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Portpatrick Folk Festival

THIS year's Portpatrick Folk Festival has spread its wings across the world as well as attracting the usual great range of talent from Scotland, England and Ireland.

Top American guitarist Preston Reed will dazzle audiences with his amazingly versatile percussive playing and inheritors of Celtic musical traditions from far-flung parts of the world bring new perspectives to the event.

Tantallon from Tasmania, one of Australia's finest Celtic music groups head the bill at the opening concert tomorrow (Friday) night and Harpist/Singer Oona McOuat, who hails from the United States but who lives in Hawaii, brings her hauntingly lyrical music to the Sunday afternoon Clarsach Concert.

This year's festival will open in style with a mixture of Lowland and Highland piping at Portpatrick's unique outdoor venue, the Dorn Rock in the middle of the harbour.

Audiences can enjoy a drink or a meal along with the music outdoors on the waterfront.