Hire CELTIC FRIENDS | Celtic folk band in Scotland

Check availability and get a free quote now - no commitment to book

From£1000

1 hour

Like CELTIC FRIENDS?

Watch & Listen

Watch

Listen

1-3 of 5 videos

Bob Ferguson and Craig Herbertson at Ballchuilish Hotel, Glencoe 31 Decemebr 2023

warming up to perform in Edinburgh Castle 2023

Dirty Old Town performed live at a private Event.

About CELTIC FRIENDS

Celtic Friends folk are Corporate event specialists. They have over 25 years success in Celtic Folk Music. Book from solo to 5 pc band

3 of 12 photos

Celtic folk band

Scotland, UK

Public liability insurance of £10 million

Celtic Friends are musicians who have performed in various bands at a high level. The members have performed at thousands of corporate events in such venues as Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Gleneagles Hotel, St Andrews Golf Course, Balmoral Hotel, SECC and many more. They have all performed Scottish and Irish music to all types of clientele and in almost every type of venue you can imagine. Theatres, Festivals, Weddings, Folk Clubs, Corporate events and many more. The music is always fun and up-tempo although they often perform background and softer music too. They come together as Celtic Friends for bookings requiring any line up from solo to 5 piece band to suit the clients needs. The musicians involved have or still do perform in the following bands Celtic Horizon band, Beggars Row, Other Roads, and many others.

CELTIC FRIENDS

5 out of 5

2 verified reviews

CELTIC FRIENDS's Reviews

5 out of 5

Bob/Craig are true professionals and have hired them on many occasions within our hotel portfolio in the North West Highlands of Scotland. Bob/Craig are not only good singers/entertainers, they are great characters to have around, witty and humours and clearly passionate. They played to a lot of guests as part of our festive package and were excellent, just didn't want them to stop and kept the guests going to the wee small hours so enjoyable to see! Would recommend Bob/Craig to anybody for a good enjoyable night, unfortunately you better hurray up as have already rebooked several times this year. You will not be disappointed.

5 out of 5

From Spectra Travel, A Corporate entertainment company. 27 January 2020 Over the years Spectra have used Bob Ferguson, and his bands Celtic Horizon, and Beggars Row to entertain many of our corporate clients. Bob is a natural charmer, has a great voice and delivers many traditional, and more contemporary songs with great style. He always has fun on stage, loves to interact with guests, and uniquely can always be relied on to read the room so that audiences feel they are part of the experience. We love having Bob play for our clients!

Encore badges

4th Anniversary

This act has been working with Encore for over 4 years

Member of the Encore community forum

CELTIC FRIENDS's Song list

SCOTTISH FOLK SONGS

Ally Bally bee - traditional

Aye Waukin o - traditional

Ca the ewes - traditional

Caledonia – Dougie McLean

Dark island - traditional

Every river (Runrig)

