BBC ALBA highlights to help you through the lockdown

Filmed during lockdown, the multi-award winning Gaelic singer and presenter Julie Fowlis from North Uist presents a new music series for our times.

Julie became famous worldwide after singing the theme songs to Disney Pixar’s animated children’s film ‘Brave’, set in the ancient highlands of Scotland.

Julie Fowlis ‘Ceòl aig Baile’ is a music series that takes place at an extraordinary time in our history.

The series gives musicians, deprived of playing live concerts, a virtual stage and an opportunity to perform directly from their homes to viewing fans.

This series invites musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Europe, Canada and the US to connect with fans and to perform in a visceral way, appealing to feelings as much as intellect.

Each half hour episode , which airs on BBC ALBA from Thursday, May 14th at 10pm will feature six tracks of music and each programme is given to a pair of musicians to curate.

Between the musical tracks, the musicians reveal a little about their locale and situation and can tell their own story, or simply introduce the songs and music, explaining why the song or track is relevant to the moment.

Another highlight in your TV schedule this month on BBC ALBA is new series ‘An Taigh-Fuine’ The Bakery , which also airs on the Gaelic tv channel on Thursday, May 14th at 8.30pm.

Brothers, Allan and Ewen Maclean opened a bakery in Benbecula over 30 years ago.

Throughout the years they have prepared food for many large and small scale events in Uist.

Each day, they send every type of cake, oatcake, biscuit and bread all over the Western Isles, but also to every corner of Scotland.

Amongst the services they provide is a busy restaurant, as well as a trailer which deliver s hot food to events all over the islands, but how do the family team manage to juggle everything?

In programme one of this six-part series, we get to know the industrious team at the bakery who are busy preparing food for a large function in Carinish Hall.

This is a big night for the local community with more than 150 people attending, but nothing that the Macleans can’t handle.

If sport is more of your thing then catch this look back on the the 2019 shinty season, which is airing on BBC ALBA this Saturday, May 9th at 6pm.

In ‘Spors - Shinty Finals 2019 Derek Mackay looks back on the 2019 shinty season, with highlights from each of the major finals that make up the men’s and women’s game.

Newtonmore were the team to beat going into the season having won the Premiership title and the MacTavish and Camanachd Cups in the previous campaign. While in the Valerie Fraser final, Skye would be looking to overturn their defeat to Badenoch in a repeat of the 2018 final.