Judith Linton

Judith Linton started playing the fiddle at the age of ten at the local primary school, having weekly lessons for the next two years.  Once at secondary school she continued with lessons and played in the school orchestra – not the fiddle though, for the first few years she favoured the trumpet.  After around five years of playing both instruments she decided to give up the trumpet in favour of the fiddle.  She was the only player in the school at that time to do all eight grades of the Associated Board examinations in less than five years, a great achievement for any young player.  After leaving school she spent three years at the International Cello Centre, studying music and playing in local orchestras and string quartets. Judith then spent around seven years teaching in schools as a peripatetic teacher on a part-time basis, with farm duties in between. Up to this point she didn’t play much Scottish Music, then in 1985 she met Muriel Johnstone, who had moved to the area.  She was duly introduced to the world of Scottish Dance music, and has had the bug ever since.

Judith won numerous fiddle competitions over the next few years and she was a finalist in the Glenfiddich Fiddle Championships in 1991. She has played with some of Scotland’s finest Dance Bands and has been on several recordings as well as TV and radio shows over the years.  She has travelled the world playing at St Andrew’s Balls for ex-pats in the last ten years.

Judith gave up farming in 2001 and is now a full-time musician.  She is the in-house reviewer for The Box and Fiddle Magazine and has a regular spot on BBC Radio Scotland’s “Take the Floor” with Robbie Shepherd playing and reviewing current recordings.