Perthshire Amber music festival welcomes international fans

One of the biggest events on Scotland’s music calendar is under way.

The popular Perthshire Amber festival kicked off in style on Friday with a sell-out gig featuring Dougie MacLean and Karine Polwart.

The pair gave an intimate performance at the Edradour Distillery in Pitlochry to launch the event’s ninth year.

Almost 10,000 visitors are expected to flock to Highland Perthshire this weekend to see MacLean’s musical extravaganza.

The Perthshire Amber is considered a hugely important fixture, as it’s worth almost £1 million to the local economy, with fans coming from 22 countries.

The festival takes place in 25 venues including Perth Concert Hall, Methven Castle, Blair Castle, Murthly Castle Chapel and Dunkeld Cathedral.

Dougie MacLean said: “We’ve been planning this festival for nearly a year now and the team have been working flat out for the past few months to bring it all together.

“The anticipation has been mounting and I just can’t wait for it all to begin.”