I recently heard that the Northern Lights Festival that was held in Durness last year was going to be moving to Wick in 2008, but with bigger headline bands, DJs, artists and performers.

Unfortunately, I have just read this on their myspace blog at http://www.myspace.com/durnessnorthernlights

"Hi all,

I have some very sad news.

Due to funding difficulties I will not be staging a Northern Lights Festival in Wick this year. The main problem has been the timescale to raise the money to stage this year's event, which would guarantee the deposits for the headline acts. Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise had pledged half the money - but only as match funding. It has not been possible to find other sources of funding within the timescale to secure the headliners. Without the headliners it would be only half the festival.

I have worked since the end of the last festival - unpaid and at my own expense - and put together a superb line-up with many top acts who were desperate to play because of the succeess and reputation of Durness. Unfortunately that has all now been lost. I am afraid I have exhausted all avenues. I sincerely hope we can put a festival on in Durness again in 2010 - the 7Oth anniversary of John's birth.

I wish you all the very best and hope that one day we can all work together again.


Kind Regards

Mike Merritt"


I am really saddened to hear this after the huge success of last years one, as well as the award they won for Best New Festival at the UK Festival Awards. I am sure it would have been a very special event once again and brought some much appreciated publicity and tourism for Wick as well as something exciting and different for those us living up here in Caithness.

What are everyone else's views?