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Perthshire Brass playing the popular Christmas tune “Jingle Bells” or “One Horse Open Sleigh” by The Cross in Dunkeld.
Why Scottish Music Is Best Experienced Live
Scottish music is far more than bagpipes. From traditional fiddle sessions to brass bands and folk festivals, live music is embedded in Scottish community life in a way that recordings can never capture.
- Find a pub session, not a concert. In the Highlands and islands, musicians gather in pubs to play traditional music informally — fiddle, accordion, guitar, and sometimes pipes. These aren’t performances; they’re social gatherings that happen to produce beautiful music. The Mishnish in Tobermory and the Frigate in Inverness are reliable spots.
- Brass bands are a Scottish tradition worth seeking out. Community brass bands perform at Christmas markets, Highland Games, and village fêtes across Scotland. The sound of brass in a Scottish setting — a castle courtyard, a village square, a church — creates an atmosphere that string instruments alone can’t match.
- Celtic Connections in January is Scotland’s best music festival. Held in Glasgow over three weeks, Celtic Connections features traditional, folk, and world music in some of Glasgow’s finest venues. Unlike summer festivals, it’s indoors, accessible, and the quality of artists is extraordinary.
- Buy a CD directly from the musicians — they keep far more of the money. At festivals and sessions, artists often sell recordings directly. These aren’t on Spotify. Buying from the musician supports their livelihood and gives you music you won’t find anywhere else — a genuine Scottish souvenir.
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In today’s email:
- Jingle Bells – One Horse Open Sleigh by Perthshire Brass
- The Top 6 Reasons Why You Need The Free Ultimate Scotland Travel Guide
- Collect your gift! – A Free Digital Copy Of The Ultimate Scotland Travel Guide
- Around the Web: Scotland’s ‘Harry Potter’ Glenfinnan Viaduct crowned best film location in UK, Cinema to host pyjama party showings of classic Christmas film, Sean Connery’s Edinburgh: and more
- From Social Media – Castle Tioram, Lochaber, Highlands
- Scottish Food You Will Love – Making The ‘Perfect’ Scottish Morning Roll
- Coo Wee – What Does A Scotsman Wear Under His Kilt
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Jingle Bells – One Horse Open Sleigh by Perthshire Brass
This special annual Christmas event includes Santa on his sleigh being pulled through Birnam and Dunkeld by Reindeer, a Christmas Market and music from the popular band Perthshire Brass. The event is thanks to the efforts of Dunkeld and Birnam Events Group for arranging.
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Around The Web
ScotRail adds extra services in the run up to Christmas
Spend Christmas at the Luxurious Mill House, Loch Tay Highland Lodges, Scotland
Scotland’s ‘Harry Potter’ Glenfinnan Viaduct crowned best film location in UK
Active travel in Scotland – save money and improve your health
Improve your commute: save money, stay healthy, and help the environment with active travel.
Glasgow Central Station named busiest in Scotland in latest figures
Christmas party nights: Glasgow and Edinburgh’s best places for a bash
Celtic Park to open their doors and serve festive dinner on Christmas Day
Sam Heughan to appear in Glasgow: where and when fans can meet the Outlander star
Photos show how the Glasgow Subway has changed as system marks 127 years of operation
Cinema to host pyjama party showings of classic Christmas film
Showcase Cinemas will be hosting the special screenings of The Polar Express.
Sean Connery’s Edinburgh
From Social Media
Take a moment to relax & enjoy the peaceful beauty of the Highlands!
near Castle Tioram, Lochaber, Highlands
Credit: – Instagram.com/fiona.a.campbell
Scottish Food You Will Love
Making The ‘Perfect’ Scottish Morning Roll
Coo Wee
What Does A Scotsman Wear Under His Kilt
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A Traveller’s Perspective
Hearing a brass band play Christmas music in a Scottish town is one of those small, seasonal pleasures that stays with you. Perthshire Brass performing in Dunkeld is exactly the kind of community event that makes rural Scotland special — local musicians playing for local people in a beautiful setting. It does not try to be anything it is not, and that is what makes it charming.
If you are visiting Scotland in December, check local event listings for Christmas concerts and performances in town halls, churches, and community centres. Dunkeld itself is worth a visit at any time — the cathedral ruins on the banks of the Tay, the Hermitage forest walk, and the Birnam Oak are all within easy reach. For a festive day out, combine Dunkeld with a stop at the House of Bruar or a visit to Blair Castle, both a short drive north on the A9.
Standing in a Scottish town square on a cold December evening, listening to a brass band play under Christmas lights, there is a particular warmth that has nothing to do with the temperature. The notes hang in the frosty air. Children sit on parents’ shoulders. Neighbours chat and share flasks of hot chocolate. The stone buildings around the square glow in the lamplight. It is not flashy or expensive — it is just a community enjoying itself at Christmas, and there is something deeply appealing about that.
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