Karine Polwart joins Hebridean Celtic Festival line up

Van Morrison, Gria and Karine Polwart are to appear at HebCelt

A singer who wrote a song protesting against US tycoon Donald Trump's new golf course in Aberdeenshire is to appear at this year's HebCelt.

Karine Polwart's Cover Your Eyes from her album Traces criticises the building of the controversial links course at Menie Estate.

Other acts to play at the Hebridean Celtic Festival in Stornoway, on Lewis, include Van Morrison and Capercaillie.

New Glasgow-based band Gria won a competition to perform at the festival.

Polwart's Traces has been nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year. The winner will be announced on 20 June.

The singer-songwriter will appear at HebCelt with her brother Steven, who plays guitar and sings, and accordion player and percussionist Inge Thomson.

They will perform songs from Traces and also new material.

Polwart said: "I think we've really honed our sound as a three-piece since our last Stornoway visit. It's much beefier, and has a much greater sense of texture and dynamics.

"I've also upped my own musical armoury since last time by adding Indian harmonium and percussion, as well as my trusty tenor and acoustic guitars."

Polwart, whose other songs have tackled alcoholism and nuclear weapons, won best original song and best newcomer at the Radio 2 awards in 2005.

Last year, she won the album of the year accolade at the Scots Trad Music Awards.

Gria, who played their first gig in February, beat 16 other acts for a slot at the festival.

Singer Ceitlin Smith, from Lewis, fiddler Louise Bichan, from Orkney, pianist Lana Elaine, from Shetland, and accordionist Gemma Telfer, from Northumberland, will play their set on 20 July.

HebCelt will be held in Stornoway from 17 to 20 July.

The festival line up also features Dougie MacLean, The Battlefield Band, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Lau, Darrell Scott, Pete Roe and Paddy Callaghan.