Trail West will headline The Gathering Festival when it returns to Northern Meeting Park in Inverness on Saturday 29 May 2027. Tickets are on sale now from thegatheringscotland.com.
Now in its ninth year, the one-day Highland festival has confirmed a bill of Scottish talent spanning award-winning trad acts and newer voices. Organisers say last year’s event sold out, and the 2027 edition again mixes live music with local food and drink and family-friendly entertainment.
The West Coast six-piece rose from a four-piece ceilidh band to Scots Trad Music Awards Live Act of the Year in 2023. They marked their 15th anniversary in 2025 with two sell-out nights at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom, then took their own Trail West Fest to SWG3 Galvanizers Yard in 2026. They were also on the bill for Belladrum 2026.
Valtos return as Valtos & Friends. The Skye project of Martyn MacDonald and Daniel Docherty mixes electronic music with Highland tradition, and has previously collaborated with Elephant Sessions and Julie Fowlis. Special guests Kim Carnie, Lewis McLaughlin and Isla Scott will join them for what organisers are billing as one of the day’s highlights. Kim Carnie also played the 2026 edition, which was headlined by Skerryvore.
Ross-shire band Torridon are back with anthemic folk-rock and bagpipes. Formed in 2005 and often compared to Runrig and Big Country, they will play songs from their latest album Polaroid alongside crowd-pleasers including the million-streaming Highland Girl. They played The Gathering in 2026, and are also booked for Belladrum 2026.
Ullapool accordionist Rumac (Ruairidh MacLean), a Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist, brings a set that jumps from traditional Gaelic song to heavy metal. He has sold out dates across the UK, including Celtic Connections.
Kirkcaldy singer-songwriter Nati makes her Gathering debut. She first drew attention with TikTok versions of traditional Scottish tunes during lockdown, and has since played TRNSMT and released two EPs, Older and Golden.
Homegrown Inverness band Cala return after previous appearances at The Gathering and Belladrum. They fuse Scottish traditional music with contemporary sounds, released their debut album From the River in 2023, and have since played France’s Festival Interceltique de Lorient.
Also confirmed are Isle of Lewis singer and BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award winner Josie Duncan, whose sets move between Gaelic, Scots and English, plus Còisir na h-Òige and the City of Inverness Youth Pipe Band. Both youth acts opened the main stage at the 2026 festival.
Claire Clark from The Gathering Festival said: “After the success of last year’s sell-out festival, we are buzzing to announce our 2027 line-up. We can’t wait to showcase the amazing talent we have here in Scotland. If there’s one thing our Gathering crowd know how to do, it’s party, so let’s do it all again at Northern Meeting Park next May!”
Beyond the music, the day includes a food village of Scottish produce, craft drinks from local distillers and brewers, market stalls, kids’ entertainment and Highland dancing, with more still to be announced.
The Gathering is a family event with no lower age limit. Under-18s must be accompanied by someone aged 21 or over, with a maximum of two under-18s per adult. Gates open at 11:30am, the first main stage act is on at midday, last entry is 9pm, and the site closes at 10:30pm. There is no on-site parking or camping. Music runs across two stages, re-entry is allowed before 9pm, and tickets, including free tickets for children aged five and under, are available via Skiddle.
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