Two of the Highlands’ most celebrated musical talents have thrown their support behind the Inverness Highland bid for UK City of Culture 2029, becoming the first official ambassadors for a campaign that hopes to showcase the region’s creativity on a national stage.

Award winning folk singer Julie Fowlis and Ivor Novello nominated singer songwriter Katie Gregson MacLeod have joined the Beò! 2029 ambassador programme, helping champion the bid as it seeks to become the first region ever to secure the prestigious title.

The announcement marks another significant step for the campaign, which is the only Scottish entry to be longlisted for UK City of Culture 2029 and aims to demonstrate that culture can thrive far beyond the boundaries of major cities.

Ambassadors will play a central role in promoting the bid, sharing their experience and expertise, and helping build support both within the Highlands and across the wider UK.

For Julie Fowlis, the bid represents an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the extraordinary creative talent that already exists throughout the region.

Julie Fowlis said:

“I’m so delighted that we have the confidence as an area to let people know how proud we are of the tremendous artists and musicians we have here.

“This bid can add national profile to the amazing creative work that people are doing throughout the year and throughout the Highlands.

“I wish it every success.”

Katie Gregson MacLeod, who has recently returned from an Irish tour and a performance at TRNSMT Festival, spoke passionately about the role the Highlands played in shaping her own career and why the bid matters for future generations.

Katie Gregson MacLeod said:

“I’m endlessly proud to be an artist from Inverness, and the Highlands more widely.

“I’m so glad that through this bid, we get the opportunity to present what we have to offer.

“I owe so much of my trajectory and identity as an artist to this place.

“For a long time I didn’t know the career that I have now could begin at home.

“It was eventually connecting with artists in the local scene and getting the chance to play at Belladrum festival when I was 18 that allowed me to imagine pursuing an artistic career that began, and would always have its roots, in the Highlands.

“Bolstering seedlings of talent and creativity, and shedding light on the projects already happening, would go such a long way in laying the groundwork for younger generations of Highlanders to grow up seeing the arts as somewhere they belong.

“Opportunity breeds more opportunity, and I’m so glad Inverness and the Highlands are being given this stage.”

The bid is being developed under the name Beò!, the Gaelic word for alive or living, reflecting the idea of the Highlands as a place where culture is not simply preserved but continues to evolve, grow and shape everyday life.

Supporters believe City of Culture status could help unlock new investment, strengthen cultural networks and create opportunities for communities across rural and island areas that are often overlooked in national conversations.

Highland Council leader Raymond Bremner said the ambassador programme would help bring together people who understand both the value of culture and the potential it holds for the future of the region.

Cllr Bremner said:

“Culture is at the heart of what makes the Highlands such an attractive, distinctive and vibrant place to live, work, and visit.

“The ambassador programme will bring together people who care deeply about the Highlands and believe in the power of culture to transform places and lives.

“Julie and Katie are outstanding ambassadors for the Highlands.

“Both have built successful careers while remaining proud advocates for the places and communities that shaped them.

“Their involvement sends a powerful message about the strength of our cultural sector and the opportunities that exist here for people of all ages and backgrounds.

“I look forward to seeing more ambassadors from across the creative spectrum join the campaign as we continue to build support for Beò! 2029.”

Further ambassadors are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as the bid gathers momentum ahead of the next stage of the competition.

For many involved, the campaign is about more than a title, it is an opportunity to tell the Highlands’ story, celebrate its living culture and demonstrate how creativity can help shape stronger, more resilient communities for generations to come.