Some thoughts from Jenny…
I think it was agreed by ourselves and the team that it was one of the best Perthshire Amber Festivals ever! The autumn colours held on gloriously and despite the occasional rain and misty fog, the mood throughout the weekend was somehow joyous and the atmosphere at Murthly Castle, in Perth Concert Hall, by the banks of the Tay at Dunkeld House and in the streets of Dunkeld and Birnam was somehow very special. 
I get asked regularly "what music was playing before the show and during the interval during the concert in....."?
The background music I get the soundman to use at Dougie's concerts is Dougie's instrumental album "Sunset Song"...here's a link to where you can purchase it www.dougiemaclean.com/index.php/cds/product/30-sunset-song
...and remember that if you order it here you can have it signed by Dougie f you want.
Cheers,
Jenny
Don't miss "THE GAEL : Dougie MacLean in Concert with Piping Friends" on Sunday August 18th in the Main Auditorium of Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of Piping Live! 2019.
This unique concert celebrates the 30th anniversary of MacLean writing his famous tune "The Gael" (featured in the film "The Last of the Mohicans" and in folk and pipe band repertoires world-wide) and 40 years of his famous song "Caledonia". It will bring together MacLean’s consummate storytelling ability with his abiding love of incorporating pipes, drums and whistle into his music.
With a range that includes plenty of his distinctive solo voice and guitar through to more complex and dramatic songs and tunes involving skilled and talented musicians Ross Ainslie, Finlay MacDonald and Gus Sicard plus other members of the piping supergroup TRYST and select special guests…this will be THE Dougie concert of 2019! So get tickets now and let anyone you know who's in or near Glasgow know all about it!
Direct link for tickets: https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/the-gael-dougie-maclean-and-piping-friends/
The Programme, Artists and Venues for our 2020 festival will be available by May 1st...
Tickets for 2020 will be on sale from 4pm (UK time) on Tuesday 19th May 2020...online at www.perthshireamber.com and by phone 01350 724261.
The Clunie Concerts which took place in the Clunie Village Hall on a spring weekend from 2007- 2014 are back! They were usually sold out in advance and truly great events! The audience travels from the USA, England, Denmark, Germany and many other countries…as well as from nearby farms and towns to enjoy Dougie performing in the 'transformed' intimate setting of one of the village halls that he frequented as a child growing up in Perthshire.
This year the concert dates are Friday 29th March and Saturday 30th March. Satuirday is now SOLD OUT but there are tickets still on sale for Friday 29th. You can buy online CLICK HERE Please book online if at all possible…as this is a very busy time of year for us all and is the only way you can be guaranteed a seat. If you can’t book online email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. asap to organise a suitable time for a phone call to Dougie's office. 
The dates for our next festival will be Friday 1st November - Sunday 3rd November 2019
A message from Jenny … (Festival Director, Jennifer MacLean)
Well … what can I say? I am so glad we had another festival in 2018!! So many friends from so many countries and our wonderful organising team of musicians and friends assembled once again.There’s nothing like a year’s break to make you realise how beautiful Perthshire is in the autumn and what a joy it is to share it. Here's some photos (lots more on the festival website!) taken by our great friend Rob McDougall and some chat about this year's festival! Enjoy...
Through Dougie’s recent on-stage introduction with his fiddle, many of you will have heard about the coming of "The Gael" - the Signature Scottish Gin which became available available (in the UK only) for online sales from 6pm today (Friday 7th December).
With a very close family connection and a brilliantly designed bottle it is described as… "Inspired by the Internationally acclaimed Scottish fiddle tune "The Gael" Signature Scottish gin is five times distilled from malted barley using a blend of traditional botanicals and a hint of Scottish heather. The result, a gin with a light citrus nose, following through with juniper, cardamom and a warm finish." Visit the website www.thegael.co.uk and be one of the first to place your order … and share (and enjoy it!) over the festive season.
Happy 2018!! and we hope it is a really wonderful year for each and every one of you!!
Concerts… Concerts… Concerts!!
Special performances in January included the Big Burns Supper Festival in the Spiegetent, Dumfries… and Dougie’s very special solo concert to over 2,000 people on Wednesday 24th January in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall during Celtic Connections 2018!
"There’s only a very few performers that can hold an audience in the palm of their hands. There are even fewer who can do so in a venue with a 2,000+ audience such as the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, all by themselves, with a handful of guitars, harmonica and a didgeridoo. One such artist is Scotland’s much loved troubadour, Dougie MacLean OBE." (Ross McFadyen, CMR Reviews)
and elsewhere... "alone on a huge stage with his huge audience stood an engaging and tremendous talent… the hours flew by as the rapt yet fully involved audience thrilled to MacLean’s superb musical and storytelling skills. Powerful…personal…5-star perfection!"
Confirmed concerts for 2018 are coming in steadily now (February in Kircaldy, April in Dundee, May in Germany!!)…so keep an eye on the concert list www.dougiemaclean.com and, to avoid disappointment, book early!!
Butterstone.TV is thriving and growing!
