Fisherfolk Festival
The Fisherfolk Festival is an annual celebration among the three villages. During the 3 day celebration, we remember our heritage, the people before us, and the fishing life our ancestors worked for many years.
Fisherfolk Festival 2025
A Celebration of Heritage, Community, and Coastal Spirit
The Seaboard Villages came alive from 19th to 21st September for the much-anticipated Fisherfolk Festival 2025, a weekend dedicated to celebrating local heritage, community pride, and the area’s deep-rooted fishing traditions.
Hosted at the Seaboard Centre and surrounding venues, the festival offered something for everyone—from live music and cultural exhibitions to delicious local food and family-friendly activities.
Fisherfolk Festivities
The festivities began on Friday evening with a concert featuring Anna Massie & Friends, showcasing the talents of local musicians in a lively and welcoming atmosphere.
Saturday marked the official opening of the festival, with performances from the Tain Pipe Band, Hilton of Cadboll School Band, Northern Lights Choir, and Catch 22 Youth Club Band. Visitors also enjoyed the Fisherfolk Café, serving fish & chips, burgers, prawn cocktails, and homemade cakes, alongside the Fishing Store exhibition at the Paterson Stores and John Ross Visitor Centre, featuring vintage film footage and fishing memorabilia.
Celebrating a Football Heritage
A special highlight of this year’s festival was its football theme, celebrating the sport’s rich history within the Seaboard Villages. Central to this was the new film Looking Back – A Celebration of Football in the Seaboard Villages, funded by the Scottish Football Museum and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. On Friday 15 August 60 invited guests gathered for the red-carpet premiere of Looking Back. The film was a moving and nostalgic look at 100 years of local football heritage. The event welcomed footballers past and present, their families, and special guests including Maree Todd MSP (Minister for Sport), Neal Ross from the Scottish Football Museum, and the Lord Lieutenant of Ross & Cromarty.
Described by attendees as “emotional,” “moving,” and “a real celebration of local heritage,” the evening was a heartfelt success. The film later featured at the Fisherfolk Festival on Saturday 20th September, where visitors also enjoyed a special exhibition of football memorabilia, photographs, and historical newspaper clippings — some dating back to the 1920s.
A Weekend to Remember
The weekend concluded on a reflective note with Songs of Praise at the historic Fearn Abbey, led by Rev. Roddy Macrae with a special performance by Olivia Fraser.
The Fisherfolk Festival 2025 once again brought together residents and visitors to celebrate the Seaboard Villages’ maritime and sporting heritage — a powerful reminder of the importance of community, connection, and coastal pride.