They’re based in Edinburgh but have played at festivals throughout Europe and the United States and appear at events ranging from medieval banquets to bike shows. They appeal to a wide audience, from deep routed folkies, to rock fans and anyone interested in rhythm.

Saor is a Gaelic word meaning free.

For ease of transportation they use salsa drums as they stack like Russian Dolls and are relatively light so they can be carried round all day attached to their belts. Real Scottish war drums are made from massive slices of tree trunk and are too heavy to pick up, so they’re only used for studio work.

Their talents go beyond their love of music and crafts. The whole gang give combat and battle displays, in which they’re highly trained. They have skills with a wide range of weapons including broadsword, dirk and dagger, small grip and two-handed longswords, maces, war hammers, staff, spear, a whole range of axes, and much more.

The individual members of Saor Patrol are all volunteers with the Clanranald Trust for Scotland. The trust is a charity, established in 1995, with the aim of promoting Scottish culture and heritage through education and entertainment.

For more information visit www.saorpatrol.com or www.clanranald.org/web Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.