Riddell Fiddles are toe tapping all the way to Barbados

Riddell Fiddles will headline the Saturday night of the three-day celebration at the end of May on the Caribbean island.

The Celtic Festival of Barbados is held each year to celebrate the links between the Celtic countries of Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Nova Scotia, as well as the the Gallic regions of other European nations.

Previous headliners include Eddi Reader, Peatbog Faeries, Heidi Talbot and John McCusker.

This year's festival will conclude with the Riddell Fiddles joining pupils form the Suzuki Violin School of Barbados at the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre.

In the run up to the toe-tapping trip, members of Riddell Fiddles continued their fundraising at the weekend with a pop up shop in Selkirk.

And they will host another on Saturday, February 4.

Sheila Sapkota, who is a founder of the group, told us: "We have many events scattered over the next few months ranging from within the Zandra Elliot Bandstand at Wilton Park, Tweedbank Community Centre and the Art at Ancrum event, but our biggest performance will be at the Celtic Festival of Barbados.

"We would like to thank Tesco in Galashiels for allowing us to 'busk' as part of the fundraising on Hogmanay and for the public's generous contributions.

"We particularly requested the pop up shop on Selkirk High Street, next to the deli, as there is space to play music on the wide pavement outside.

"The musicians are hoping for a few intrepid dancers to lead off what could turn into a ceilidh on the pavement.

"Any dancers who turn up at our pop up shops in Selkirk will get a discount on the traybakes on offer!"

Several leading tutors have been lined up for the new term at Riddell Fiddles, including Marie Fielding from the Royal Conservatoire, Amy Geddes from the Pathhead Music Collective and Jeana Leslie from Orkney.

As well as last weekend's pop up shop the fiddlers also played the traditional Haggis Polka outside the Argus Centre during Selkirk's Great Haggis Hunt on Sunday.