Our next Club Night is on Friday 30th May
8:30 (ish)pm – 11:30 pm, In The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Coming Attractions
Our Next Regular Club Nights are on
– Friday 16th May – Village Hall Benefit Concert
– Friday 30th May – Regular Club Night
Can You Help with the Folk Club?
Cruden Bay Folk Club is approaching its 13th anniversary and continues to thrive, with well-attended club nights and a wealth of talented performers entertaining our appreciative audiences each month.
However, this success doesn’t happen on its own. We have a dedicated committee working behind the scenes to ensure the club is the best it can be. Over the past 13 years, we’ve been fortunate to have incredible support from both past and present committee members.
With our AGM coming up, a few of our valued committee members have decided to step back or pass on their roles as principal office bearers.
And this is where you come in!
We would love to welcome new members to our committee. The commitment is minimal—we meet virtually just once every two months, with ongoing discussions in our Folk Club Committee WhatsApp group to coordinate activities. The committee plays a vital role in our success, and without the support of people like you, we simply wouldn’t be the club we are today.
If you’re a regular player or audience member who would like to give something back to the Folk Club, we’d love to hear from you! You can get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Thank you for your support—we couldn’t do it without you!
Coming Soon
Countdown to the next Cruden Bay Folk Club at the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel from 8:30(ish)pm
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Since October 2012, and up until the Covid 19 Lockdown, Cruden Bay Folk Club has been meeting monthly on the last Friday of the month at the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel in Cruden Bay.
During Lockdown, between February 2020 and June 2022, we canceled 27 club nights but we kept things going with our Virtual Club Nights prior to our long-awaited return to the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel on Friday the 30th of September 2022 when normal service resumed.
We have recorded many of the club night performances across the years and have posted both video and audio playlists on the individual pages dedicated to our club nights in the website menu. We hope you will enjoy watching these recordings and that we can look forward to welcoming you in person to one of our regular Folk Club Nights which are always held in the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel from around 8:30 pm on the last Friday of the month (pandemics and other such catastrophes permitting).
When you think about it, we’ve done a lot to be proud of since October 2012.
Club Nights
Virtual Club Night
Workshops & Concerts
Individual Performers
Songs & Tunes
Videos on this website
A new series of Retro Designs promoting Cruden Bay and the Folk Club
In the early 1900’s Cruden Bay was a popular holiday destination with a railway line running to the village station and a tram car ferrying passengers to and from the majestic Cruden Bay Railway Hotel. A series of posters were designed to promote Cruden Bay as a destination. We have created a whole new range of designs in a similar style to continue promoting Cruden Bay as a destination and hopefully new visitors to our village and our Folk Club.
Additionally, we have had these designs printed as postcards which can be purchased in gift packs including all 6 images from the Folk Club, or the village Newsagents for £3.00
These first four images all appear in the lyrics of the club anthem “Cruden Water,” while the “First Flight Across The North Sea” and “The Last Train To Cruden Bay” images both relate to significant moments in Cruden Bay’s history.
To find out more about the stories behind the individual designs, click on the images below.
Little Boats Tied In The Harbour
Where the Lads and Lassies Play
Cloaked In Myth and History
Years Ago The Vikings Landed
First Flight Across The North Sea 1914
The Last Train To Cruden Bay 1932
Club Calendar 2025
Monday 1st January – New Year’s Day Session, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel 2:00 – 5:00 pm
Friday 31st January – Club Night (Burns), at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Friday 28th February – Club Night, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Friday 28th March – Club Night at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Friday 25th April – C lub Night, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Friday 30th May – Club Night, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Friday 27th June – Club Night, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
ThurFriday 25th July – Club Night, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Friday 29th August – Club Night, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Friday 26th September – Club Night, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Friday 31st October – Club Night, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Friday 28th November – Club Night, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Friday 26th December – Club Night, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel
Wed 1st January 2025 – New Year’s Day Session, at The Kilmarnock Arms Hotel 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Bob Dylan’s Enduring Legacy: A Special Night at Cruden Bay Folk Club
Bob Dylan’s influence on folk music is immeasurable. From the early days of Greenwich Village to the countless folk clubs across the world, Dylan’s poetic lyrics and timeless melodies have shaped generations of musicians. His songs have long been staples of folk sessions, inspiring both seasoned performers and new voices alike.
With the recent release of A Complete Unknown, the much-anticipated Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet, there’s no better time to celebrate his legacy. That’s why we held a Dylan Theme Night on 28th February 2025.
We marked the occasion by promoting the event through our adaptation of the movie trailer below because, like Dylan, we know the power of reinvention! Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just discovering his genius, we hope you enjoy our take on his work.
Robert Burns – Theme Night
Burns Night is celebrated the world over, it’s a time when folk of every creed and station remember a humble scots poet who made a mark so deep that his birthday on January 25th has been remembered in a unique and fitting way for more than 230 years.
Here at Cruden Bay Folk Club, we follow that example by paying homage in song and verse to the man who, in 2009, Scottish TV viewers voted the greatest Scot ever, ahead of other famous Scots like King Robert the Bruce, freedom fighter William Wallace, and renowned physician Sir Alexander Fleming to name but a few.
Those attending our 2025 Burns Theme Night were treated to a wide and varied programme that featured several of his most beautiful songs and even a retelling of his masterpiece, Tam O’ Shanter.
