A TASTE of Loch Ness will help some visiting monsters make a splash in the Highlands this year.
The second annual Monsterfest music event will be staged in Inverness with the help of new main sponsor Loch Ness Water.
The partnership with the bottled water company, which is stepping up production with a move to a new plant in Dingwall, will also assist the growth of the festival after last year’s successful debut.
Monsterfest launched in 2018 with a mix of established, classic and new rock bands.
It is returning by popular demand as the only rock festival in this format in the north of Scotland.
This year the event, to be held in the Ironworks from November 15-16, will feature headliners GUN who will be joined by a host of acts including Massive Wagons, Romeo’s Daughter and OD Saxon.
On the eve of the festival, an education day is being held when music industry professionals will give a series of talks to students.
Festival director Mark Allison said: “We had a fantastic response to the first festival last year, with rock fans coming to Inverness from all over the UK.
“This encouraged us to stage the event again and we hope it will now become an annual feature on the local music scene.
“Our partnership with Loch Ness Water will help us develop.
“Both brands aim to promote the Highlands and encourage more people to visit the area and see our famous attractions, including the most famous monster of all.”
Loch Ness Water founder John Oag said: “As we grow the business and look towards taking our product to an international market, it’s fantastic to have the opportunity to support an event that has the same longer-term aspirations while, like us, it’s promoting our part of the world.”
Last year’s Monsterfest included a mass zombie dance in the Victorian Market in Inverness to accompany a new video by headliners The Dead Daisies.
It was held at the end of ZombieNess, part of the Inverness events programme.
For a weekend ticket, it costs £55. For more information about the event, go to www.ironworksvenue.com/event/monsterfest/.
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