Youth Fèis (October)
The dates for our 2026 Fèis Rois an Fhoghair (The October Fèis) are October 19-23rd, 2026 and we are now open for booking!
Taking place during the October holidays, young people can choose different class options from a huge list, including a wide range of musical instruments, Gaelic song, tune writing, arts and more! We are really excited that we can offer this residential event to both junior and senior age groups, but parallel timetables and classes at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels mean there are appropriate classes for all ages and abilities. If you have been to Fèis Rois nan Deugairean before, you can expect the same level of sessions, activities and craic with your own age group as always! If you are a parent of a primary school pupil who might be staying away from home for the first time at our event, rest assured that they will be cared for and nurtured 24 hours a day throughout the event.
All of our tutors are experienced, professional musicians, skilled in working with young people. We also have a pool of supervisors (house parents) and volunteers who help our events run smoothly. Young people are supervised at all times and we work in accordance with Child Protection and Health & Safety Guidelines. Our staff are all members of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme administered by Disclosure Scotland.
We are committed to making traditional music accessible to all and to eliminate barriers for participation. If you would like to talk in confidence about support for learners with disabilities or specific access requirements for your child, please contact Christian Gamauf.
We also offer hire instruments free of charge for anyone who needs to borrow a musical instrument. We can provide a limited number of whistles and chanters if needed but, given the nature of these instruments, we would encourage you to bring your own. Whistles should be in the key of D.
If the cost of the residential Fèis week is a barrier to your child participating, please contact us in confidence. In the first instance, check to see if you might be eligible for us to £200 of support from the Highland Children’s Trust: For Parents – The Highland Children’s Trust (hctrust.co.uk)
Historically, Fèis Rois offered a residential week-long course for primary school pupils during the Easter holidays and a separate week for secondary school pupils in October. However, the impact of the pandemic on the arts sector, and the impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on families, means that it is financially challenging to have two residential courses at present. On a positive note, the change to one residential course in October and a non-residential course in the Easter holidays, with both weeks open to all ages (primary and secondary) means that young people now have two opportunities to attend a Fèis week throughout the year instead of only one!
It was fun and I loved the musical experience.
2017 participant
Residential places: £375
Includes 20 hours of expert tuition, four nights of accommodation, all meals and five nights of evening activities.
Second child residential: £325
As above for additional child(ren) from the same family.
Non-residential: £225
Tuition, lunch and access to all evening activities.
For families on low incomes, assistance with the cost of a child/children attending Fèis Rois courses may be available from the Highland Children’s Trust.
If you would like to chat in confidence about seeking financial assistance please contact Fiona Dalgetty.
Paying in instalments
It is possible to pay for places in instalments by setting up a monthly payment plan.
For example, if you are booking one child’s residential place (£350) and would like to pay from September until March, there would be a monthly cost of £50. If you would like to start instalments in October, there would be an initial upfront cost of £100 followed by a £50 cost per month until March. All places must be fully paid for by March 2027.
If you wish to pay in instalments please contact Lorraine.aburrow@feisrois.org to discuss a payment schedule.
We are excited to announce our fantastic tutor team for October 2026. Many of our tutors are also former Fèis Rois participants and attended the October Fèis themselves!
Gillian Frame
Fiddle
Arran-born fiddler and singer Gillian Frame is a captivating performer whose richly diverse musical experience, since winning the inaugural Radio Scotland Young Musician of the Year contest in 2001, shines vibrantly through her mix of tunes and songs, old and new. Her album “Pendulum” received high praise from fans and critics alike and was described as ‘one of the best albums of recent times’. She is a member of RANT.
Gillian has worked with many acts and was a founding member of the band Back of the Moon with whom she toured for seven years, seeing them win various accolades including Best Up and Coming Act followed by Best Folk Band at the Scots Trad Music Awards. During this time she also graduated with a BA (Hons) in Scottish Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Lauren MacColl
Fiddle
Lauren is a member of the chamber-folk quartet RANT and is one half of Heal & Harrow, with Rachel Newton. She’s also considered one of Scotland’s most expressive fiddle players whose solo work is steeped in the rich culture of the Highlands. One of her most celebrated works was a new commission for Feis Rois in 2017 titled ‘The Seer’ which followed with an album in 2018 featuring 40 minutes of music based on the life and prophecies of the Brahan Seer.
