Celtic Connections: Giant sea goddess puppet among the stars at Glasgow festival

The puppet is made entirely from recycled materials

Scotland's largest puppet, a 10-metre sea goddess called Storm, will be one of the star attractions at Celtic Connections.

Made entirely from recycled materials it will make its debut during the Glasgow festival, which starts on Thursday.

Over the next 18 days, more than 300 performances will be held at venues across the city.

The line-up includes folk, roots, Americana, jazz, soul and world music.

The 56 artists set to perform include Tessa Lark, Nitin Sawhney, Michael McGoldrick, Skerryvore, Salsa Celtica, Anais Mitchell, and The Felice Brothers.

Figures from Scotland's folk and alternative music scene, including Stuart Murdoch, Karine Polwart, Emma Pollock, Stuart Braithwaite, James Yorkston and Duglas Stewart, will also unite for a show to celebrate the work of the late Ivor Cutler.

Nitin Sawhney will perform songs from throughout his career

Stuart Murdoch is one of the artists who will celebrate the work of Ivor Cutler

The Felice Brothers are an American folk rock/country rock band

The festival will also see rising stars compete for the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year title.

Giant puppet Storm, which was created by Vision Mechanics, will feature in the coastal day celebrations which get under way at 10:00 on Saturday.

It will slowly make its way to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall via a route that starts at Victoria Bridge, near the Clutha bar, on the banks of the Clyde.

The puppet, which took two years to make, will take in the Merchant City and George Square before finally arriving at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

It was created in response to the global climate crisis and, according to organisers, is designed to encourage children and adults alike to "celebrate our seas, encourage care for our coastlines and empower us all to put the environment first".

Celtic Connections runs until 2 February.