The cream of country music from Nashville is coming to Cumbrae later this year as the island's major festival undergoes a major re-branding.
Now in its 23rd year, Millport will now be hosting a Millport Country Music Festival in early September, with big name acts and rising stars from both sides of the Atlantic performing,
The festival will run from Friday evening, September 1, through the weekend until late on Sunday, featuring many country and tribute bands, together with the Grand Parade on the waterfront at 2pm on Saturday September 2, line dancing, children’s entertainment and much more.
Under the cover of a huge marquee, behind the Garrison, concerts for 3,000 people will be held on the Saturday and Sunday afternoons and early evenings.
Recently signed to Big Machin' in Nashville, The Shires will headline the Saturday September 2 line up.
In his first ever appearance in Scotland, Mark Chesnutt, with 14 US country No 1s and 23 top 10 singles to his name will close out the concert element of the festival on Sunday September 3.
Direct from Nashville will come three rising country artists, David Ray, Morgan Frazier, and Adley Stump, to provide support over the weekend.
Glasgow’s own  Ashton Lane, with their full band, will appear on Sunday September 3.
People will be able to buy ‘Access All Zones’ passes for the entire weekend or choose between the concerts on each day. A VIP option will also be available for those who want to guarantee a position close to the concert stage.
Advance concert tickets and core festival wristbands are available from Ticketline.co.uk. More information on the Millport Country Music Festival is available at millportcountrymusic.com and via social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Gavin Chittick, who is heading the company behind the Country Music extravanganza, said: "We are delighted to be able to take the Millport Country Music Festival to a new level this year. We believe that the line up on offer for the concerts and core festival will establish Millport as the must-go festival destination for country music fans in the UK this summer.
"What we are really trying to do is provide a broader range of music, and having attracted The Shires, who have just got a gold album (selling over 100,000 copies in a year), and Mark Chesnutt, who has never played in Scotland before, and has all these successful songs and a new album just out, we have attracted some big names from the music industry.
"We have dropped the 'Western' moniker from the festival. and giving it a fresher perspective and new outlook, with a greater focus on country music, but we will still have the main festival. We are looking to give people a broader range of entertainment on offer.
"The field immediately behind The Garrison will host a huge marquee for 3000. It is a remarkably flat area and will be very professional."
Gavin, and his wife Christine, are the directors of the Cumbrae Group Limited and have been living on the island for the past five years, and have long experience of working in big stadium shows involving country music in the States. Christine has historic family connections to the Isle of Cumbrae.
Gavin added: "We will marketing the event nationally and in country music magazines."
The company  have been working closely with festival committee, and will be presenting it as one co-ordinated festival with many of the popular events of the festival going back 23 years.
The major music events in the 3000 capacity marquee will start on Saturday and Sunday at 2.30pm, with final sets at 7.30pm, and are looking at arranging later ferries to help boost the country music spectacular.
In recent years, the festival committee have been praised for a more family focussed festival, and attracting big numbers to Millport during the first  weekend in September.  Last year, Millport also hosted a Comedy Festival, and Festival of Light.