
Whether your favourite time of year to travel is spring, summer or autumn and you’re most comfortable on sea, land or sofa, there is a festival on Tiree ready and waiting to indulge you. The range and diversity of Tiree’s annual festivals and events is impressive by any standards but particularly given the island’s location, size and population. Collectively these events regularly increase the island’s population by some 400%. But before you go thinking ‘wow – all those extra tourists, that must be awful…’ think again. Each of these events is so well planned, co-ordinated and executed that often the only people impacted by the swell are local businesses, Calmac staff and accommodation providers. And seldom is that bad news. As has been noted on many occasions, Tiree really does know how to throw a party.
Large-scale ambitious events in remote and rural areas generally require creative thinking of a sort more often witnessed in the well-travelled, and frequently begin life as the brainchild of migrants before swiftly becoming almost entirely dependent on local collaboration to succeed. The fresh eye sows the seed, the scholar of the land nurtures it and the new generation claims it. Each plays their part in strengthening the community. They won’t all work out. Time separates the wheat from the chaff. It’s not so difficult to start something up, all you need is basic know-how. The challenge is in achieving longevity and most fail. What remains will generally be the cream of the crop and Tiree has its fair share of this.Â
These are the big-players and long-stayers, the big events worth travelling to, listed in date order. Â
TIREE 10K/HALF MARATHON Saturday 3rd May 2025 https://www.tireefitness.co.uk/events/10k  https://www.instagram.com/tireefitnesswill?igsh=MWcxdzduOXJlbDMxaA==https://www.facebook.com/tireefitness

Will arrived on Tiree with his gym kit and an insatiable supply of positivity and motivation more than twenty years ago and to this day neither shows any sign of diminishing. He set up the island’s first 10k in 2006 and it was an instant hit. The half marathon began shortly after. Both races have grown in popularity each year, attracting runners and joggers of all ages and abilities.  Whilst he may well have a full team in place by the time it's ready to play out, the great majority of its coordination and management is down to Will alone and he deserves full credit for that.

Around four hundred runners take in a route that provides breathtaking vistas from beginning to end. Lots of locals take part but most participants are from off-island, some of them making the journey from abroad for the sheer joy of it.   First-timers be warned, the scenery will take your breath away before a foot has left the start line. Be they elite runners or also-rans, there are no losers on this route, only winners.
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Early-bird entries open in October and sell out within the hour. It is not unheard of for hopeful contenders abroad to set alarms that waken them in the middle of the night to catch the UK release time. A final batch is released further down the line and they, too, are gone in a healthy heartbeat.
Fèis Thiriodh (Tiree Fay-sh) 7 - 11 July 2025
Donate: Fèis thiriodh Sort code 832703 Account no 00124324

If you have an interest in local culture and the Gaelic language, this is for you. Fèis Thiriodh has been running on Tiree since 1991 and for a long time was happy in its own world where word-of-mouth was enough but of late new volunteers on this worthy committee have begun to promote the festival further afield with the aim of increasing its reach and restoring its bank balance to healthier levels.  The word fèis translates literally as festival but its use has long-since been associated with the promotion of Gaelic culture and music through workshops, events and activities.  Many islands in the Hebrides run their own fèis with the same objective.

A five-day programme encourages children aged 8-18 to sign up for workshops in traditional Gaelic music, instruments, dance, drama and song tutored by established musicians and singers, many of whom began their own musical journey in this way. A lot of participants sign up through schools and the Tiree workshops are held in Tiree High School but it’s open to the public and anyone may join, especially if you happen to be holidaying on the island. Applications are usually sought around May each year.Â
Fèis Thiriodh is run by volunteers and in order to pay for workshop tutors and activities it is dependent on funding, some of which is provided through Fèisean nan Gà idheal with local events and public donations making up the rest.  Fundraising events often run alongside the workshops programme. For more information see their facebook page or email the organisers (see above).Â
Donate: Fèis thiriodh Sort code 832703 Account no 00124324
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TIREE MUSIC FESTIVAL 11-13 July 2025

This is now in its twelfth year and it feels like it is the one that everyone anywhere and everywhere knows about. There’s not much to add that isn’t already out there and so this will concentrate on the less talked-about bits.

Each year around eighty volunteers are recruited to help the festival run smoothly and while a significant number are locals, many come from the mainland and have been returning since the festival began. Although most may perhaps work three days, a good number sign up for the week because they want to.  Some volunteers have places to stay while others are happy campers. Staff get tickets to the festival and ample time to enjoy it.  There’s a great camaraderie among volunteers across the board, with large-scale kick-start and wrap parties laid on by the organisers in appreciation of their contribution.

