New outdoor music festival to be staged in Inverness city centre

Organisers of The Gathering have pledged it will showcase the best live music, food and drink from across the Highlands.

The Northern Meeting Park in Inverness will play host to The Gathering, which organisers say will showcase the best music, food and drink from across the Highlands.

It will be launched as a one-day festival in June but is already intended to expand into a two-day event the following year if there is enough public demand.

The "family friendly" event, which will be held in an 8000-capacity arena near the River Ness, is being masterminded by the same organisers behind the long-running Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, near Beauly.

Trad music festival favourites Tide Lines, The Vatersay Boys, Elephant Sessions. Torridon, Hò-rò and Siobhan Miller are already lined up for next year's event.

Organisers have pledged it will provide a major showcase for local food and drink producers.

The Black Isle Brewery, Tomatin Distillery, Rock Rose Gin and Holy Grass Vodka have been confirmed as official partners for next year's event, which will be staged on Saturday 1 June.

Promoter Dougie Brown said: "We are delighted to be launching a brand-new city centre event for Inverness and hope The Gathering becomes a permanent fixture in the Scottish event calendar.

"We have a wealth of musical talent and incredible food and drink producers across the Highlands and Scotland and through The Gathering we aim to bring everyone together and celebrate the very best our region has to offer."