The Harris Cèilidh
WELCOME TO THE HARRIS CÈILIDH!
Great spirits, great company, great music.
The Isle of Harris Distillery is setting out to share the spirit of our island with the world through The Harris Cèilidh.
A long-held Outer Hebridean tradition, the word Cèilidh simple means “a visit” in our native Scottish Gaelic language.
This isn’t about kilts and Highland dancing, in fact the real heart of the cèilidh lies in a much more relaxed and informal gathering of family and friends anywhere you call home.
The Harris Cèilidh celebrates the simple pleasures in life, and the essential ingredients are easy; good company, good music, and of course, good drink!
Pour some Isle of Harris Gin, add some toe-tapping tunes, share delicious dishes, and swap stories and songs in the same way the people of the Outer Hebrides have done for centuries...
THE HARRIS CÈILIDH BOOK
YOUR GUIDE TO CÈILIDH CULTURE
To help things along, we’ve created a special digital edition of our Harris Cèilidh book and packed it full of creative cocktails, seafood serves, and music to stream.
In it you’ll find a fun 7 Step Guide to throwing your own cèilidh at home, an island tall tale to tell and even some Gaelic phrases to try!
THE HARRIS CÈILIDH BOTTLE
Share our island spirit this winter
With the help of ceramicist Rupert Blamire, we've created a very special object to embody the spirit of The Harris Cèilidh.
Each one is glazed in the beautiful colours of our island's sea and sky, with wonderfully tactile patterning.
At a half-standard 350ml in size, the Harris Cèilidh Bottle is ideal to present and pour, helping to better enjoy an evening among old friends and family.
These special bottles are highly limited but we release batches online as they become available. Keep checking our shop for more...
RUPERT BLAMIRE: THE MAKING OF THE HARRIS CEILIDH BOTTLE
CREATE YOUR OWN CEILIDH
A simple guide to having a ceilidh
If you've never held your own cèilidh then here are 7 simple steps to get you started...
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C . E . I . L . I . D . H.
Comfortable surroundings: Find a convivial space to gather on or offline.
Engaging company: Invite your favourite friends and family.
Interesting stories: Have some tall tales ready to tell.
Love and friendship: Enjoy time well spent in good company.
Island music: Grab an instrument, stream some toe-tapping tunes, or simply sing along.
Dance if the mood takes you: If the night gets lively, get on your feet!
Harris Gin to share: Keep your glass full and the island spirit flowing...
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We've also curated some island music to help your gatherings go with a swing.
It's a real mix of old Outer Hebridean toe-tappers and less traditional feet-stompers to enjoy while you share your Isle of Harris Gin.
Sign up to Spotify for free and stream our collection of cèilidh tunes via the links below.
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"Mairidh càirdeas is cèol..."
"Love and music will endure..."
image credits
Top image © Neil Priessman from the collection of John Macleod. All right reserved.
Thank you to Fiona MacSween, Margaret Maclellan, and John Morrison for kind permission to share their photographs.
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