St James’s Concert
Fiona Kennedy – Kitchen Concerts
World-renowned Scottish Singer Fiona Kennedy has been recording music for decades, with dozens of albums recorded and a wee black book filled with the names and numbers of some of the best musicians in the world, we were pleased to welcome her invitation to join her Kitchen Concert on the 2nd of September. Started during lockdown to keep the music going, Fiona has stuck with this popular format, and on this particular occasion, she joined a bunch of our regular club members in Cruden Bay to do what she does best, bringing singers and musicians together for a great time, just click this image to watch the show.
Singing Workshop
Women In Music Theme Night
Our regular club night on Friday 31st May 2024 was a celebration of Woman In Music and once again our performers delivered an exceptional programme of entertainment with everything from Judith Durham to Dolly Parton getting the Cruden Bay Folk Club twist.
As ever, the audience showed their appreciation for another great night and broke all records with a bumper fund raiser during the monthly raffle. It has to be said that we have a fantastic club in Cruden Bay and we welcome with open arms old friends and new on the last Friday of every month.
If you didn’t manage along to the Women In Music theme night, you can catch up on all of the performances by clicking here.
Back By Popular Demand
Sir-Reel Clarks
Sir-Reel Clarks is a small family band with diverse and zany ideas. Surreal with a double meaning!
At our club night on 31st March 2023, we were delighted to extend the warmest of welcomes and shine our spotlight on Arron and his dad, Andy Clark.
The Folk Club is delighted to welcome the return of Aaron and Sir-Reel Clarks to a Spotlight Session at our regular club night on Friday 29th March 2024 when we look forward to what is certain to be another excellent night.
To watch their set from 2023, just click here, or on the image opposite.
To Read P&J Article on Aaron published 18th Feb 2024 click here
The Rolling Stones Theme Night
Our regular club night on Friday 27th October was a ‘Rolling Stones Theme Night’, with brilliant interpretations of more than 20 ‘Stones’ songs.
With another great audience turnout on the night supporting the club and the performers, it was definitely one not to be missed! Having said that, if you did miss it, or would like to replay some of the performances again, just click here to visit the Stones Theme Night page.
The Beatles Theme Night
Our regular club night on Friday 28th July was a ‘Beatles Theme Night’, many of the regular performers, including our very own ‘Flab Four’ The Baytles, came together to deliver a programme of 19 Beatles numbers in the ‘open mike’ part of the evening followed by many more fantastic Beatles covers in the session.
All in all, it was another fantastic night at Cruden Bay Folk Club, if you missed it or would like to replay some of the performances again, just click here to visit the Beatles Theme Night page.
John Prine Theme Night
At our regular club night on Friday 28th April, we celebrated the work of the late great American folk singer, John Prine. This short video shows a few of our regulars, Dave Cherry, Brian MaCaulay, Gordon Mackay and Kenny McKenzie put some rehearsal in for one of their chosen, tracks, ‘I guess they oughta name a drink after you’.
To check out all of the great John Prine covers from the night, just click here
We created this little video trailer, which features the Folk Club anthem ‘Cruden Water’, to help us promote up-and-coming events, as you can imagine, it hasn’t been put to too much use during the Coronavirus lockdowns, however, we have started fighting back by holding virtual club nights, and the feedback we’ve received regarding this little video has been great.
We held our first club night in 2012, back then the club was meeting in the Lounge Bar of the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel, and more recently, prior to covid-19, our club nights have been held in the dining room of the Killie, a warm and welcoming space which is ideal for our regulars and visitors. The club has met regularly since 2012 and over the years we’ve captured some great moments on video which you can check out by visiting our video archive page, just click here.
Cruden Bay Based All Female Singers
We warmly welcome anyone interested in singing with others, no matter if you already have experience, or are just thinking about giving it a go, you’ll find it comes easily amongst like-minded others, so don’t waste time thinking about it, get in touch, or come along, our contact details are listed below.
We meet every Tuesday evening at
Port Erroll (Cruden Bay) Village Hall – 7.30 pm to 9 pm
For much more information and contact details, click here
Bratach Bana – Fund Raising CD
In 2006 a group of local musicians formed a band called Bratach Bana who recorded the highly acclaimed album, Shetland Lights.
At the heart of Bratach Bana was our Folk Club Secretary Scott Thompson, who along with 5 other talented performers launched their seminal album at the 2007 Stonehaven Folk Festival.
Cruden Bay Folk Club is pleased to announce that we now have in our possession the remaining copies of this fantastic album and they are now on sale through the club for just £5.70 (including postage and packaging if required), with all proceeds going towards the club’s charity fund.
Looking for more like us ?
Scotland has a rich wealth of musical talent and has clubs like ours in every corner of the country. We are delighted to share information and contact details on other clubs so if you’d like us to link to your website just drop us an email at [email protected] and we’ll be delighted to give you a shout-out and share your details with our visitors, perhaps we could ask you to reciprocate by linking to our website from yours, you know it makes sense.
Folk Club Workshops and Concerts
Over the years the Folk Club has hosted a wide variety of Workshops and Concerts including the popular ‘Percussion’ workshops led by Angus McCurrach from Huggadrum as seen in the video behind this article which was held in 2015, to watch the extended video click here.
The club has also hosted several Singing Workshops, this link will take you to tha article created for the workshop held on the 13th June 2024
The Folk Club often takes to the road and since our first club night in 2012 we have hosted 90+ workshops and concerts in and around Cruden Bay.