Flower of Scotland – Roy Williamson The Corries

Gallawa hills - traditional

Green grow the rashes o - traditional

Greenfields of France – Eric Bogle

I am sailing – Rod Stewart

I’m a rover – traditional

Jock o Hazeldean - traditional

Leezie Lindsay - traditional

Loch Lomond – traditional

Loch tay boat song - Traditional

Macpherson’s rant - traditional

Mingulay boat song - traditional

Misty mountain lady – Gordon Menzies - Gaberlunzie

Mormond braes - traditional

Mull of kintyre -Paul McCartney

My bonnie lies over the ocean - traditional

Northern lights of old Aberdeen - traditional

Parting glass - traditional

Peggy Gordon - traditional

Rattling bog - traditional

Roving journeyman - traditional

The Portree kid – Bill Hill/Corries

Roses of prince Charlie - traditional

Under the Scotsman’s kilt – Bryan Bowers

Waltzing Matilda – Eric Bogle

Westlin winds – Dick Gaughan

Willies gane tae Melville castle - traditional

Auld lang syne - traditional

Ye jacobines by name - traditional

Ready for the storm – Dougie McLean

This love will carry – Dougie McLean

Leaving of Liverpool - traditional

All around my hat – Steeleye Span

Bonnie Bessie logan – traditional

Both sides the tweed – Gaughan/ Traditional

Broom o the cowdenknowes – traditional

Catch the wind - Donovan

Colliers’s way - Ceolbeg

Dirty old town – Ewan McColl

Drunken sailor (Half parody version-funny) – Traditional + Bob Ferguson

Ettrick lady - traditional

Farewell tae the haven – Davy Steele

Feal so near – Dougie McLean

Final trawl – Archie Fisher

Freedom come all ye – Ewan McColl

Gypsy rover - traditional

Haul away joe – traditional sea shanty

Highland widows lament

Jamie Raeburn - traditional

Killiecrankie - traditional

Leave her Johny leave her – Stan Rogers

Massacre of Glencoe – Jim Mclean

Mhairies wedding - traditional

Nancy whisky - traditional

Queen of all Argyle – Andy M Stewart

Reconciliation – Ron Kavanna

Schooldays over – Ewan McColl

Scots wha hae - traditional

Shoals of herring – Ewan McColl

Skye boat song - traditional

Smuggler – Ian McCalman - McCalmans

Parcel of rogues - traditional

Flowers of the forest - traditional

The Kings shilling – Ian Sinclair

The rose of Allendale - traditional

The water is wide – traditional

A mans a man – traditional

Tramps and Hawkers – Traditional

Sound the Pibroch – Traditional/The Corries

Wild mountain thyme – McPeake Family/ Traditional

IRISH SONGS LIST

Athenrye – Pete St. John

Avondale - traditional

Boston rose – Liam Reilly

Carrickfergus - traditional

Fairytale of New York -The Pogues

Red Rose café – Pierre Kartner

Galway girl – Steve Earl

Galway shawl - traditional

Irish rover - traditional

Isn’t it grand boys - traditional

Maids when your young - traditional

Moonshiner - traditional

Poor paddy on the railway - traditional

Raglan road - Peter Kavanagh – The Dubliners

Rocky road to Dublin - traditional

Seven drunken nights - traditional

She moved through the fair – traditional – Sinead O’Connor

Song for Ireland – Phil and John Colclough – Mary Black-Dubliners

The Holy Ground - traditional

Rare ould times – Pete St John – Dublin City Ramblers

Town I loved so well – Phil Coulter

When you were sweet sixteen – James Thornton - traditional

Whisky in the jar - traditional

Leaving of Liverpool - traditional

All for me grog - traditional

As I roved out - traditional

Back home in Derry – Bobby Sands – Christ Moore

Banks of the roses - traditional

Biddy Reilly - traditional

Black velvet band - traditional

Bold o Donahue - traditional

Bunch of Thyme - traditional

Cliffs of Doneen - traditional

Curragh o Kildare - traditional

Danny Boy - traditional

Fiddlers green - traditional

Flight of Earls – Liam Reilly

Four green fields – Tommy Makem – The Clancy Brothers

Hand me down my bible – Bill Martin/Phil Coulter - Dubliners

Hills of Isle Au Haut – Gordon Bok – Tommy Maken

Home boys home - traditional

Isle of Hope – Brendan graham – Mary Duff

Sally gardens - traditional

It’s a long way to Tipperary - traditional

Lakes of Coolfin - traditional

MacAlpines Fusiliers - traditional

Mary of Dungloe - traditional

Molly Maguire’s - traditional

Monto - traditional

Muirshin Duirkin - traditional

My lovely Rose of Clare - traditional

Nancy Whisky - traditional

New York Girls - traditional

Only our rivers – Micky MacConnel - Dubliners

Quare bungle rye - traditional

Red haired Mary - traditional

Rising of the moon - traditional

Rosin the bow - traditional

Some say the devil is dead

Spancil hill - traditional

Spanish lady - traditional

Star of the County Down - traditional

The Mermaid - traditional

Waxies Dargle - traditional

Weila Wiela - traditional

Wild colonial boy - traditional

Wild rover - traditional

Green and red of mayo – Saw Doctors

MIXED FOLK SONGS

Annie’s song – John Denver

April - Simon and Garfunkel

Black is the colour - Traditional

Blowing in the wind – Bob Dylan

Bright eyes – Simon and Garfunkel

By the time I get to phoenix – Jimmy Webb – Glen Campbell

Catch the wind - Donovan

City of New Orleans – Steve Goodman – Willie Nelson

Are you going to San Fransisco – John Philips – Scott McKenzie

From Clare to hear – Ralph McTell

Closest thing to crazy – Katie Melua

Early morning rain – Gordon Lightfoot – John Denver

Fennario – traditional -Joan Baez – Simon and Garfunkel

Fields of gold - Sting

First of May – Bee Gees

First time ever I saw your face – Ewan McColl

Fog on the Tyne - Lindisfarne

Galveston – Jimmy Webb – Glen Campbell

I am Australian – Bruce Woodley (Seekers) Dosh Woodman(Bushwackers)

