‘Who Is This?’ is a song shaped and inspired by the Cuillin (An Cuilithionn) mountains on the Isle of Skye. The Cuillin are the shattered remains of the magma chamber of an immense volcano complex which was active around 60 million years ago. Born of fire and then shaped by ice, they now form a jagged, continuous ridge of tops, razor-edge ridges, scree-and boulder-fields, running for twelve kilometres, comprising twenty-two peaks, and involving over 4000 metres of ascent and descent, much of it technical.

In June this year, Robert Macfarlane (The Old Ways, Mountains of the Mind, The Lost Words) set out to attempt the mountaineering traverse of the Cuillin Ridge over two days, in the company of radio producer Helen Needham and guide Rich Parker. From the beginning of the journey — when Rob received a spontaneous gift from someone who had come to the Cuillin with the ashes of her father — the mountains surprised, amazed and challenged the group.

After returning, Rob worked with his friend and collaborator Julie Fowlis on a song about the range. Lines and images that Rob had jotted down while on the Ridge formed a basis for the song’s lyrics, which Julie shaped and set to music.  She worked on the song with brilliant musician Donald Shaw, who beautifully arranged the song for the Clockwork Sessions strings, conducted by Adam Robinson, and the track also features renowned fiddler Duncan Chisholm.

The title phrase intentionally echoes the refrain from ‘An Cuilithionn 1939’ (‘The Cuillin, 1939’), an epic poem about the mountains (and much more) written by the great Gaelic-language poet Somhairle MacGill-Eain (Sorley MacLean).

‘Who Is This?’ features in the second of the two BBC4 radio programmes that Rob made while on the Ridge, produced by Helen Needham; both available to listen to on BBC Sounds as ‘Crossing the Cuillin Mountains (1 and 2)’.

The song is available to download from today from Julie’s store and you can also stream here.

Julie is delighted to announce some new dates for January 2023 – including an exciting co-headliner with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Karine Polwart and Robert Vincent at the beautiful Theatre Royal, Glasgow on January 27th.  She will also be appearing with Le Vent du Nord & Friends for their show on January 28th in the Old Fruitmarket, and will also be joining John McCusker for his special 30th Anniversary concert in the City Halls on Jan 22nd.

Julie and Karine will join forces again on January 29th as special guests of the mighty Kinnaris Quintet for their Burns and Beyond show in Edinburgh.  All dates with ticketing links listed on the tour page.

An exciting start to 2023!

Julie is absolutely delighted to be returning to the Cambridge Folk Festival 2022, for not one but two performances – one with her own band and another with the incredible Spell Songs crew.  It’s promises to be a cracker of a weekend, with some brilliant names on the bill and more to be announced.  For line-up and ticketing information, see here.