By Democrat reporter
Legendary Scottish band Skerryvore have today unveiled plans to stage a special one-off concert – their biggest to date – to mark their 20th anniversary. They will host Skerryvore XX at Floors Castle in Kelso on Saturday 31 May 2025, celebrating two decades at the forefront of Scotland’s music scene.
Three time winners of Scotland’s Live Act of the Year award, Skerryvore have evolved from humble beginnings into one of the country’s leading musical forces. From playing stages around the world to their songs being blasted across the airwaves on BBC Radio 2, the mighty eight-piece have become one of Scotland’s greatest musical exports.
They will bring their contemporary Scottish sound – which fuses folk, trad, pop and rock influences – to the spectacular Floors Castle for a landmark outdoor performance that fittingly reflects their glittering career to date.
A gem in the Scottish Borders, Floors Castle was selected for its spectacular grounds and track record in hosting unique outdoor events for household names like Bryan Adams and Michael Bublé.
The event expects to welcome more than 5,000 visitors, with event buses running direct to Skerryvore XX from major hubs including Edinburgh, Newcastle, Berwick, Hawick and Galashiels. The nearby Borders Event Centre will have space for up to 300 campervans for those looking to spend the night in Kelso, and day and overnight parking will be available at the castle.
Skerryvore’s Daniel Gillespie is no stranger to the world of live events as one of the founders of the multi award-winning Tiree Music Festival and Skerryvore’s Oban Live festival, which ran annually at Mossfield Stadium until 2019. The band were scheduled to stage a concert at Inveraray Castle in 2020 to mark their 15th anniversary before plans were scuppered by the pandemic.
Daniel Gillespie said: “It feels remarkable to be celebrating our 20th anniversary as a band. We’ve continued to evolve and grow in that time and it’s been amazing to see the fanbase expand both at home and right around the world. It seemed only right that we throw our own unique night to reflect on just how far we’ve come and create something special for our fans.”
Lead singer Alec Dalglish added: “Floors Castle feels like the perfect setting for Skerryvore XX and will make for such a memorable backdrop. We’ve played some incredible stages and events over the years but to hold our biggest ever concert on home turf is going to be a landmark moment. We’re planning to invite a few special guests to join us across the night and are looking forward to welcoming fans from near and far to the Scottish Borders in May to mark two decades together.”
With a mix of bagpipes, fiddles, accordions, and whistles, alongside guitar and vocals, underpinned by driving bass, drums and keys, Skerryvore represents the best in contemporary Scottish traditional music. Their latest album Tempus, a record bursting with original songs composed by frontman Alec Dalglish, went to number one in both the Official Scottish Album and UK Folk Albums charts, and entered the top 40 in the Official UK Charts.
Skerryvore XX will take place on Saturday 31 May 2025. Pre-sale tickets will go on sale exclusively to the Skerryvore mailing list at 12 noon UK time, Saturday 16 November. Sign up via skerryvore.com. General tickets will go on sale at 12 noon UK time, Sunday 17 November at skerryvore.com/xx.