Anne Wood
Anne studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London and the International Menuhin Violin Academy, Gstaad, Switzerland. She studied North Indian violin when she lived in Pakistan and then at SOAS (London). She has toured worldwide, playing many musical genres, performing and recording with the likes of Mairi Campbell, Savourna Stevenson, Massive Attack, Elvis Costello, Deacon Blue, Michael Marra, Kathryn Tickell and Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. She recently toured her production, When Mountains Meet, which featured a live score of Scottish and South Asian music.
Rona Wilkie
Gaelic song / Beginning to play together
Rona Wilkie is an award-winning fiddle player and Gaelic singer from the Highlands. Since becoming the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Rona has toured internationally, with most of her performance work encompassing the fusion of styles, whether that be melding her tradition with genres within Scotland or with other folk musics internationally, and has also worked regularly as a composer. Outside of her musical life, Rona is the Lead Gaelic Tutor at Edinburgh University.
Deirdre Graham
Gaelic Song & Clarsach
Deirdre is a prominent singer and musician on the Scottish folk music scene. Since the release of her acclaimed debut album, URRANTA, she has performed across Scotland and internationally, undertaken numerous collaborative projects, devised and produced her own podcast series ‘Gaelic Song Stories’, featured as a guest presenter on BBC Radio Scotland’s prestigious show ‘Travelling Folk’, and was Assistant Musical Director for the 2023 BBC Alba ‘Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Ùire’ (Hogmanay show).
As an established educator she is at the forefront of traditional music tuition across Scotland.
Barry Reid
Guitar / Sound engineering
Since the humble beginnings of rehearsing with his first band in the family garage in the Highlands, Barry has gone on to perform with many successful bands from Scotland. Taught and inspired by his Dad Nigel, he then went on to learn Scottish folk music with Fèis Rois.
Barry has made his name in the Scottish music scene by not only being a member of such distinguished bands as the mighty Treacherous Orchestra, and folk funksters Croft No.Five, but also in host of other bands, including the MacCollective with Lauren MacColl, Halcyon and Event Horizon.
Amy Henderson
Accordion
Amy Henderson is a prominent and highly respected musician in the Scottish music scene. From Inverness-shire, she studied at the prestigious Plockton Music School and then to study the BA Honours in Folk music in Newcastle before returning home to the Highlands, where she draws much of her musical inspiration from her home and croft.
Her passion for Scottish traditional music is evident in her work and playing style. Her debut album, ‘Soul for a Compass,’ was released in 2017 and has been followed by tours and collaborations with other artists. Her style is often noted as haunting soulful melodies with a unique blend of traditional and contemporary sounds.
Amy is involved in numerous freelance work, including performances and community projects. Amy is dedicated to community and educational work and a regular tutor for Fèis Rois.
Findlay Napier
Guitar
Findlay Napier is an award-winning Scottish singer, songwriter and teaching artist. He has been touring and releasing music since the early noughties. First with the groundbreaking trad folk band Back of the Moon, then with Nu-Folk pioneers Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers and most recently as a solo act working under the guidance of legendary songwriter Boo Hewerdine. His breakthrough solo album, VIP: Very Interesting Persons, produced by Boo Hewerdine, was number 2 in the Telegraph’s top folk albums. He followed it with 2017’s “Glasgow”, described by the Scotsman as “a paean to his adopted home town” which led to a number of high profile gigs including a couple of seasons as the opening act on Eddi Reader’s UK tour. In 2021 he released It Is What It Is, a collaboration album in all but name with producer and multi-instrumentalist Angus Lyon which Folk Radio UK called, ”A captivating, indispensable work; “it is what it is” and what it is, is magnificent.”
Kim Richards
Tin whistle & ukulele
Kim is an artist, freelance designer/illustrator, musician and art teacher from Ullapool. She released her album, Leaves that Fly, in 2018. She runs weekly music sessions with Mairearad Green, and regularly plays gigs and Ceilidhs with a variety of other musicians, including The Highland Ceilidh Band. She is also a regular Fèis Rois YMI tutor.
