They are one of Scotland’s most popular music groups who are celebrating their 25th birthday. And now, a majestic oak in Lochaber which bears their Skipinnish name has been voted Britain’s favourite tree in a survey carried out by the Woodland Trust. The news completes what has been a remarkable period for band duo, Angus MacPhail and Andrew Stevenson – and gives them the opportunity to write a special song which they will unveil when they perform in front of an expected 15,000 fans at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow next September.
Mr Stevenson said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Skipinnish Oak has come out on top in this national poll, because is an ancient tree that is very much loved by the local community and the many tourists who come to visit it. It has seen many historic and landmark events, but this will be its first award for its beauty and history, and shows the affection people have for it. We hope it will make it a double and, as the UK’s entry, go on to lift the European title (which will be announced early in the New Year).”
The music landscape is flourishing
Skipinnish, themselves, have enjoyed a terrific year with packed concerts at Edinburgh Castle and in Inverness. It’s a far cry from the early days when the duo were performing in any Highland pub they could find which was looking for live music offerings.
Mr MacPhail told the Scottish Banner: “Back in the early 2000s, when we were still in our fledgling years, Runrig and Capercaillie were the only trad bands who could attract crowds of 2,000 or 3,000 and that had been the case for many years. But things have changed and very much for the better. Now, you have six or seven different groups who are in that same sphere and the circuit is in great health with folk from all ages and backgrounds. Much of that growth is down to the pioneering work of two groups in particular, so it was a huge honour that Malcolm Jones of Runrig and Karen Matheson of Capercaillie joined us as guests of our anniversary celebrations, since we have been fans of their music for many years.”
With more than 20 trad festivals taking place across the country in 2025, including the internationally-renowned Celtic Connections, the Orkney Folk Festival, Edinburgh Tradfest, Shetland Folk Festival, Stonehaven Folk Festival, Ceolas and HebCelt – which has partnered with Isle of Harris Distillery in allowing up-and-coming artists to perform – the music landscape is flourishing.
A virtuous circle
Mr MacPhail said: “It’s happening across all ages and a very significant part of the expansion was the development of Gaelic Medium Education, which has given so much confidence to youngsters and allowed them to flourish in their own culture. It’s a virtuous circle, the cumulative impact of a lot of hard work which has been done by a huge spread of organisations and individuals in the Highlands and beyond. I grew up listening to this music and so did so many others. Yet now, there are so many platforms on which to perform and the number of festivals has helped us all. And many young people are tapping into the phenomenon, which is great for the future.”
As a proud native of Tiree, he relished playing traditional music wherever there was an audience while forming a rare symbiosis with his Lochaber-born colleague. Who would have guessed, 25 years ago, that they would now be linked not only by their musicianship and songwriting ability, but by a magnificent oak tree from more than a millennium ago?
Text by: Neil Drysdale
Main photo: An unknown Dutch tree enthusiast captures an image of the Skipinnish Oak. Image by Andrew Stevenson.
Did you know?
-The Skipinnish Oak, on Lochaber’s Achnacarry Estate, is a well-known natural feature in the local area and has a very commanding presence within a conifer plantation which surrounds it.
-Up until 2009 the oak has been previously undocumented and unnamed. The name was given to the tree by experts partly because of Skipinnish co-founder Andrew Stevenson who is from the area and has known the tree from his days as a young boy growing up locally. The day after a Skipinnish gig, piper Andrew guided a group of Scottish woodland experts to the tree. The enthusiasts were so taken by its pedigree as an ancient Highland oak that the experts named it after the award-winning band.
-The Skipinnish Oak was up against 11 other UK oaks. The Tree of the Year competition is run by the Woodland Trust to celebrate the contribution trees make to our lives and the planet. The winner will go on to represent the UK in the Europe Tree of the Year competition.