Aly Bain has been getting ready to receive the prestigious Edinburgh Award.
Impressions of Aly’s famous hands have been cast in clay, pictured, by Leigh Bradley of the Colin Braid Stone Workshop, ready to be carved into stone.
The handprints will be gilded and laid outside the City Chambers next to the prints of previous Edinburgh Award recipients including Doddie Weir, Ann Budge, Sir Chris Hoy, Elizabeth Blackadder and Sir Geoff Palmer.
As Aly Bain celebrates his 80th birthday this year, his contribution to Scottish culture and music remains unparalleled. Widely recognised as a Scottish icon, he has proudly called Edinburgh home since his early twenties, establishing the city as the base for an outstanding international career. His deep connection to Scotland has been reflected throughout his life and work, including performances at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and at the funeral of Scotland’s First Minister, Donald Dewar, in 2000.
In his early years he performed with The Humblebums which included two then-emerging talents, Gerry Rafferty and Billy Connolly. He later became a founding member of the influential folk group Boys of the Lough, touring extensively across the world and recording more than 20 albums.
Alongside these achievements, he developed a distinguished solo career through collaborations, recordings, and acclaimed television projects including the creation of the internationally renowned Transatlantic Sessions.
Aly’s name will be inscribed onto the Edinburgh Award honour panel in the City Chambers and he will be presented with an engraved Loving Cup by the Lord Provost at a ceremony later this year.