Amy Laurenson
Amy Laurenson is a pianist from the Shetland Isles, currently based in Glasgow. Rooted in the traditional music of Shetland, Amy explores the music of her homeland alongside traditional and folk music from Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia.
Amy was named BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2023 at Celtic Connections and has since toured throughout the UK with her band, appearing at the likes of Shetland Folk Festival, Edinburgh TradFest, Cambridge Folk Festival and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Having studied both classical and traditional music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Amy recently graduated with a first class BMus Honours degree in June 2022. Alongside performing with LÉDA, Tern (Danny Kyle Open Stage 2023 winners) and Miguel Girão (with Live Music Now Scotland), Amy is a Lecturer in Piano and Traditional Music at RCS Juniors and has previously taught with Fèis Rois & Shetland Arts’ Folk Frenzy.
Mairearad Green
Accordion
Renowned for her deft and lyrical accordion style, as well as her dextrous piping, Mairearad is in great demand not only as a performer, but also as a composer.
Often seen on stage alongside multi-instrumentalist Anna Massie, composer, Mike Vass, piping supergroup, Tryst and singer-songwriter, King Creosote.
Tom Bancroft
Bodhran
Tom is largely a self taught jazz musician but has played with many musicians including Sun Ra, Geri Allen, Martyn Bennett, & The Grit Orchestra. He studied drums with Joe Morello, Andrew Cyrille, Billy Hart, & Joey Baron in the US, Okoe Ardyfio in Ghana, carnatic percussion vocabulary on bodhran with Suresh Vaidyanathan in India, and konnakol and drumming with Asaf Sirkis in London. He has taught drums in a wide range of settings around the world and is currently teaching drums at Napier University and studying for a PHD in Music, Creativity, and Education there.
Tom has a particular interest in the interface between jazz and traditional music – he has played extensively with traditional musicians in Scotland. This has also led him to become an innovator on the traditional Irish/ Scottish drum the bodhran. He has also studied, taught, and performed with traditional musicians from Burkina Faso, Ghana, India, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Tom set up ABC Creative Music with his brother Phil, and they have developed some innovative ways to teach improvisation and music creativity. They recently led a conference on Creativity in Music Education and are in the process of publishing their theoretical framework on Creativity in Music Education.
Richard Bracken
Art
Richard Bracken is an artist and maker living and working in the Great Glen. His creative practice is fed by an ongoing, personal exploration of the land and aims to explore what it means for people to live in it. Richard has a strong interest in place, community and education and since 2009 has worked with young people and communities throughout the Highlands, mainly as Lead Artist with Room 13 in Lochaber. Richard is also a member of Inverness-based collective, Circus Artspace. In 2020 he was commissioned by Community Land Scotland and the Stove Network to work with Abriachan Forest Trust as part of the Artists and Community Landowners project.
You can view our 2026 classes below!
We will offer classes at the following levels:
- A – Advanced
- UI – Upper Intermediate
- I+ – Intermediate and above
- LI – Lower Intermediate
- IB – Improving beginner
- CB – Complete or recent beginner
Daily timetable
The daily timetable is as follows:
9.30am – 10am Warm-up and whole Fèis song for everyone
10am – 11am First choice class
11am – 11.15am break for all participants
11.15 – 11.45am P4 -7 pupils take part in Gaelic language and games workshop
11.15 – 11.45am S1-6 pupils have a chance to session
11.45am – 12.45pm Back to first choice class
12.45 – 1.30pm Lunch
1.30pm – 2.30pm Second choice class (or S1-6 groupwork which counts as second AND third choice)
2.30pm – 3.00pm Break
3.00pm – 4.00pm Third choice (or continue groupwork for S1-6)
4.00pm Pick up for non-residents. Residents have free time with supervisors.
5.00pm Dinner for P4-7
6.00pm Dinner for S1-6
6.30pm (primary) and 7.00pm (secondary) Evening activities begin
Read on for some important information for registered participants.
