Folk at the Salmon Bothy
Bothy Ballads and Burns
Sat 22nd Feb 2025, Portsoy Bowling Club. Tickets £25 ea. 6.00pm start.
Featuring entertainment from award winning Scots traditional singers Natalie Chalmers and Alan Taylor, the Portsoy 75 Club Choir and Piper Sarah Simpson
A 3 course traditional haggis supper with a dram and a glass of port
Hoping you all had a great Xmas and now resting before the new year celebrations begin.
On 1st Jan we host the New Year sing-around/session in Bowling Club from 730pm. Free entry, but please bring a raffle prize and snacks to share.
Bookings are now being taken for Bothy Ballads and Burns – Sat 22nd Feb. A joint event with Portsoy 75 Club.
Entertainment from Natalie Chalmers, Alan Taylor and Sarah Simpson, plus floor spots. 3 course meal and dram, cheese and port. Only £25.
Contact Bob to reserve tickets.
See you all soon.
Have a grand New Year and a happy, healthy 2025.
A near capacity audience were treated to a fantastic evening of Folk Music at our recent club night on the 3rd Friday. Bill Gray was MC for the evening and ensured all 12 floor performers had time for a couple of songs or tunes. We even had a doric story from Queen Victoria’s Doric Diary. Ewan MacColl seemed to be favoured by many performers, including one of our guests, Bob Drummond who sang a couple of McCarthy songs as well as the much loved Ralph McTell classic, The Streets of London. Danny Couper was also on very fine form singing a selection of Aberdeen Street songs as well as classic songs collected from the singing of Jeanie Robertson . He also gave a great rendition of Hamish Henderson’s Freedom Come All Ye. A song that many think should be Scotland’s National Anthem.
A few regulars were missing, some to I’ll health. We wish them well and hope to see them at our Xmas Extravaganza on 20th Dec. The very talented young lasses from Cullen, Chloe and Charlotte (aka Fair Tricket) are our guests. Joan, Paul and Chris are organising the refreshments and a collection of food items will be made for a local charity.
Finally, there are still tickets available for our joint venture with Portsoy 75 Club. A St Andrews night Ceilidh. Dancing, singing, Tunes and Poetry. A great night for sure. Only £15, includes supper, provided by Megs Kitchen and Gaulds Sandend.
Contact Bob for tickets.
07968872217
Inverness-based Dougie Mackenzie is an award-winning traditional singer and former Mod winner, and Penicuik-based Brian Miller is an accomplished guitarist who has played in many of Scotland’s top folk bands including Clan Alba and The Battlefield Band. This is sure to be a great night of songs and stories.
The next session on Friday, November 15 welcomes veteran banjo player and trad singer Danny Couper, who will take to the stage with Bob Drummond, sponsor of the annual Haal festival
To celebrate St Andrew’s Day, Folk at the Salmon Bothy, in partnership with Portsoy 75 Club, will host a St Andrew’s Day Hoolie on Saturday, November 30 at Portsoy Bowling Club. Entertainment will be provided by the Kenny McKenzie All Star Ceilidh Band, with performances from Moira Stewart, Doug Hay and various floor performers. With thanks to sponsorship from Auntie Meg’s Kitchen in Whitehills, and Gauld Fruit and Veg in Sandend, stovies and vegetable pasta will be available during the break. Tickets are £15 each, booking is essential and the event is for over 18s only.
Friday16th August – Club Night. We have the great Dave Goulder as guest. Dave will do a couple of extended sets – songs, stories, poems etc. Probably Dave’s best known song, covered by many many artists, is The January Man – followed closely by From Sandwood down to Kyle. A great evening assured- especially if you like steam trains. There will of course be ample time for floor spots. Doors open 1900 for 1930 start. Only £5 entry!
20th September – We hope have a visit from Ugie Wall of Sound (tbc). They will do a couple of extended sets and floor singers will be given ample time to play, sing, tell stories etc.
18th October – Standard open mic Club Night. Doors open 1900.
26th October – Dougie McKenzie and Brian Miller as guests. Another great night of Scottish Songs in store from a champion singer and superb accompanist. Doors open 1930 for 2000 start. Tickets £10
6th November – Standard open mic Club Night. Doors open 1900.
30th November – St Andrews Night. We are planning a joint event with Portsoy 75 Club (tbc). Possible Ceilidh Dance (band to be confirmed), songs from Moira Stewart and many more. Stovies and a veggie pasta dish. More details to follow.
Hope to see you at many of the above events.
