Congratulations to Maggie MacInnes who has / have been nominated in Album of the Year sponsored by BirnamCD in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2026. Vote for Maggie MacInnes 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 Maggie of Maggie MacInnes the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
Gaelic singer and harp player, Maggie MacInnes, was born in Glasgow but comes from a long line of Gaelic singers from the Island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides. She sings songs which have been passed on in her family for generations and she learned most of her songs from her mother, the highly acclaimed traditional singer, Flora MacNeil MBE.
Maggie has been involved in various groups over the years, travelling widely with her music at home and abroad.
In 2004 Maggie was given a “New Voices” commission by Glasgow’s Celtic Connections Festival for which she composed a suite of music called “Oran na Mnà” (A Woman’s Song). This new music was later released on CD and was the inspiration for and features in an 8-part television series of the same name which was broadcast on BBC Alba (last broadcast dates between September-November,2025). The music and the programme pay tribute to the role of women in the poetry, music and song of Gaelic Scotland.
Maggie first recorded in the 80s, a duo album called "Cairistiona" along with the late George Jackson of the renowned folk group, Ossian, and since those early days she has been extremely proud to be part of the Scottish Folk scene. Since her first solo album, “Eilean Mara” was released in 1998 and co-produced by well-known singer songwriter, Dougie MacLean, Maggie has gone on to release six more solo albums as well as releasing an album with Irish singer-songwriter, Colum Sands, called “The Seedboat” (Bàta-an-t-Sìl).
In 2023 Maggie released a single, called “Fàth Mo Mhulaid a Bhith Ann” (Being here has caused my sorrow), which has been featured in a new video game called “Still Wakes The Deep”, released on 18th June 2024 by The Chinese Room, bringing Maggie’s music to an even wider global audience. This relationship with the video game industry and The Chinese Room continued into the expansion of the “Still Wakes The Deep” Game which is called “Siren’s Rest” which was released on 18th June 2026 and featured Maggie singing an adaptation of the traditional Gaelic song, “Cairistiona”.
For the last couple of years Maggie has, with assistance of funding from Creative Scotland, been researching a previously unreleased archive of her mother’s singing from the 50s and early 60s recorded by an Australian folklore enthusiast, Dr James Kalokerinos. She has recently recorded an album of some of the songs from the archive with contemporary arrangements and released the archive to the world on a new dedicated website, www.floramacneil.com. The new album is called “Uiseagan Bharraigh” (Barra Skylarks). It was released in June 2026 and is a tribute to her mother and to the other tradition bearers from her family and the island of Barra who have passed on these songs for generations. Appearing on the album along with Maggie are some of Scotland's finest musicians including Dan Brown(Piano and electronics), Calum Park(Guitar, fiddle and vocals), Ailis Sutherland(small pipes and flute), Robyn Gray(fiddle), Wendy Weatherby(Cello), Alex Palmer(percussion). The album has been co-produced by Maggie, Dan Brown and Calum Park and released on Marram Music.
Any particular career highlights?
Two career highlights come to mind.
The first was being awarded the title of "Gaelic Singer of the Year" in 2004 at the Hands Up For Trad Scots Trad Music Awards!
The second and far more recent, was being awarded the title of “Hero of the Arts” at a special festival called Féile na Laoch (The Festival of Heroes) celebrating cultural heroes including storytellers, poets, singers, actors, dancers and musicians, in County Cork, Ireland at the end of July 2025.
What are your plans for the future?
In the future, I hope to continue to work with some of the musicians from the recent album at home and abroad. I love both the live performances and the creative process in the studio.
I have a lot more songs which I am keen to introduce to the band and a follow up album to the latest, Uiseagan Bharraigh, is a strong possibility.
Maggie MacInnes Social Media
Website: https://maggiemacinnes.co.uk/
Facebook: @maggie.macinnes.9
Instagram: @maggiemacinnes
YouTube: @maggiemacinnes53
Listen to music: https://maggiemacinnes.bandcamp.com/album/uiseagan-bharraigh
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.