Congratulations to Hamish Napier who has / have been nominated in Composer of the Year sponsored by PRS for Music in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2026. Vote for Hamish Napier now! It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 5th December in Paisley Arena, Lagoon Centre. Why not join us for a brilliant night of music and awards. Buy a ticket here.
We asked Hamish of Hamish Napier the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
Hamish Napier writes music inspired by his homeland of Badenoch & Strathspey, in a series of solo albums The River, The Railway, The Woods and The Hill. He performs his own compositions live in two different duos, with Strathspey guitarist/piper Jordan Neil or Korean-Scottish cellist Su-a Lee.
He has been a major player in Scotland’s trad music scene for over 2 decades now: from first touring as a founding member of folk quartet Back of the Moon, to joining Man’s Ruin, Jarlath Henderson Band and forming Nae Plans with Adam Sutherland.
His tunes have been recorded by Talisk, Imar, Su-a Lee, Blazin’ Fiddles and Simon Thoumire and Ian Carr, amongst others.
With a deep understanding of trad music at the heart of everything he does, Hamish draws from his experience of mainstream, jazz and classical music. His music is often interdisciplinary, incorporating landscape films, poems and stories, and often the visual artwork of long-standing collaborator Somhairle MacDonald.
He has received writing commissions ranging from private tune commissions (gifts to mark special occasions and people), to large-scale pieces by organisations such as Highland Council, Cairngorms Connect and Celtic Connections.
Hamish has appeared on over 45 Scottish folk albums, most as co-arranger or co-producer. He has an ongoing successful album co-writing partnerships with Scottish fiddle player Duncan Chisholm (Wolfstone) and piper Ross Ainslie (The Olllam), performing in each of their live groups and studio albums.
He is a natural teacher, and has been tutoring music as long as he’s been performing. he has taught predominantly at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music at Plockton and Sabhal Mor Ostaig short courses series at the University of the Highlands & Islands.
Hamish is also very involved in local community arts and heritage in Badenoch & Strathspey and the Cairngorms, as a co-founder of 'Storylands Sessions' – a rural performance hub for poetry, stories, music, art, dance and song.
Any particular career highlights?
A few months ago he was the 'Musician in Residence' for Findhorn Bay Festival 2026 and premiered his new album 'The Hill' with a 7-piece all-star folk band to a sold-out crowd at Findhorn's Universal Hall.
He performed in An Treas Suaile (The Third Wave), a powerful, deeply moving audio-visual performance created by celebrated Gaelic musicians Julie Fowlis and Duncan Chisholm at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and Inverness' Eden Court Theatre.
As keyboardist with Jarlath Henderson Band he played in large-scale collaborations with the Ulster Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
What are your plans for the future?
'The Hill' album appears at Celtic Connections festival on 21st January 2027 with the 7-piece house band joined by a string quartet led by the ace Scottish violinist Seonaid Aitken.
He will release his first tunebook this winter, featuring music from The Hill album, and more.
With 4 of his 5 landscape folk music albums from his ambitions 'Strathspey Pentalogy' album series completed, there is now only one remaining, 'The Sky'. This will feature music inspired by the bird migrations, nocturnal creatures, weather systems, astronomy-related folklore and influential seasonal changes in his home region of Badenoch & Strathspey in the Scottish Highlands. This will be his bravest and most ambitious, in-depth album of the series so far. Work begins in 2027.
Hamish Napier Social Media
Website: http://www.hamishnapier.com
Facebook: @hamishnapiermusic
Instagram: @hamishgrantnapier
YouTube: @hamishnapier
TikTok: @ha ha ha – what is that?
Listen to music: https://hamishnapier.bandcamp.com/music
The 2026 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are on the 5th December 2026 in Paisley Arena, Lagoon Centre! You will be able to watch it live in person (buy a ticket here).
Hosted by Scottish personalities Alistair Heather and Mary Ann Kennedy, the night will welcome live performances from some of the brightest lights on the thriving trad scene today including Valtos, Gnoss, Sian, Fèis Phàislig, Spodo Komodo and BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Rachel Groves and many more!
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians why not become a friend of Hands Up for Trad. In addition to our high profile events like the Scots Trad Music Awards, we also deliver a less well known, education programme for young people from 8yrs right through to young adults at the start of their careers. Read more here.