Take care. Bob
Dave Goulder – Friday 16th August
Joining us for our Club Night on Friday 16th August is the great Dave Goulder. Dave will perform extended sets including songs, stories and poems. Dave Goulder is a contemporary of his friends Martin Carthy, Archie Fisher and Gordon Bok, all of whom have recorded his songs over the years
A locomotive fireman in the days of British Rail, he has recorded and published two albums and a book of ‘steam’ ballads as well as his more lyrical output of wild songs such as ‘January Man’, ‘Easter Tree’ and ‘Sandwood Down to Kyle’. Classical guitar has always been his instrument of choice but he’s also happy to give a tune on the Jew’s harp. A master craftsman dry stone dyker and instructor, he can punctuate his sets with humorous tales of stone and steam
Plenty spots for keen performers to take the floor and entertain too.
Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm. £5 entry fee.
Bring your own bottle.
All welcome, to perform, or just to relax and enjoy the entertainment on offer.
| Chris Miles | Bob Sharp |
| Arthur Watson | Moonshine Madness |
| George Davidson | Paul Ratke |
| SC&T Youth | Sir Reel Clarks |
| Mike Blackburn | Scott Gardiner |
| Maggie & Dick Trickie |
Singer Kenny Speirs Enthralls Audience In Portsoy
Folk at the Salmon Bothy members and guests recently enjoyed one of the best attended Open Mic Sessions for many months.
Borders based singer songwriter Kenny Speirs enthralled the audience with performances of his own sensitively and well crafted songs, as well as many popular covers from the pens of Andy M Stewart, Rabbie Burns and more.
Kenny was supported by fourteen sets from floor singers, musicians and storytellers. The appreciative audience enjoyed sea shanties, the history of Fyvie Castle, and a variety of unaccompanied Scottish and English traditional songs.
Tributes were paid throughout the evening to the late great Joe Aitken, who sadly died recently. Seven times Bothy Ballads Champion of Champions, and dedicated family and community man, Joe was remembered fondly by many who knew him.
Organiser Bob Philips, MC for the evening, opened and closed the session with tributes to Joe. During the evening, John Mather recited a poem by Sheena Blackwall about Joe, while Doug Hay, Bill Gray and John Dickson sang some of Joe’s well known songs, including The Hearst o’ Retie, The Twa Gadgies and The Yellow’ on the Broom. The audience joined in enthusiastically.
The next Open Mic Session takes place on Friday 17 May at Portsoy Salmon Bothy, where the full session will be dedicated to performers keen to take the floor. Doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm start. Admission is £5, and guests may bring their own bottle.
Folk at the Bothy’s annual general meeting will take place at 7pm at the Station Hotel on Tuesday 21 May, all welcome.
The Club is also looking ahead to the 14th Haal which takes place in Portsoy from 31 May to 2 June. Tickets are on sale now, and the full programme can be found in businesses locally, or online.
Joe Aitken
We are saddened to learn of the passing of our friend and supporter Joe Aitken.
Rest in Peace Joe.
Salmon Bothy, Portsoy. Doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm start.
Admission is £5, and guests may bring their own bottle.
Kenny Speirs, a well-known figure on the national and international folk circuit, will perform an extended set as part of Folk at the Salmon Bothy’s Open Mic Session on Friday 19 April.
Performing initially with the John Wright Band in the early nineties, Kenny was propelled from the pubs and clubs of his local area in the Scottish Borders to some of the biggest festival stages throughout the UK and Europe.
Releasing seven albums with the John Wright Band after turning professional in 1995 earned him as a sensitive guitarist, singer and arranger. A further two solo album releases gained further wide critical acclaim.
In 2001 Kenny formed Real Time with his partner Judy Dinning. For the next 12 years they toured extensively throughout the UK and Europe, until Judy’s untimely death in 2013.
The band continued without her until 2019, by which time Kenny had decided to concentrate on writing his own material and pursue a solo career, releasing two self-penned albums ‘Sleepwalking’ and ‘New Dawn Breaking’.
“We are very much looking forward to welcoming Kenny back to Portsoy. A highly acclaimed singer/songwriter, Kenny has performed for us in the past, and has been very well received by local audiences thanks to his interesting song repertoire and laid back style. His extended sets will complement performances from regular club members and guests who will also take to the stage on the night.
A warm welcome awaits all who wish to join us.”
Bob.
Enquiries and ticket requests to Bob Philips at bobportsoy@gmail.com, or by telephone, 07968 872 217.
