ON their way to Innerleithen Music Festival at the weekend, Saturday’s headline act found themselves in a bit of a pickle – and almost didn’t make it.

The world-renowned Barra MacNeils had travelled thousands of miles from Nova Scotia to perform at the festival, but were left stranded in the countryside between Middleton and Innerleithen when their tour van came off the road.

In true Borders style, there was no phone reception or WiFi signal and organisers down the road were pacing the Memorial Hall beginning to think they’d been stood up.

Just as they were losing all hope, the Celtic-Canadian siblings were rescued by a local farmer in the nick of time.

Chair of the festival organising committee, Pam Fraser, said: “They’d flown into Glasgow overnight from Canada, then just 12 miles away from us they got well and truly stuck in the soft verge whilst passing another large vehicle.

“We were waiting for the band at the Memorial Hall and as there was no mobile reception where they were, we’d no idea what had happened.

“But they got here, sound-checked and put on a brilliant performance. They won’t forget their trip to the Borders in a hurry!

“We’re incredibly grateful to the guy with the tractor who pulled them out and we’d love to thank him personally if he could get in touch.”