MANCHESTER — The Pineland Fiddlers, led by Maine master fiddler Ellen Gawler, are traveling to Scotland in July for the musical adventure of a lifetime. The heart of their trip will be 10 days in the Shetland Islands, famous for wool, sheepdogs and fiddling. Twelve hours by ferry north of the Scottish mainland, the Shetlands are nearly as close to the Arctic Circle as they are to Edinburgh, which means more daylight for fiddling and an intensive, experiential immersion into Shetland musical traditions.

Ages 6 to 18, the Pineland Fiddlers will attend the Shetland Folk Frenzy, a festival week of workshops, sessions, concerts and master classes. The talented young musicians are also booked for several concerts to share tunes from Maine and the Maritimes with traditional music fans across the ocean. After departing the islands, they will travel to Edinburgh to participate in the local music scene there.

The Pineland Fiddlers have already worked themselves into a frenzy of fundraising. They could be heard sharing tunes during the fall and winter throughout Central Maine or at dances in Bowdoinham and Hallowell.

Coming up this month is a concert at the Winthrop United Methodist Church at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 10; a St. Patrick’s Day appearance at Maine Craft Distilling in Portland from 11 to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 17; a dance, spaghetti supper and concert at the Vassalboro Grange at 6 p.m. Friday, March 29; and they’ll perform at the Pineland Suzuki School Benefit Concert on Sunday, March 24, at the Messalonskee Performing Arts Center.

For more information about the events, go to www.pinelandsuzuki.org/pinelandfiddlers or follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/PinelandSuzukiSchool.

The trip to Shetland fulfills a dream Ellen Gawler has had since she began teaching violin and fiddle lessons more than 30 years ago. As a young adult with a passion for fiddling, Gawler spent time in the Shetland Islands, collecting tunes and learning Shetland-style fiddling from Tommy Anderson. After apprenticing with Anderson to teach fiddle in the upper islands, Gawler was inspired to return to Maine, sharing local fiddle traditions with countless young students and passing this region’s musical heritage to the next generation, just as Anderson did in Shetland.

Other connections between the Pineland Fiddlers trip and Shetland’s most prominent fiddler: the Maine fiddlers will stay in the hostel where Anderson formed the Shetland Fiddlers’ Society and young fiddlers have been learning and performing Tommy Anderson tunes, including one of his best-known, Da Slockit Light.

As part of the Pineland Suzuki School, the Pineland Fiddlers first began studying classical violin by ear, as young as age 3. Now, as part of the Pineland Fiddlers, they are participating in the rich tradition of Maine fiddle music. To join the adventure, consider attending a concert, donating to their Go Fund Me Page (www.gofundme.com/fiddle-frenzy-or-bust), or following along on Facebook.

All concert proceeds and donations support traditional music, music education and these Maine kids, offering them the opportunity to broaden their horizons through music and travel. The Pineland Fiddlers will bring back stories and tunes, energy and inspiration to share with the community as they continue the legacy of teachers like Ellen Gawler and Tommy Anderson.

Pictured from left in front are Mary Philbrick, Silas Edwards and Victoria Hahn; middle row, Cora Welling, Allison Philbrick, Nori Edwards, Caleb Edwards and Amelie Hahn; back, Owen Kennedy, Beck Welling, Lily Scease-Drouin, Elijah Huttman, Camila Ciembroniewicz and Ellen Gawler. (Photo by Christina Kennedy)