THE biggest festival of traditional music returns to the Borders this weekend.

The curtain goes up on the 12th annual Innerleithen Music Festival on Friday, August 15, and continues into Sunday, August 17.

Local musicians will perform alongside some of the most famous names in Celtic music anywhere in the world. And many of the events are free.

Pam Fraser, chair of the organising committee, told the Border Telegraph: “We’ve put a lot of work into this year’s festival to maintain the standards set in previous years.

“There’s our headline concerts at the Memorial Hall featuring artists with international reputations in the folk world, such as Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham, Boys of the Lough and The Shee. “But we’ve also got more than 30 of our most talented local acts in different genres appearing at the Vale Club in a weekend long 'festival within a festival’.

“Some of our events are free, so there’s really no excuse for not coming along to enjoy the music!”.

Among the new events for this year are a session devoted to Border song and tunes hosted by Kirsty Law, and a rock session led by Don Cameron, Tickets for the main concerts are on sale in advance at Scotlight in Innerleithen, the Eastgate Theatre in Peebles by calling 01721 725777, and online at the festival website: www.innerleithenmusicfestival.org. The programme is as follows: Friday, August 15 - Live & Local Fringe, 4pm - 1am, Vale Club. Free entry.

Concert, 7.30pm to 10:30pm, Memorial Hall, with Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham, with Sophie Dyer and Seoras Ashby. Scotland’s favourite traditional musicians, no less, making a welcome return to the Memorial Hall. Opening the concert, are two highly accomplished local musicians, who combine to deliver a spellbinding blend of music from the Celtic and Americana traditions. Tickets: £18.50 (children under 16 £10) Festival Club, 10pm to 1am, Union Club, Open sessions. Free.

Saturday, August 16 - Music workshops: 10.30am to 12noon, Singing with Kathy Stewart & Frances Taylor; 11am to 12:30pm, Fiddle with Shona Mooney; 12.30pm to 2pm, Fun percussion with Alison Cameron, sponsored by St Ronan’s Tattoo; 2pm to 3.30pm, Flute & Whistle with Lillias Kinsman-Blake; 2.30pm to 4pm, Mandolin with Laura-Beth Salter; 4.15pm to 5.15pm, Border Song with Kirsty Law.

Historic Innerleithen: 10am to 12noon. Meet outside the Memorial Hall. Innerleithen was at one time a spa said to rival Harrogate and also a major textile producer. Discover its hidden past by joining a guided walk in the company of local guides. Learn the history and fate of the former Caerlee Mills, the oldest custom-built woollen mill in the Scottish Borders. See also the famed St. Ronan’s Wells, mentioned by Robert Burns and visited by Sir Walter Scott.

Minimum donation £3 please to the Community Trust on the day.

St Ronan’s Silver Band: 10am to 12noon, outside the Vale Club.

Our acclaimed local Silver Band will be performing, and there’s a Coffee Morning inside the Club. All Festival-goers welcome!

Live & Local Fringe, 1pm to 1am, Vale Club. Free entry.

Busking Competition: 2pm to 4pm, Innerleithen High Street. Register at Charity shop at 15 High Street between 1pm and 2pm to get your pitch. All ages welcome. Judging at 4pm.

If the weather is not looking good, please check if it’s going ahead by contacting the festival on 0774 068 1879. Sponsored by Innerleithen Community Trust Concert: 12.45pm to 3.30pm, Memorial Hall. Robyn Stapleton Band, Lori Watson & Fiona Black, and Merlin Traditional Music Academy. Tickets: £8 (children under 16 free). Robyn Stapleton has shot to prominence by becoming the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2014, with her delightful performance of traditional song.

Lori Watson is a highly accomplished fiddler, singer and tutor with a huge knowledge of the Borders fiddling tradition. She is joined by Fiona Black, a superb accordion player from the band Outside Track.

And to open the concert are the students and teachers from the annual Merlin Traditional Music Academy Summer School in Melrose.

Rock & Roll Classics and Ballad Session, 4pm to 7pm, Masons Club Featuring All The Angels – with 50s, 60s & 70s music. Join in with instruments or voice. Hosted by Don Cameron. Free entry.

Border Song & Tune Session, 5.30pm to 7pm, Union Club. Free - come along to perform or join in with your favourite Border song or tune, or just to enjoy the music! Hosted by Kirsty Law.

Concert, 7.15pm to 10:45pm, Memorial Hall. The Shee and Boys of the Lough. Two outstanding bands, exciting young all-female band with strong Borders connections, plus the world-renowned Celtic band. Tickets: £17 (children under 16 £10).

10pm to 1am, Union Club. Open sessions. Free.

Singaround at Mason’s Club, hosted by Susie Kelly, 10.30pm to 1am.

Sunday, August 17: Workshops – Scots Song and Guitar. The festival website gives the times and venues. Live & Local Fringe at the Vale Club, 1pm to 8pm.

Live & Local Main Stage concert at Memorial Hall, with 'indie-folk’ band Matt Norris & The Moon, Borders blues duo Robbie Tatler & Sam Mundy and Lanarkshire based Rudeigin, 2pm to 4pm.

“The Ladykillers” – special event commissioned for the Festival – an entertaining afternoon exploring the role of women in a selection of Scottish ballads popularised by Walter Scott. Takes place at St Ronan’s Wells, 2pm to 4pm.

Traditional Singers Concert, a relaxing evening of traditional song with some great singers and musicians – Fiona Hunter & Mike Vass, Carole & Alan Prior, John Morran, Kirsty Law and Innerleithen’s own Fisher Lassies, 6.30pm to 9.15pm.