I'm in the North West of Scotland vindelis and I don't know of any folk clubs in the whole Highland area. There used to be dozens.
I dont think there is any alternative to a FC for allowing new artists to face an audience and learn all the relevent skills but perhaps we, the public, are no longer willing to sit and listen to someone learning any more.
The Feis movement up here is growing tremendously and we have many very tallented youngsters playing instruments extremely well. It's just the perfoprmance thing and rapor with and audience that is lacking.