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Ed Sheeran ‘fell in love’ with Aberfeldy after visiting songwriter pal Foy Vance

Northern Irish singer Vance helped co-write the song The Hills of Aberfeldy for Ed Sheeran's new album.

Foy Vance co-wrote the closing song to Ed Sheeran's new album. Image: Babiradpicture/Shutterstock
Foy Vance co-wrote the closing song to Ed Sheeran's new album. Image: Babiradpicture/Shutterstock

Ed Sheeran was inspired to write The Hills of Aberfeldy while visiting his singer-songwriter pal Foy Vance.

The pair co-wrote the closing track on Ed’s new album Subtract after the chart-topper ‘fell in love’ with the Perthshire town.

Foy, 49, told The Courier: “Ed came to visit me shortly after I moved to Aberfeldy and he, like me and like everyone that comes to the area, fell in love with the place.

“With the mood we were in, the song more or less wrote itself. It poured out.”

Ed has since visited the town several times and even popped into the Black Watch bar before cheering on Foy at the annual Hogmanay festival in 2019.

He released a music video to accompany the song last week.

Foy, from Bangor in Northern Ireland, moved to Aberfeldy over a decade ago and is signed to Ed’s record label.

He told The Courier in 2021 that he decided to make the move from London after visiting to support his then-wife’s exhibition at a gallery.

The songwriter said: “As soon as I came over the hill from Crieff I announced I wanted to move here.

Vance Foy, a collaborator of Ed Sheeran, standing before a lake
Foy moved to the area after supporting his then-wife at an exhibition. Image: Babysweet.

“This was in October, so Aberfeldy was in its autumnal glory, like a sea of orange and gold, with smoke coming out of the chimneys.

“I was living in a house I couldn’t afford and this place looked like paradise, which it still does to me.”

Hope Ed Sheeran link brings more visitors to Aberfeldy

Highland Perthshire SNP councillor Michael Williamson praised the song and hopes it will entice more visitors to the town.

He said: “This is such a wonderful song which has a Celtic vibe about it and that it will rightly put Aberfeldy on the map.

“This song follows on from the Robert Burns song about the Birks of Aberfeldy.

Michael Williamson hopes the song will entice more visitors to the area. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson.
Michael Williamson hopes the song will entice more visitors to the area. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson.

“I am sure that it will inspire more people to come to the area to discover the fantastic environment and friendly people.”

The song has proved to be a hit with Aberfeldy residents, with one butcher launching an Irn-Bru-infused Lorne sausage as a tribute to the singer.

Subtract is already the fastest-selling album of 2023.

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