In partnership with the National Trust for Scotland, A Little Bird Blown Off Course by Fiona J Mackenzie is presented as part of Celtic Connections 2014.

Celebrating the life and Gaelic song collection of Margaret Fay Shaw, A Little Bird Blown off Course is a new piece of music–theatre.

Margaret Fay Shaw was one of the most notable and important collectors of authentic Scottish Gaelic song in the 20th century, even though her name may not be well-known outside of traditional music circles.

Lifting extracts from Margaret’s autobiography, personal photography and previously unseen film footage of island life, A Little Bird Blown off Course casts fresh light on the importance of this collection to Gaelic culture past and present. The production features live music and song, including extracts from the Gaelic song collection that Margaret created and preserved, that forms the rich legacy they have bequeathed to Scotland.

The creation of A Little Bird Blown Off Course has been led by Fiona J MacKenzie, the BBC Scotland Traditional Music Personality of the Year (2004) and winner of the Burnsong International Songwriting Competition (2009).

A Little Bird Blown off Course was originally presented by the Blas Festival in 2013 and has been supported by Creative Scotland, The Turtleton Trust, The Canna Discretionary Trust, Bord na Gaidhlig, Tobar an Dualchais and the Canna Collection.