CODE OF CONDUCT
You have given parental consent for your child/ward to take part in this event when you booked online. However, we will email you a separate Code of Conduct form for the participant to sign. We want to ensure that everyone has a fun and safe time when they are with us and we ask participants to sign an age-appropriate code of conduct form where they agree to treat everyone respectfully and adhere to the rules of the event, which are in place for their safety. Fèis participants must adhere to our strict no alcohol, no drugs and no smoking policy. We will call the parents/carers of any young person found to be breaching the Code of Conduct agreement and ask them to collect their child from the event. You should return the Code of Conduct form to us as ASAP but no later than Monday 12th Oct. Return your forms by email (we accept scanned signatures but not typed) or by post: Feis Rois, Robertson House, Greenhill Street, Dingwall, IV15 9JQ.
PHONING HOME & WIFI
There are payphones and some card phones in Ullapool. Mobile phones are permitted but participants are asked to make all calls home before bedtime and will be asked to switch off all phones and give them to their supervisors at bed time. We want everyone to be well rested so that everyone has plenty of energy for the week! In line with our Safeguarding Policy, we are unable to provide WIFI at our events.
SUPERVISORS (House Parents)
In addition to our amazing tutor team, we have a team of experienced supervisors who look after the young people when they are not in a workshop or a class. They provide 24/7 care and are supported / managed by senior staff from Fèis Rois. Every participant, whether residential or non-residential, is introduced to their supervisor for the week at registration on Monday morning. We have ratios of one supervisor for every eight young people (P4-7) and one supervisor for every ten young people (S1-6). Our freelance supervisors escort young people to classes, meals and evening activities, and support participants with any difficulties that may arise during their time with us.
Participants – please let your supervisor or another member of the Fèis team know if you are feeling unwell or homesick, or if there is anything at all bothering you during the week. We take very seriously the duty of care we have to all of the young people attending the Fèis and we want to ensure that everyone is happy and healthy throughout the week. All issues are dealt with sensitively by the Fèis team.
REGISTRATION
The Fèis Team will be ready to welcome participants for registration at Ullapool High School, between 10.30am and 11.30am on Monday 19th October. If you are travelling independently (i.e. not on the Fèis Rois bus), please DO NOT arrive earlier than 10.30am. During registration you will drop off your musical instruments (please remember to label them!), your luggage if you are a residential participant (see below for a handy list of what you might like to bring), and choose your evening activity for Wednesday night when we have a big programme to choose from.
Non-residential participants should register for the event between 10.30am and 11.30am on Monday and then they sign out at 4pm each day and sign in at 9.30am from Tuesday morning onwards. Secondary school pupils can sign in and out themselves. Primary school pupils need to be dropped off and collected by a parent/carer.
TRANSPORT TO & FROM THE FEIS
Fèis Rois has booked a coach to depart from Dingwall Leisure Centre at 09.15 on Monday 19th October. If you have booked a place on the bus, please arrive by 09.00 at the latest. If you did not book a place on the bus with your online application, but would like to travel on the bus, please email Lorraine at lorraine.aburrow@feisrois.org. The cost is £10.
Fèis Rois does not provide transport home from the Fèis. Your parents are encouraged to attend the final concert in the Macphail Theatre in Ullapool High School at 7pm on Friday 23rd October to hear all that you have achieved throughout the week and then take you home afterwards.
ACCOMMODATION & MEALS
As far as possible, we accommodate requests to share accommodation with friends. We make sure that you will be staying with people the same age and gender as you but, until we know the percentage of boys and girls attending, we are unable to make up the accommodation lists until very near to the event.
Primary school pupils are in separate accommodation to secondary school pupils. Please let us know if you have siblings who would prefer to share but perhaps one is in P7 and one is in S2, and we can try to accommodate this.
Lunches and a morning snack are provided at the school for all participants, including non-residential participants – you do not need to bring pack lunches unless you want to!
Evening meals will be provided for residential participants only at The Ceilidh Place.
Please bring a labelled water bottle to use throughout the week.
FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT
2 tickets for parents/carers are included in the fee you have paid to attend the Fèis. Please email lorraine.aburrow@feisrois.org if you would like to book additional tickets at the cost of £10 adults and £5 children for grandparents, siblings, friends, etc.
