A celebrated Runrig tribute band will bring the sound of one of Scotland’s most iconic groups to the Highlands this summer as part of the Dornoch Music Festival.
Beat The Drum The Runrig Experience has been confirmed for the festival line up and will take to the stage on Saturday 18 July.
The band promises an evening celebrating the music of Runrig with performances of many of the group’s best known songs that have become part of Scotland’s musical heritage.
Festival organisers say the performance will capture the spirit and energy of Runrig’s music while giving audiences the chance to relive some of the band’s most memorable anthems.
Runrig’s powerful songs and connection to Highland and island culture made them one of Scotland’s most influential bands for more than four decades.
Beat The Drum The Runrig Experience has been created to honour that legacy by performing the songs with authenticity and respect.
Leading the band is vocalist and guitarist Richie Muir, originally from Edinburgh.
A lifelong admirer of Runrig, he discovered the band while growing up in Scotland and their music has remained a constant influence throughout his life.
After moving to Nottingham in his twenties he built a successful career performing across the East Midlands at weddings, venues and events while developing a reputation for his acoustic guitar playing and warm vocal style.
Richie now balances family life with performing, focusing much of his musical energy on the Beat The Drum project.
The band’s bass player Duncan MacDonald brings a direct connection to Runrig’s roots.
Originally from Portree on the Isle of Skye, he attended Portree High School at the same time as members of Runrig.
Alongside performing he has built a career in media production, working with the BBC as both a presenter and producer and even producing a video for Runrig themselves.
Guitarist Jason Laing is from the Isle of Lewis and is well known on the Hebridean music scene for his versatile guitar playing.
Deeply influenced by Runrig’s music, he has performed in a range of bands and once appeared alongside Rory MacDonald during the Hebridean All Stars project during the Covid lockdown.
Completing the line up is drummer Scott MacDonald, a professional musician based in London who performs across a wide range of musical styles.
The son of Duncan MacDonald, he grew up surrounded by music and has gone on to perform with a number of well known touring and function bands while also running his own ceilidh band.
Together the musicians aim to bring Runrig’s songs to life for audiences while celebrating the spirit and stories behind the music.
Organisers of the Dornoch Music Festival say the performance is expected to be one of the highlights of the weekend with fans invited to sing along to some of the band’s best loved tracks.
