World-renowned singer songwriter Ed Sheeran’s single ‘The Hills of Aberfeldy’ was officially released on Friday.
And Scotland’s national tourist board hopes the new track can inspire more visitors to enjoy and explore the Highland Perthshire region.
The acoustic tune is on Sheeran’s sixth studio album ‘Subtract’ and highlights the affection for the area he has visited many times.
Included in the chorus is the line: “Darling, we fall in love with the hills of Aberfeldy”.
Sheeran spent some downtime in the area in 2014, performing an impromptu gig at the Breadalbane Arms to local fans’ delight.
The singer-songwriter, who has sold over 150 million records, was 22 at the time and stepped up when the 10-piece band, The Victorian Trout Conspiracy, were playing the Aberfeldy watering hole asking if he could join in with them.
That same weekend he went to other local pubs, including the Black Watch, where for a few minutes he played with his friend, Irish singer/songwriter Foy Vance.
The five-time BRIT Award winner said he spent a decade working on this latest album and completed it after a series of difficult events at the start of 2022.
VisitScotland has now emphasised the beauty of Aberfeldy and its surrounding areas as a whole new audience of potential visitors arises.
Caroline Warburton, VisitScotland destination development director, said: “The picturesque market town of Aberfeldy and surrounding countryside of Highland Perthshire has provided inspiration to artists for centuries, perhaps most famously to date Robert Burns’ poem ‘The Birks of Aberfeldy’.
“It is fantastic to see the song ‘The Hills of Aberfeldy’ the final track on international musician Ed Sheeran’s new album. Like Robert Burns, Ed Sheeran was inspired by the dramatic mountains and landscapes of the area when he visited the town.
“As well as artists and musicians, Aberfeldy welcomes visitors all year round offering something for everyone, spectacular scenery, outdoor activities, historic attractions and award-winning whisky and food and drink. We hope the song will introduce this part of Highland Perthshire to a new audience who will be inspired to come and ‘fall in love with The Hills of Aberfeldy’ themselves.”
VisitScotland listed a number of local tourist attractions in the region, including the likes of The Birks of Aberfeldy, Dewar’s Distillery and Aberfeldy Watermill.
The Birks Cinema, Thyme Bistro and Deli at Errichel, Highland Safaris and Red Deer Centre and The Scottish Crannog Centre also got a nod from the national tourist board.
