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 The Benachally Ceilidh Band
  • The Benachally Ceilidh Band
 Scottish Dance Bands
The Benachally Ceilidh Band

The Benachally Ceilidh Band were based around the Blairgowrie area of Perthshire, and consisted of experienced musicians: Jim Leighton has been a member of An Teallach and The Loose Moose Ceilidh Band. The fiddler Pete Clark has been a member of Heritage and Smeddum. The other fiddler, Martin MacLeod, was an original member of Capercaillie, while Martin Hadden played with Silly Wizard for 12 years. Jake Donnelly was an integral member of An Teallach, and Martin Dibbs was a member of Dougie MacLean's band.

Any more information about the group would be gratefully received (email me). Some of the band's recorded output is detailed below.


The Benachally Ceilidh Band Happy Feet (Smiddymade SMD610, 1998)

Lord Lovat's Lament/Walter Douglas MBE (Donald MacLeod)/The 79th Farewell to Gibralter (PM J MacDonald); Dashing White Sergeant/My Love She's But a Lassie Yet/The Rose Tree/Golden Slippers;
Wi' a Hundred Pipers/Come Ower the Stream Charlie/Jeanie's Black E'e; The Banks of the Allan/The Blackthorn Stick/Haste to the Wedding/Stool of Repentance; Dirty Old Town (MacColl); Drumleys/Eight Men of Moidart/The Deveron Reel/Good Luck and Joy Be With You; June Clover; The Rights of Man/The Pride of Petravore; Da Tushkar/Gordon's Favourite/Mickie Ainsworth/Calum Donaldson (all R Cooper); Murdo MacKenzie of Torridon (Bobby Macleod)/ The Braemar Gathering (PM GS MacLennan); Duke of Perth/Tom Sullivan/Bill Sullivan's/Kerry No.1; Mountains of Mourne/Toor A Lay/Gentle Maiden; Turkey In the Straw/Waiting for the Federals/Over the Waterfall/Kitchen Girl; Shetland Two-Step; The Man from Skye (PM Donald MacLeod)/The Conundrum (PM PR MacLeod); The Soldier's Dance/Shandon Bells/Pet of the Pipers/Jackson's Jig/The Drunken Piper/Willafjord/Hurlock's Reel; Wonderful Tonight (Clapton)

All tracks traditional unless otherwise indicated

Jim Leighton (midi accordion, piano)
Pete Clark (fiddle)
Martin MacLeod (fiddle)
Martin Hadden (guitar, electric bass)
Jake Donnelly (banjo, mandolin, vocals)
Martin Dibbs (drums)


 Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Perthshire | nigelgatherer@mac.com