Everyone in Howick had warned us about the drive over the mountains to Moffat. On top of this, we had winds of up to 40 miles an hour.
The drive was incredible, it turns out. We had the most amazing views of the mountains and a few Lochs.
It took us about an hour to get over to Moffat. We went to a local bakery and had Scotch pies and soup before meeting our hosts for that evening.
Katherine and Mike were fantastic hosts, we even managed to persuade Mike to come to the concert!
Katherine was the president of the Moffat Music Club and showed us to the Old Well Theatre.
This was a beautiful old church, converted into a theatre with a capacity of 70.
After a hearty italian meal in ‘Claudio’s’, we headed up to the church and performed to a full audience. We had an amazing response from the audience once again. So many people were delighted to experience the trombone in a completely different setting to what they usually do.
After the concert, we visited the local pub for some light refreshments.
After our lovely stay in Crieff we had a beautiful drive down the east coast to Hawick near the borders. We went first to the lovely Andy and Mary’s house who were putting us up for the night in their amazing house. Mary had made us a lovely soup and let us spend time with their dogs, which was the perfect way to relax before a concert!
On our journey to the Hall we had some bad luck and Isobel got a flat tyre – a quick session with AA and thankfully the day was saved. Finally we made it to the hall and with a quick coffee we were ready to have our rehearsal/sound check for the concert. After our successful sound check in the lovely hall, we had a few hours off before the rehearsal to relax, practice and fill up on biscuits!
The concert was lovely with a warm, excited audience sitting round tables after having a group meal. Everyone was so kind to us and many enjoyed hearing a trombone quartet for the first time! It was amazing to share what the trombone is capable of to new audiences. We then headed back to a lovely night with our hosts for curry, ice cream and whiskey before having a well earned rest before heading to Moffat.
Our next concert was in Crieff for the Strathearn Music Club.
The weather was fantastic with views for miles just south of the Cairngorms. After about 2 hours of driving we checked into the Myrraypark Hotel in Crieff.
In the hotel, there was a bridge playing club. Rob asked the receptionist if any of them would be interested in a trombone quartet concert. Her answer was, quite bluntly “no….”
Despite this, we had around 60 attending the concert. The concert went down well and we had a couple of young trombonists in the audience.
We made our way back to the hotel and enjoyed a couple of hours in the bar.
We’re very lucky as a quartet to have Angus’ home in Helensburgh.
We had a lovey time staying with his family to break up the journey from London/Berlin.The next day we started our trip up to Inverurie. (NOT Inveraray…)
First stop at Kemnay was the farmhouse cafe, where Merin helped himself to 4 butteries before realising how unhealthy they were.
We then had dinner with some trustees and organises of Inverurie music.
Inverurie were a fantastic audience of around 60 and were very surprised to see 4 trombones on stage at Kemnay Town Hall.
The concert went down a treat apart from 1 member of the audience that heckled when Merin called Loch Lomond a lake…!
Sylvia, was a fabulous host. We shared a bottle of wine and chatted until early hours of the morning.
Our long-awaited Scottish tour is upon us, and as we pile into the Renard-mobile for the lengthy drive from London to Bute, we fondly recall our visit to Coll just over one year ago. After 10 days on the island, we left with fond memories, a renewed joy in performing together and an increased sense of group identity, and we are thrilled to be returning to Scotland to share more wonderful music with the Scottish communities we will visit over the coming days.
Day 1: After a very wet and windy drive and our traditional lunch at Tebay service station, we enjoyed a
leisurely dinner close to Wemyss Bay before the ferry journey to Bute. On arrival, we checked in to our cosy accommodation and made friends with the resident dog before a short evening stroll along the coast to stretch our tired legs. Arriving at Rothesay in the dark meant we saw little of the island’s beauty until the following morning – needless to say, it was absolutely worth the wait! 
Day 2: Friday morning greeted us with stunning views across the water direct from the breakfast room of our B&B, and after embracing full Scottish breakfasts we were keen to get out and explore. A morning walk into Rothesay filled our lungs with fresh air, and the alternating downpours and bright sunshine gifted us a beautiful double rainbow which appeared to travel towards us across the water. Breaks from bustling city life in London are treasured, and it doesn’t get much better than this! After our walk and a delicious home-cooked lunch provided by trustees from Bute Arts Society (thank you John and Les!), it was time for some music-making. Trinity Church provided the perfect setting for our first performance, and the pre-concert picnic went down a treat. Bute Arts Society did a fantastic job drawing in audience members, and a good turnout created a real sense of occasion. Playing for such an enthusiastic, appreciative audience ended our first day on a high, and we crashed into bed ready to do it all again tomorrow!
Day 3: An early start and we were back in the Renard-mobile (affectionately coined the “Purple Panther”) for the drive to Rhubodach and ferry back to the mainland. The drive took us along the edge of the island, with stunning scenery all around. Sad to leave Bute but excited for the journey ahead, we make the 5-minute ferry crossing to Colintraive, before weaving through equally magnificent scenery all the way to Oban. Our hosts, Seymour and Molly made us feel very welcome in their beautiful home, and soon we were off to our next rehearsal. St John’s Cathedral is a fascinating space, famously half-built and later completed with the help of several remarkable steel buttresses, and it was a real pleasure to play there. We would like to extend special thanks to Oban Music Society Trustee, David, for taking a recording of our concert. The rest of the day was spent toasting in front of Seamus and Molly’s blazing fire, eating delicious food, and sharing many musical anecdotes.
Day 4: After a good rest we were sorry to leave the wonderful calm of Lerags House on Sunday morning, but Dunfermline beckoned and along with it – the final concert of our tour! After waving a hearty goodbye to Seymour and Molly we were on the road again, driving through lochs, hills and valleys to our final destination. A lunch break for toasties in Callander fuelled us for the remainder of the journey, and we arrived in Dunfermline with time to spare. A tasty pre-concert spread was laid on by Dunfermline Arts Guild, and after a short rehearsal our concert in the charming Viewfield Baptist Church was underway. During the interval we had some lovely conversations with audience members, one of whom shared fascinating first-hand memories of studying alongside Thea Musgrave, one of our featured composers! With a flourish and all too soon, our final performance of Piazzolla’s Libertango came to an end, and with it, our first Scottish tour.
We are extremely grateful to the Music Societies of Bute, Oban and Dunfermline for their exceptional hospitality and warmth, and to the Tunnell Trust for granting us the opportunity to tour and perform. Scotland is becoming somewhat of a second home for Ensemble Renard, and we can’t wait to return in February to share more music and make more memories in this beautiful part of the world.
Everyone in Howick had warned us about the drive over the mountains to Moffat. On top of this, we had winds of up to 40 miles an hour. 
