Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival has announced fringe events in Inverness and elsewhere in the Highlands in the week running up to the festival on 12/13th August.

At Hootananny’s in Inverness, Electric Eel Shock (http://www.electriceelshock.com/) will headline the event on Thursday 11th August and Andy Gunn All Stars on 10th August. The fringe will also operate in the Market Bar on both nights and the Maple Court Bar on 7th August. Madhatters will host a festival club between 11.00 PM and 3.00 AM on 10th and 11th August.

“We had such a wealth of talent approaching us for the festival, we felt it was shame not to offer the Highlands a chance to hear some of it in the lead-up to the festival,” said festival organizer Joe Gibbs.

The Inverness fringe will also supply a chance for runners-up in Pulse, the festival’s Highland-wide talent trawl, to reach a wider audience, and a warm-up gig for some of the acts featuring at the festival including Exist, Mohair, the Unholy Trinity

Elsewhere in the Highlands, the Alabama 3 will be limbering up pre-festival in Ullapool as part of the fringe, and Drumnadrochit, Evanton, Invershin and Gairloch also boast gigs. Full details of the fringe programme can be found on the festival web site at www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk . Weekend or day tickets for Belladrum can be bought on-line via this site, and via the 24 hour hotline on 0871 220 0260. They are on sale over-the-counter in Glasgow and Edinburgh at Tickets Scotland and Ripping Records; in Dundee at Groucho’s; in Aberdeen at One Up Records; and in Inverness at Hootananny’s, Eden Court and MVC.

Headliners The Proclaimers, plus The Bees and British Sea Power will be making their only festival appearances north of the border at Belladrum. These are joined by Friday headliners Alabama 3, the Peatbog Faeries and triple folk award winner Karine Polwart in a feast of rock, celtic, country, blues, folk and world musical talent featuring 45 acts across three stages.

Other acts at the festival include Ricky Ross (Deacon Blue), Woodstock vets Country Joe MacDonald, Jah Wobble, Black Velvets, Bluetones, Trashcan Sinatras, Michael Marra, the Jim Hunter Band, Endrick Brothers, Sundown, Poor Old Ben, Cinematics, Hazey Janes, Gliss, Baka Beyond, The Duhks, Dexter Ardoine and the Creole Ramblers, N’Faly Kouyate, Jason Ringenberg, Heather MacLeod, Andy White, Hotlicks Cookie, the Karl Broadie Band, Unholy Trinity – Ronnie Elliott, Terry Clarke and Wes McGhee - Stetsonhead, the Galipaygos, Ruthless Blues, Andy Gunn, Davy Cowan, Calamateur, Michael Wadada, Ruth Sutherland and the Feis Rois Ceilidh Band.

Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is a mellow, family-orientated music and arts festival which takes place in the sensational setting of the old Italian Gardens at Belladrum Estate, near Beauly in the Scottish Highlands. Attractions include street theatre, cabaret, cinema, kids’ amusements, dance, alternative therapies, crèche, stalls, food and drink.

Weekend tickets cost £50 (incl VAT, excl booking fee) and entitle holders to free parking and camping 4.00 PM 11th August – 1.00 PM 14th August. Children under 12 enter free. Passes are needed for both camping and under 12s. Check the web site www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk for details. Day tickets will go on sale if any are available on 27th June. Friday day tickets will cost £25 and will not allow camping. Saturday day tickets will cost £35 and will allow one night’s free camping on 13th August. Under 12 tickets will be available on both days. Both day tickets allow free parking.