MERCHANDISE AND POCKET MONEY
You can buy Fèis Rois merchandise at registration (music books, hoodies, t-shirts, pens, badges, stickers, water bottles, beanies, etc), as well as throughout the week and at the concert on Friday 23rd October. There is also an opportunity to explore Ullapool with your supervisor to buy postcards, souvenirs, etc. We know that participants will want to bring some pocket money, but they will not need a lot. We encourage parents/carers not to send their child with lots of cash that can be lost!
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Please bring your own instrument if you have one. We can provide some instruments and you should have requested one when you registered online if you need to borrow one. If you have chosen keyboard as a workshop choice, we provide school keyboards. If you are an advanced player and have a more professional weighted key electric piano, then please bring it with you.
WHAT TO BRING!
Essential items are as follows:
• Any medication you need – this may be handed over to your supervisor for safekeeping. (Please notify your supervisor on arrival at your accommodation of any medication you are required to take)
• Waterproof jacket
• Enough changes of clothing for the week, pyjamas, slippers and a dressing gown or onesie
• Washing kit
• 1 Towel (1 towel is usually available from your accommodation)
• Sports kit if you would like to take part in leisure activities on Monday/Wednesday evening
• Your instrument(s) – labelled
• A folder for keeping music sheets tidy and a pen or pencil.
• Please bring a music stand if you prefer to read music rather than learn by ear.
• If you are bringing a tin-whistle it should be in the key of D. If you are signed up to a beginner tin whistle class, you will be given a tin whistle that you can keep!
• If you have spare strings for your guitar/fiddle etc., please take them with you
• If you plan to play football at lunchtime, bring a pair of sports shoes to change into as the residue from the astro turf causes additional work for the cleaner if it comes into the building on your footwear.
Please make sure all of your personal belongings are clearly labelled with your name!
COLLECTING LUGGAGE ON FRIDAY
For our residents, you will check out of your accommodation in Ullapool on Friday morning, and we will take your luggage to the school in our Fèis van.
We ask parents / guardians to collect luggage at Ullapool High School at 4pm or at 6.30pm so that the venue is clear of all luggage in advance of the concert beginning at 7pm.
TIMETABLE
The daily timetable is as follows:
9.30am – 10am Warm-up and whole Fèis song for everyone
10am – 11am First choice class
11am – 11.15am break for all participants
11.15 – 11.45am P4 -7 pupils take part in Gaelic language and games workshop
11.15 – 11.45am S1-6 pupils have a chance to session
11.45am – 12.45pm Back to first choice class
12.45 – 1.30pm Lunch
1.30pm – 2.30pm Second choice class (or S1-6 groupwork which counts as second AND third choice)
2.30pm – 3.00pm Break
3.00pm – 4.00pm Third choice (or continue groupwork for S1-6)
4.00pm Pick up for non-residents. Residents have free time with supervisors.
5.00pm Dinner for P4-7
6.00pm Dinner for S1-6
6.30pm (primary) and 7.00pm (secondary) Evening activities begin
The timetable is slightly different on the Monday morning. You will have half an hour from 12.00pm – 12.30pm to meet your first choice tutor after the Feis welcome and then the timetable will continue as above.
The timetable is also different on the Friday. The classes are as normal until lunchtime and then, after lunch, we will rehearse for the participants’ concert.
EVENING ACTIVITES
All participants (residents and non-residents) can participate in the following activities. A full timetable will be sent out to everyone via email
Monday: Sessions and Games
Tuesday: Tutors’ Concert at the Macphail Theatre.
Wednesday: Pick from a range of evening activities.
Thursday: Ceilidh Dance in the Village Hall
Friday: Participants’ Concert
CONTACT
During the Fèis week, the senior members of staff on site will be Fiona Dalgetty. You will receive Fiona’s number ahead of the Fèis week. Messages can also be left for Fionaat The Ceilidh Place on 01854 612 103.
We look forward to seeing you for a fantastic week of music and fun in Ullapool! In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact the office 01349 862000 if you have any queries, or email fios@feisrois.org and a member of our team will get back to you!