It feels as though traditional music is having a moment right now in Scotland, and Edinburgh Tradfest is set to capitalise on this positive feeling with a jam-packed ten-day programme in May. Entrusted with opening proceedings is Ross Ainslie who, at six solo-albums deep with countless nods in coveted award categories, is one of Scotland’s most sought-after pipers. Propping up Ainslie are his friends and long-term collaborators The Sanctuary Band, much to the piper’s delight. ‘The good thing about The Sanctuary Band is we don’t really do many gigs,’ Ainslie explains, ‘so when we get the opportunity, it’s always a special thing.’

Ainslie’s opening night performance comes amid what feels like a real purple patch for music of traditional origins in Scotland, with VisitScotland data revealing in March 2024 that more than a third of Scots are currently listening to trad music more often than they used to. A key element of this resurgence appears to be its popularity among the nation’s youth, with trips to hoolies and ceilidhs feeling increasingly commonplace among Gen Z in Scotland.

‘When I was younger, me and my pal were probably the only people that were into trad music at that point,’ Ainslie recalls before adding with a smile, ‘not so much now. There are so many more young people playing trad music today.’ Attempting to explain this uptick in younger listeners, Ainslie praises Scotland’s festivals. ‘I think along with Celtic Connections, Edinburgh Tradfest gives trad and Celtic music a kind of credibility, when sometimes it can be seen as an uncool thing.’

Joining Ainslie at his Queen’s Hall Tradfest show is special guest Terra Kin, a young Glaswegian artist whose assorted sound has led them everywhere from performances with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra to a collaboration with ubiquitous electronic producer Fred Again. Quick to praise the bold nature of younger performers like Terra Kin, Ainslie notes: ‘I think once you find your path, you generally don’t really veer off it that much. But with young people, they’ll always take it somewhere else because of what they’re into at that point. Scotland’s always been good at fusion and never been scared of it.’

Reflecting on what the Queen’s Hall crowd can expect, ‘fusion’ crops up once again when Ainslie reveals that he and The Sanctuary Band plan on paying a musical tribute to Zakir Hussain, the iconic Bombay-born tabla player who passed away last December. ‘He was a bit of a hero of mine,’ says Ainslie of Hussain, with whom he collaborated in the early 2010s. ‘He had a band with John McLaughlin called Shakti. It was the first kind of Indian, jazz thing in the 70s. It’s really amazing stuff.’

When asked to guide the uninitiated toward Tradfest, the piper is keen to encourage potential spectators to put their faith in the festival’s curators. ‘I think if you’re not a fan of folk music, then this is an easy way in. You’ve got one programme to look through, just take a punt on anything and I’m sure you’ll be satisfied. The people booking them know what they’re doing.’

Ross Ainslie And The Sanctuary Band play Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Friday 2 May.