes of loyalty, love, longing, bravery, betrayal, and mystery.Inspired by the artwork of the late Inverness printmaker and art teacher Margaret Robertson, whose illustrations of the legend hangs in the Mackenzie family home, this new work was commissioned by the Blas Festival 2026.

Graham is accompanied by a stellar line-up of some of the finest traditional musicians, including Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes, Rory Matheson (piano), Innes Watson (guitar), and Conal McDonagh (whistle/pipes).Taught by her father at the kitchen table, Ailis Sutherland has gone on to perform across the UK, and in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, most recently with the Finlay MacDonald Band.After a summer spent as Musician in Residence with Celtic Arts Foundation in the Pacific Northwest, she returned home with a notebook of newly-composed tunes.To bring them to life at this year's festival, Ailis will be joined by a highly-lauded line-up featuring Eryn Rae (fiddle), Mike Vass (tenor/baritone guitars) and Pablo Lafuente (guitar).