A TALENTED Scottish traditional artist is set to take to the stage in Dunfermline as part of her first-ever headline solo tour.

Isla Ratcliff will be performing at the Dunfermline Folk Club on Wednesday, April 19.

She will be performing material from her debut album 'The Castalia' at her show in the city, and will be singing a selection of new songs featuring Ellen Gira on cello and Iona Reid on piano.

The album features traditional and self-penned tunes based on the time she spent in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in 2019. The trip made a lasting impact on Isla musically, allowing her to uncover new repertoire, and inspiring a fresh approach to interpreting tune.

"The Castalia was a joy to create," she said. "I fell in love with the music, culture and people of Cape Breton, and by channelling my time spent there into this record, it makes the whole experience come to life again every time I play it.

“The music on the album is all about bringing people together, and it celebrates the power of music in doing so. I can’t wait to perform it to the lovely people of Dunfermline, and experience that feeling of togetherness and community that only live music can bring."

The Edinburgh-born musician is a versatile composer, arranger, fiddle player and singer, and a lot of her musical inspiration comes from her love of traditional music and the powerful sense of community it holds when bringing people of all backgrounds together.

She grew up with music and was performing from a young age, sharing the stage with classical superstar Nicola Benedetti at Edinburgh Usher Hall at just 13 years old and going on to perform at Celtic Connections, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the BBC Proms.

A graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Oxford University, Isla was also a semi-finalist in the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2022 and was nominated for Up and Coming Artist of the Year 2022 at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards.

At her Dunfermline show, and her other performances across Scotland, she will be treating audiences to her beautiful singing and her wonderful fiddle playing.

She added: "I’m excited to be singing on tour too, as well as playing fiddle. I’m really looking forward to performing with Ellen, who features heavily on the album, and Iona, both of whom are fantastic musicians. It’s a privilege to create music with them."

To purchase tickets to Isla's performance at the Dunfermline Folk Club, visit Isla's website.