Well for me,it has to be the Shetland Folk Festival.There aren't enough hotel rooms on the islands(or pound notes in the kitty) to accomodate the artists,so everyone has to stay with the native "friends of the festival".And the people of Shetland must be the warmest and kindest on the planet, isolated as they are on their own little planet... But when the festival comes round at eastertime everyone emerges from the endless dark of winter to party it up big style.

Many's the "visiting foreign artist" who has left the islands with a tear in their eyes as the ferry leaves the harbour of Lerwick (it's a 14 hour trip from Aberdeen!),and it seems like the entire population of the islands is waving goodbye from the pier.