A music festival in the grounds of Inveraray Castle in Argyll will feature two veteran Scottish rock bands, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Primal Scream, as well as Icelandic star Bjork.
A music festival in the grounds of Inveraray Castle in Argyll will feature two veteran Scottish rock bands, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Primal Scream, as well as Icelandic star Bjork.
The Connect festival, an event devised by the organisers of T in the Park, has been designed to appeal to an older audience and will feature "musician's musicians" rather than mainstream pop or metal acts.
The three-day event, with the most expensive tickets priced at £125, is being staged in the fields and grounds around the castle, which sits on the banks of Loch Fyne, between August 31 and September 2.
The festival will also feature another Scottish band, Idlewild, US rappers The Beastie Boys, and LCD Soundsystem, with a number of acts still to be announced.
The Jesus and Mary Chain, for whom Bobby Gillespie, the lead singer of Primal Scream, once played drums, will be playing their first concert in Scotland for nearly 20 years.
Geoff Ellis, chief executive of DF Concerts, said he had been searching for four years to set up a festival that was "a little bit different" in Scotland, a "boutique festival" which was partially sold on its location and the quality of its musical acts.
"We wanted something with a cultural interest, with a very strong line-up and we think this is the place for it," he said.
"We had a look at other sites but it became quickly apparent this was the right one, and if T in the Park is primarily aimed at those aged from 18 to 25, this is more 22 to 30, so it is not a festival for old people', but it is maybe not the rite of passage that T in the Park is for many."
Mr Ellis said the festival, which does not use any of the rooms inside the castle, is for bands or artists with credibility and who have inspired other bands.
He added: "We need to talk to the community in Inveraray who may be apprehensive about the event, as any community would be when this type of event takes place."
Considered part of the Highland 2007 celebrations, Connect will also feature alternative entertainment, including local food and drink in the Circuses and Bread Field.
In The Unknown Pleasures Tent there will be burlesque shows from Club Noir on Saturday, and a swing club from Vegas on the Sunday with roulette and showgirls.
Mr Ellis added: "Connect will appeal to the discerning music fan who wants to enjoy a festival with a little more comfort, a bit more of a chilled atmosphere, a fantastic bill of artists, some delicious food and quirky entertainment thrown in."
Tickets for Connect go on sale at 9am on Friday.
