ORGANISERS of the biggest traditional music festival in the Borders are urging fans to grab their tickets early.

In this, the 14th year of the Innerleithen Music Festival, the organisers are delighted with the line up - a real mix of Scottish and international acts from as far away as Norway and Canada.

Rachel Sermanni from the small Highland town of Carrbridge will share the Saturday stage with one of Canada's folk supergroups the Barra MacNeils - so named as their ancestors come from the Isle of Barra in the Western Isles.

For The Barra MacNeils, 2016 marks over 29 years for the Cape Breton Island-based family group in an outstanding recording and touring career.

The Barra MacNeils live concert experience brings so much more to the stage than most live acts ever can. Multiple lead vocalists, beautiful sibling harmonies and top drawer instrumental prowess on a wide variety of acoustic, stringed, percussion and wind instruments.

To that, add dancing and storytelling and you have family entertainment at it highest level.

Robin Dempsey from Innerleithen Music Festival told us: "Saturday's concerts are our international day of music.

"It is highly unlikely that we will ever be able to get The Barra MacNeils back in this country at the time of our festival so this may very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear such a band in such an intimate setting.

"These guys usually play to audiences of thousands!"

While only in her first decade as an international performer, what Rachel Sermanni lacks in years she makes up for in pure talent.

The 24 year old singer songwriter has been touring since the age of 18 to places as far afield and diverse as Australia, India and the Yukon where she recorded a live album 100 miles south of the Arctic Circle.

Her pure voice will mesmerise you. Appearing on a flagship Hogmanay show a few years ago she has been topping the bill at concerts halls and music festivals ever since.

Earlier on the Saturday at the afternoon concert, two of the musicians in the four piece group Boreas hail from Norway.

Britt Pernille Froholm on hardanger fiddle and Irene Tillung on accordion are joined by Scots Lori Watson on vocals and fiddle and Rachel Newton on vocals, Scottish Harp and electroharp to make a joyous sound.

Together, Boreas have a passion for new and experimental forms of traditional music creating a unique expression based on Norwegian and Scottish folk music.

Tickets for the Innerleithen Music Festival which starts on Friday, August 19 are available from www.innerleithenmusicfestival.org or local outlets.