In his February column, The Scotsman Graeme McColgan contemplates the vast distances gigging around Australia involves.

What a year 2023 has been – a whirlwind of incredible gigs, fab festivals, and crackin’ ceilidhs that have left hearts singing and feet tapping. This was all topped off with our inaugural Hogmanay Hootenanny in Tassie where the sound of pipes soared across Launceston, pure dead brilliant!

Now, as I settle down to chart the course for the next six months of my musical journey, one thing strikes me with the force of a Highland storm – Australia is vast. I mean, truly vast.

Take, for instance, the upcoming Hayland Gathering this March, a mere 750km each way. To put that in perspective, if I were back home in Glasgow and casually mentioned, “Aye Angus, I’m just takin’ the motor over to Amsterdam for a gig, be back Monday,” they’d likely think I’d gone aff ma heid! And here I am, not even leaving New South Wales.

Aside from the physical effects of the heat on a ginger Scottish lad like myself, the sheer scale of this country has been one of the biggest eye-openers. But you know what? There’s a silver lining in every thundercloud.

Despite the miles that stretch like endless moors between me and home, these events offer me a wee taste of Scotland. Whether it’s the chorus of voices singing along to Caledonia or the mad scramble as people try to keep up with the Orcadian Strip the Willow, each moment brings a piece of home closer, making the distance just a tad easier to bear.

So here’s to the vastness of Australia, to the adventures that lie over the horizon, and to the comforting embrace of Scottish tradition in a land that never ceases to amaze. 

You can also help support a fellow Scot by purchasing my new album, Distant Shores, at www.thescotsmanmusic.com.

Graeme McColgan 

The Scotsman

 Picture: The Hayland Gathering Convenor Kylie Kerr with The Scotsman Graeme McColgan.