I will wait – Mumford and sons

If I had a hammer – Pete Seeger/Lee Hayes

I’ll fly away – Albert E. Brumley – Alan Jackson

Working man – Rita McNeil

Its good to see you – Allan Taylor

John o dreams – Bill Caddick – Christy Moore

Jolene – Dolly Parton

Jug of punch – James McPeake/Peter Kennedy – Clancy Brothers

Leaving on a jet plane (my funny parody version) Denver - Ferguson

Liverpool Lou – Dominic Behan

lord of the dance - Traditional

meet me on the corner - Lindisfarne

Michael row the boat ashore – Tony Saleten – Peter. Paul, and Mary.

He’s got the whole world – Alan W. Livingston

Oh Susanna – Stephen Foster – Allan Taylor

Pay me my money down – traditional – Bruce Springsteen

Peaceful easy feeling – Jack Tempchin - Eagles

Roll on the day – Allan Taylor

Not a matter of pride – Mike Silver

Ruby Tuesday – Rolling Stones

Saved by the bell – Bee Gees

Scarborough fair – Traditional – Simon and Garfunkel

May it be - Enya

Seems it never rains in Southern California – Albert Hammond

Songdance – Alan Taylor

Sound of silence – Simon and Garfunkel

South Australia - Traditional

Steal away – Phil Coulter

Streets of London – Ralph McTell

Summertime - Traditional

The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel

The carnival is over – The Seekers

Day of the jackal - Lindisfarne

The Dutchman – John Prine

The Gambler – Kenny Rodgers

The hanging tree – Suzanne Collins/Lumineers

The lady came from Baltimore – Tim Hardin – Johny Cash

The times they are a changing – Bob Dylan

There’s another train – Pete Morten

Those were the days – melody traditional Russian/ Lyrics Gene Rashkin

Absent friends – Keith Hancock

Where have all the flowers gone – Bob Dylan

Whisky on a Sunday - Traditional

Wild goose – Kate Rusby

Windmills – Alan Bell – Tommy Makem

Yellow is the colour - Donovan

Bricklayer song – Pat Cooksey – Corries - Dubliners

This is the life – Amy MacDonald

Greensleeves – Traditional

CELTIC FRIENDS's Prices

Last updated: 2024

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Performance duration	Price
Up to 1 hour	£1000
Up to 2 hours	£1125
Up to 3 hours	£1312.50

Customer questions

Do you have different line-up options?

Celtic Friends can add other musicians up to a 6 piece band

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

We are flexible to timings on the day of your event and it has never been a problem before.

Can you provide an iPod/DJ service before and between your sets?

We can provide recorded music during breaks.

How much time do you need to set up?

90 minutes preferably at the minimum for a duo. larger bands may need 2 hours.

Can you roam around while you perform?

The main lead singer can roam around while plugged into PA system via wireless. The duo can also roam around acoustically without PA.

Can I pick the songs you play from the set list?

Yes, we can discuss this. Generally not a problem. It's your event.

Is all of the equipment (e.g. PA & lighting) included in your quote?

Our price includes everything.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

if it is a song we don't know and given at least 30 days notice, we can often learn special songs.

What do your clients love most about your performances?

They love the fact that we sing songs everyone can easily join in even if they haven't heard the song before. We also always make sure the atmosphere is fun and happy.

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

We have performed at most of the top Wedding and corporate venues in Central |Scotland. Such as Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Balmoral Hotel, St Andrews Golf course hotel, Balmoral Hotel, Sheraton Hotel, Crieff Hydro and many more...

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

The Corries The Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers, The McCalmans, Runrig.

What is the most high profile gig you've performed?

Edinburgh Castle.

Musicianship

Genres:

Folk, Folk rock, Traditional Irish folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Originals, Scottish music

See all genres

Types:

Celtic folk band, Folk band, Ceilidh band

See all types

Event types:

Private event, Wedding, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Theatre / Show, Burns night, Birthday party, New Year's Eve, Funeral / Memorial service, Recording session, Christmas party

See all event types