16th to 19th June 2022 • Cairngorms, Scotland

A journey to re-wild the ancient ballads of the Cairngorms and call back the Salmon.
Join folk singer and nature guide Sam Lee on a four-day midsummer pilgrimage.

Our purpose on this pilgrimage is to deepen our knowledge of this precious ecosystem and, through playful, songful ceremony, ‘re-wild’ the area’s ancient songs back to the waters they rise from, and call back the fast-disappearing Salmon.

The Scottish Highlands and the Cairngorms National Park contain possibly the most dramatic and ancient ecosystems in the country: Crystal clear rivers which once teemed with Atlantic salmon living in symbiosis with sought-after freshwater pearl mussels. Their local song and story flowed through this land, but as the oral culture and traditional practices became forgotten, so perhaps did the stewardship for maintaining these pristine environments.

The ‘Old Ways’ entwined song, story, and environmental stewardship, so could the silencing of the old songs and the thinning out of cultural and oral diversity be connected to the species loss in Scotland?

And so our great challenge arises: To re-wild the songs of these mountains, waterways, banks and braes carried by the people, notably the Scottish Travellers, who for many centuries have inhabited and lived off this land.

As we walk these ancient routes, us pilgrims will be offering the songs back to the Feshie, one of the great rivers and re-wilded valleys, a bounty of songs learned as we go. This is not a scientific experiment, it is an act of soulful intention. To pay gratitude to this magnificent land and pay homage to our ancestors who cared for it and offer our non-denominational prayers and praise to an environment calling for our help and protection.

We will sleep out for three nights over midsummer, when darkness never quite succeeds, amongst the regenerating Caledonian pine forest of the Feshie Estate. We will be walking with much of our kit so this is for experienced and strong walkers only.

All food will be provided.

Accommodation will be in tents (you will need to bring your own).

Want to read more about the Salmon and its place in our folklore? Check out our recent blog post.

Click here for further information and a list of required kit