Born and raised in a Doric speaking home in Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire, Ellie Beaton incorporates this distinctive dialect into her music. She’s committed to using song as a way to celebrate and preserve the Scots language and North-East traditions.

Ellie studied Classical Vocal Studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), graduating in 2024. Earlier, she attended Aberdeen City Music School, maintaining her strong connection to traditional song even during formal training. More recently, Ellie was crowned winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2025.

At this year’s ERP, Ellie will perform for the full delegation, bringing the European Youth Rural Parliament to a close at Thainstone Agricultural Mart on 21 October. Her set will feature traditional Scottish folk songs that celebrate the rich heritage of the North East, the place she calls home. As part of the welcoming celebration on 20 October, Ellie will also lead a creative session on Bothy Ballads and Doric storytelling.

We’re delighted to be welcoming The Haggis Chasers to the European Rural Parliament, as they bring an authentic slice of Scottish culture to delegates, with a ceilidh at Inverurie Academy.

The Haggis Chasers are one of Scotland’s most dynamic ceilidh bands, renowned for their driving tunes, infectious energy, and ability to fill any dance floor. Rooted in the rich traditions of Scottish music, the band blends fiddles, accordion, keyboards, and rhythm to create a vibrant, contemporary ceilidh sound that appeals to seasoned dancers and first-timers alike.

The band has performed at many of Aberdeenshire’s most iconic venues and events, from Aberdeen’s Music Hall and The Chester Hotel to the buzzing atmosphere of Banchory Beer Festival and Thainstone Mart in Inverurie. Their music celebrates the joy of coming together, honouring the traditions of Scotland while keeping the ceilidh alive, fresh, and unforgettable for today’s audiences.

Dr Jo Collinson Scott (stage name ‘Jo Mango’) will lead two creative workshops at the ERP, entitled ‘Living Together – Song making as a Platform for Rural Resilience and Cohesion’. In these sessions, delegates will collaborate to generate a song, drawing on Jo’s expertise in using songwriting to spark meaningful dialogue around pressing rural societal issues such as environmental sustainability and climate issues, community cohesion, health and wellbeing. Absolutely no expertise or musical knowledge is required to attend or be involved in these sessions and there will be no pressure to sing/perform if participants don’t want to, as musicians will be on hand to do that for you.

A distinguished musicologist, multi-instrumentalist ,singer-songwriter, and academic based in Scotland, Jo earned her AHRC-funded PhD in Musicology from the University of Glasgow, where she developed innovative methods of creative music analysis. Alongside her international career as a performer and recording artist, her academic research explores the intersections of practice-led inquiry and social impact. She will be accompanied by one of Scotland’s finest performers and songwriters Louis Abbott (Admiral Fallow, Siobhan Miller band, Kris Drever band) and Scottish harpist and songwriter Maya MacAdam (Maya’s Radio Orchestra and The Willow Trio clarsach group).