Shoreham gig for Isle of Skye’s Peatbog Faeries

Peter Morrison, from the band, said: “We were able to do a little bit last year in August and then in October.

“We did two short weekends in August which was our first time back for 18 months and then we went down to Leeds and Wickham festivals.

“But we all promptly got Covid, of course.

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“It was just one of those things.

“To be honest we thought we would be taking a big chance with the venues but I think actually we all caught it from the service stations as we were travelling round.

“I’ve never seen the roads as busy as they were last August in all our years of travelling. It was just crazy really.

“But we weren’t too bad with Covid.

“It’s about a week of really bad headaches and terrible temperature fluctuations and then quite tired

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“But we were OK basically.

“None of the band had particularly bad reactions.

“Three of us were asymptomatic pretty much and the other three were bad for a week and then very tired for a couple of weeks.

“But yes, August was first time we’d seen each other for 18 months.

“I’d seen our bass player one or two times but the rest of us are quite far apart and we just met up for one rehearsal in the studio one evening before we went off on tour.

“We all thought that after about 18 months… well, some of the arrangements are pretty complex but actually as soon as we started playing instruments it was all great.”

As for the first year of the lockdown: “In all honesty here on Skye where I am we were quite lucky in 2020.

“We had one of the best summers weatherwise that we’ve had for years and I’ve got quite a big garden here. I spent a lot of time in the garden which was lovely. After touring for so many years I quite enjoyed the time off so really it was not too bad.

“We’ve been doing for this so long so we were OK but I really felt for the younger bands just trying to make their way and make their name and everything just got swept away from underneath their feet.

“For us it was just a bit of a break which was long overdue, but we’re definitely ready for some action now.

“It is hard to say what it will be like until we actually start, of course, but I do feel refreshed.

“But as for the tour, we will just get a feel of what it is like being back on the road once we start again.

“It has always been great fun.

“It has always been a great privilege but it’s pretty tiring with all the travel but certainly last summer it was just great to be playing again and to feel that connection with the audience again and, yes, we definitely missed it.

“We did August and then we did five or six dates in October but even then there was still lots of limitations and restrictions on the number of people in the venues and the venues were struggling a wee bit. I don’t think there will be any restrictions now but as I say, we will just have to wait and see. The pandemic has changed the landscape of so much.”

The band is made up of Peter Morrison on pipes and whistles, Ross Couper on fiddle, Tom Salter on guitar, Norman Willmore on keyboards and sax, Innes Hutton on bass and Stuart Haikney on drums.

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