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First-hand reports from the audience at last night’s Transatlantic Sessions concert up in Lerwick – as part of the ongoing Scotland’s Islands promotion, which culminates with Celtic Connections’ Big Top on Skye in March – were that many locals regarded it as either a) the best gig they’ve ever seen in Shetland, or b) the best gig they’ve ever seen, full stop. Given a) the islands’ own large population of world-class musicians, b) the highly discerning tastes of the population as a whole, and c) the calibre of concerts annually laid on at the renowned Shetland Folk Festival, this was high praise indeed. By his own admission, the show was a nervous one for the Sessions’ joint musical director, Aly Bain, costing him more than one sleepless night at the prospect of playing to his home crowd, so he above all was thoroughly delighted with how sparklingly it went and a rapturous reception that culminated in not one but two standing ovations. He also had the opportunity to introduce several of his family to the likes of Raul Malo and Jerry Douglas backstage afterwards, before heading to Lerwick’s celebrated Lounge pub, where he received a hero’s welcome from – at his own estimate – “about 52 cousins”.

As the plane carrying the musicians to Shetland touched down at Sumburgh airport, double bass maestro Danny Thompson was heard to call from the back, “Aly, I’m home” – a reference to his folk festival visit some 20 years ago, performing with his own outfit Danny Thompson’s Whatever, still fondly remembered all round as a highlight in the event’s illustrious history. Thompson was also warmly greeted on arrival at the venue by one of the family who’d hosted him (all the festival’s visiting acts are put up in local homes), who can only have been a teenager at most back then, and was now helping out with the Transatlantic gig.

Among many gem-like moments during the show, particularly well-received was Bruce Molsky’s comment, when introducing a traditional logging-camp ballad: “I heard they used to have loggers here in Shetland – but I guess they did a bit too good of a job”, referring to the islands’ famously treeless landscape. Another lovely touch was Douglas’ inclusion of a well-kent Shetland tune, “Woo’d An’ Married An’ A’” – adapted by the islands fiddlers from the eponymous Scots song – in his stunning, genre-spanning solo workout that opened the second half: almost a mini-Transatlantic Session in itself.

One local who sadly missed the gig was the champion young fiddler Maggie Adamson, who recently won the elite Glenfiddich fiddle competition – but was unfortunately engaged elsewhere playing a Burns Supper in Tblisi. In February. As you do.

There being insufficient time for the band to eat between sound-check and showtime, it was a very hungry crew who fell upon a delicious Chinese banquet at one of Lerwick’s restaurants around midnight, the owners having very kindly stayed open late to accommodate them. While the meal was in progress, the gig’s local promoter happened to mention that the Jarl Squad, the fearsomely Viking-clad leaders of Shetland’s Up Helly Aa fire festival, which had taken place the previous Tuesday, were holding their post-festival knees-up at the Town Hall just round the corner. There were a few equally delicious moments of contemplating the Transatlantic Sessions line-up crashing the party. . . but in the end a quieter nightcap back at the hotel was wisely decided upon, given the next day’s morning flight back ahead of tonight’s second Celtic Connections show – with London, Dublin, Birmingham and Gateshead to follow next week, but no one was really thinking that far ahead by this point.

A security poster spotted back at Sumburgh, detailing various forms of suspicious behaviour which might indicate terrorist activity, asked “Do you know anyone who travels a lot, but is vague about where they are going?” Looking around the departure lounge, there seemed to be quite a few contenders waiting for the Glasgow flight. . .

While we were a few hundred miles north, the Beat Bothy down at the Arches – a new late-night venture for the festival - reportedly went off with a resounding bang, after healthy advance ticket sales and a massive walkup. “Crowd-surfing to bagpipes,” was our source’s succinct summation: we suspect it will be back next year.

With sincere apologies for the late proclamation – but we are all pretty much fully nocturnal as well as hellishly sleep-deprived by this point – we hereby announce that the winner of our new band name/new genre competition is the father-and-daughter team of Richard Crawford and five-year-old Ruby, she having named the band Jeanie Harper and the Charms of England, while he supplied them with the genre of Elizabethan polka punk. Many congratulations to both: we’ve already been in touch to arrange your tickets to Hazy Recollections tomorrow afternoon, or a suitable replacement if you can’t make it because of our slackness.