As is the case with any other festival, TMF relies on sponsorship.  The set up costs alone are eye-watering in comparison to similar events on the mainland.  Marquees, security fencing, toilet blocks and cranes are not sourced on the island.  Everything is shipped in and shipped out again and it all incurs a week’s hire charge in addition to transportation and set up costs.
Many businesses on the island profit significantly from the festival, Yellow Hare included. TMF 2024 was our busiest week of the entire season by a large margin. Around 80% of this increase was outside ferry times and therefore unrelated to ferry traffic (besides; ferry traffic slows down when the festival is on - most are on the island for a week-long party), but not all businesses benefit. Some hospitality outlets report losses which they believe wouldn’t occur if TMF didn’t happen since the festival falls at what would normally be the busiest weekend of the year for Tiree.  Whilst we, too, reported losses during TMF over our first three years of trading, sales have been steadily growing since and, if anything, these days we’re beating you off with a stick – metaphorically speaking, of course!
Missed out on the online sales? Get here. You will ALWAYS get a ticket on the door if you are on the island. The festival has a much larger audience capacity than tickets sold. And you don’t need to buy a weekend pass; day tickets are available on the door. Unless you are blackballed for some reason, getting to the island and securing accommodation are your only hurdles.

The most asked question by Yellow Hare customers about Tiree Music Festival is how locals feel about it. The answer for many, in a nutshell, is pride. This is, in all the ways that matter, a very local event and most locals feel part of it. It contradicts everything about the ambitious creativity mentioned in the second paragraph. It was created by locals and continues to be managed by them today with several from the island playing a key role in its organisation and execution. They all grew up together, went to school together, played together. They have a large close-knit team behind them, and you don’t get that by simply asking or paying for it. You get that by being the kind of person someone wants to do things for and by creating something someone wants to be part of. They wholeheartedly deserve every award they have won so far. Â
TIREE UTLRA MARATHON (35 MILES)Â Sunday 7th September 2025

Another of Will’s creations, this began in 2014 with 40 runners and by last year had 215 finishers.  Just like the 10k and half marathon, it attracts an astonishingly impressive range of competitors of all ages, shapes and abilities.

The thirty-five mile course circumnavigates the island following mostly coastline. This is a route that allows you to see up close just how plentiful and vast our silver-sanded beaches are. You also get to become the voice of authority on where, precisely, Tiree’s hilly bits are when others comment on how flat it is.  The time taken can range from less than five hours to more than eleven. Many choose to take their time whilst others are on a mission. Again, everyone is a winner– anyone who voluntarily takes on a thirty-five mile course purely for the joy of it has to be pretty special…. Good on ya! We are more than happy to cheer you on from the sidelines.Â
As with many of Tiree’s events, local volunteers make up a huge part of the Ultra’s success. Entries for this open in November.
SEA CHANGE FILM FESTIVAL  19 – 21 September 2025

Launched in 2018, this is the youngest and – for me – the most exciting newcomer on Tiree, purely for its promise. A fantastic addition to the island's repertoire, the only way is up for this incredibly meaty film festival. Co-ordinated by Jen from Screen Argyll (whose offices are next door to The Makery at Crossapol), it’s growing in awareness and popularity each year, and deservedly so.  Last year’s programme ran to forty-seven events over three days and included previews, award-winning firsts, shorts, director Q&As, and both current and popular films as well as a wide range of film workshops and outdoor activities.
The film festival runs at an ideal time of year when things are quieter and accommodation and travel easier to secure. Day tickets and weekend passes can be purchased online and work well with an overnight stay from the mainland either by ferry or plane.
Recognised for its value by those-in-the-know, this has kudos and clout and word of mouth is spreading in the broader community, but not nearly fast enough. Watch this space. Undeniably one of Tiree’s rising stars.
TIREE WAVE CLASSICÂ 7-11 October 2025

This wind-surfing event for all ages and stages has been running for decades. Hailed the oldest running windsurfing event in the world, it began in the mid-eighties and is recognised as a serious contender on the leader board of wind surfing competitions.
Strong winds coupled with deciding within an hour’s notice on which beach the day’s events will take place is what makes Tiree the idea venue and encourages competitors to the island. Wind surfing is one of the island’s biggest attractions at any time of year but especially for this. There is nowhere that can’t be reached with a vehicle within half an hour. That said, Gott Bay, Crossapol, Balephuil and The Maze tend to dominate year-on-year.Â
The Wave Classic has a real community feel about it, perhaps because it’s fairly niche, but also because it happens at a time of year when most businesses on the island are closed. It’s learned to be pretty self-sufficient. Limited catering is provided on location daily. Many competitors bring their own food, but that’s down to the nature of the event. There’s a lot of hanging around and sitting in your vehicle watching and waiting. Â
It's a striking sport to watch from the relative warmth of a vehicle and provides some spectacular images by long-term official photographers such as Richard Whitson who have become as much part of the event as the competitors themselves.
Other, smaller, popular annual events include the 3-week Tiree Art Enterprises Summr Exhibition, The Tiree Agricultural Show and Tiree Association Sports Day, all of which, together with the above, are listed and regularly covered in Tiree’s local newsletter An Tirisdeach, available in the shops fortnightly on Thursdays.
How to get around:
Car hire: One is based at the pier, one is based at the airport but both will drop at either place and you can pick up from either area and drop off pretty much anywhere on the island.

Cycle hire: Almost always booked out - best way to secure is to book in advance wherever possible. Includes electric bikes. https://www.tireefitness.co.uk/bike-hire AND https://www.blackhouse-watersports.co.uk

On foot: Not recommended. Shops, festival venues and accommodation are often miles apart and far from airport and ferry terminals.
2025 summer timetable for the ferry.

Kate MacLeod 2025
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Very informative, one error to be corrected, TMF dates are 11-13 July 2025