Rura are a four-piece traditional music outfit with an eclectic blend of foot-stomping ceilidh rock tracks and more sedate folk numbers. In 2015 they won the honour of Live Act of the Year at the acclaimed Scottish Trad Music Awards and this year they are kicking off a tour which will see them travel both the UK and Canada.

Summerhall marks their first gig of the year and as the band take to the stage they quickly show why the gig is sold out. As well as being incredibly talented musicians there is an ease and light-hearted humour on stage which shows an obvious love for what they do.

The capacity crowd are treated to a flavour of both old and new tracks and to the distinctive voice of Jack Badcock from fellow trad band, Dallahan. As the night goes on the crowd become more and more engaged with the music, each performer getting a chance to shine in their own right.

David Foley on flute and bodhrán (a trademark of Scottish bands often being the ability to play more than one instrument) writes many of the bands tracks, while Adam Brown on guitar and Jack Smedley on fiddle entertain Summerhall with a seemingly never-ending competition of who can play the fastest! And what trad band would be complete without the skirl of the bagpipes? Steven Blake plays pipes and whistle masterfully to complete the line-up.

It does take some time for the crowd to warm-up, although this has nothing to do with the band themselves and everything to do with the seating arrangements – the main problem being that there are seats at all! People stamp their feet and bob their heads as best they can but this is a band who want everyone to join in which would be much easier in an open space where people could burl and clap to their hearts’ delight.