The December Festive Live Broadcast went down really well and on Monday 29th January many tuned in for our Butterstone Burns Night Special!! …. Once again there were loads of lovely comments from near and far…and yet more first time viewers which is always encouraging. Everyone loved the special lighting and Dougie’s choice of songs. Our global audience included viewers from many parts of the USA and Canada as well as Spain, Russia, Holland, New Zealand, Australia, England, France, Ireland, Greece, Germany, Israel, Denmark, Finland and many parts of Scotland! Sorry if I’ve missed any countries out!!
As always both broadcasts (along with hundreds of hours of other great music!) are available for subscribers to view (or view again) 'on demand' at www.butterstone.tv If you've never tried Butterstone.TV why not come an join us...subscribe for just a month and try it out?
Don’t forget our Butterstone Online Store
We have compiled a beautiful album "Dougie MacLean - A Robert Burns Collection" which is now available for sale! 
For Dougie CDs (including Dougie’s "New Tomorrow" and "A Robert Burns Collection"!!) CD, DVDs, songbooks, my art prints and cards or the ever popular 'Caledonia' CD package!…remember our shop is the only way (apart from queueing up at concerts) of getting them signed.
Enjoy the rest of the year wherever you are in the world!
Before anything else…take a minute and book now for Dougie’s special concert on Wednesday 24th January in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall during Celtic Connections 2018! Tickets are selling fast and we have a feeling it’s going to be a very special night. Here's a link for buying tickets http://www.celticconnections.com/events/Pages/event.aspx?ev=5eef0c71-57e1-4b54-96b3-a815011a5131
We’ve had a truly great run of concerts over the last few months…from 4 sold out concerts in the north east USA to sell-outs at the the Cornwall Festival in Wadebridge and the Banbury Festival in Oxfordshire, England. Then came our great concerts in Scotland from Findhorn and Strathpeffer in the north to New Galloway in the borders via Falkirk, Greenock, Paisley, Milngavie and ending in Cairndow, Loch Fyne! All fantastic audiences and really moving experiences.
Confirmed concerts for 2018 are coming in steadily now…so keep an eye on the concert list on Dougie’s website https://www.dougiemaclean.com/index.php/tour-dates and, to avoid disappointment, book early!!
Butterstone.TV
We’ve had some great broadcasts since our last summer newsletter!…from 3 different 'locations' at Butterstone! and wonderful responses to the latest October Live Broadcast which is of course now available for subscribers to view 'on demand' at www.butterstone.tv. Dougie was in great form! Our global audience included viewers from South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, France, Denmark, Norway and many other European countries and all parts of North America!...as well as all parts of the UK!
Here's a photo...
And here's the set-list...
1. Distant Son
2. Dolina
3. The Place
4. Shadow of the Mountain
5. Little Ones Must Walk On
6. Hide in the Wind
7. Talking with My Father
8. Turning Away
And here are just a few of the dozens of October comments…
Lovely broadcast tonight, great song selection and voice and guitar work!. Thoroughly enjoyable – and very moving" (Ian and Leena, Finland)
Choice of songs amazingly spot on. Touched the hearts of many and something for everyone.
Loved this show…outstanding! (Joan, Ontario CANADA)
Enjoying the show from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
Great choices and fantastic sound quality!
(Pete, England)
Loud and clear on the mobile phone in our motor home. It's a Wild and Windy night on this Yorkshire hilltop. (Trevor and June, ENGLAND)
The camera work is so well done! Love the pan of the whole room to see the other instruments, and the close up of His self! Brilliant!
Jim, Kentucky USA
…and
Don’t forget our Butterstone online store! It’s a really good idea to order really early any items you may want for Christmas or the New Year (especially Caledonia T-Towels, magnets and key-rings which many have discovered are easy and cheap to post to friends and relations!!).
For Dougie CDs, DVDs, songbooks, my art prints and cards or the ever popular 'Caledonia' CD package!…remember our shop is the only way (apart from queueing up at concerts of getting them signed….but please give us plenty of time to organise your orders at this time of year. Here's a link to make it easier for you.www.dougiemaclean.com/index.php/tour-dates
Enjoy the rest of the month wherever you are in the world!
Warm Regards,
Jenny
Our Butterstone.TV monthly Live Broadcasts have been running now for over 5 years! Begun just before Christmas 2011 with a programme featuring Dougie with great friends and musicians Greg Lawson and Pete Garnett they have unrolled over the years through all the seasons…filmed inside and outside in many different parts of Scotland with an array of special guests during that time.
Every programme has been memorable for one reason or another… from Dougie’s not-yet-quite world-famous 'show and tell' sessions to flown in short films of attacking bees or curious emus! Our global family viewing the Live Broadcasts has grown to include individuals and families from over 27 different countries spanning all the continents.
Because of the nature of the world’s time zones we have had feedback from folk watching very, very early in bed in New Zealand, on the bus on the way to work in Sydney at 6am in the morning, to others who watch at lunch-time in various parts of the USA and very late at night in India! For those who, for whatever reason, find it too difficult to watch live every programme is made available to view 'on demand' within about 24 hours.
We’ve had festive broadcasts…. from the first broadcast in December 2011 (Dougie with wonderful friends and musicians Greg Lawson & Pete Garnett) from the Old School at Butterstone to the most recent Christmas 2016 from the living room of our Old Schoolhouse!
