Ullapool Guitar Festival

The longevity and success of the Festival has been built on two foundations. The first is the solid core of music enthusiasts who not only make the pilgrimage year upon year but are willing to go that extra mile in what they contribute to ensuring that the Festival continues to flourish. The second is a group of musicians who have become permanent features of the Festival – artists like Hugh Burns, John Goldie and Clive Carroll. Their unwavering support and their status and reputation within the guitar world have allowed us to attract the cream of guitarists – over a hundred of them over the years – from around the globe. Our thanks go out to all of them, patrons and artists alike.

So why is the UGF so special? Perhaps it’s the mix of music old and new, of electric and acoustic, of steel and nylon, of seasoned performers and those, like the students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, just starting out on their careers. Perhaps it’s the location on Loch Broom and the drive up through some of Scotland’s most spectacular scenery. Perhaps it’s the informal air of the whole weekend: there’s no “us and them”, no VIP area. Everyone mingles, and you’re likely to find yourself sitting beside a guitar legend in the Festival Club – or even jamming with them on one of the trade stands.