Event Management, Vol. 11, pp.

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TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH MUSIC EVENTS:

NATIVE SCOTS ATTENDANCE MOTIVATIONS

LEIGH-ANN MCMORLAND and DEIRDRE MACTAGGART

Aberdeen Business School, Aberdeen, AB10 7QG, UK

Events form a key element of any destinations tourism product. There is a growing recognition of this
sectors value and economic role, resulting in it becoming an industry in its own right. Investigating attendee
motivations therefore becomes an increasing priority for event organizers and tourism organizations generally. Event organizers can improve the various components of their events through the understanding of
attendees motivations. The last decade has witnessed an increase in literature focusing on visitor motivations when attending events. However, there have been very few studies into visitor motivations when attending cultural events, particularly within the context of Scotland. Traditional Scottish music events are a
fundamental part of Scotlands culture. This, coupled with the identification of cultural tourism as having
very good prospects as a niche market for Scotland (www.scotexchange.net), further highlights the need
for such a study. Thus, the aim of this study is to examine visitor motivations when attending traditional
Scottish music events. Initially, a focus group was held to probe and discuss attendance motivations and to
investigate views on the linkages between such events and the Scottish tourism industry. A questionnaire,
comprising 15 motivational items represented on a 7-point Likert scale, was then distributed to members of
two traditional Scottish music associations. The resulting data (based on a total sample of 110 respondents)
were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. A hierarchical cluster
analysis was carried out to identify groups of respondents with similar motivations when attending traditional Scottish music events. Key findings include a ranked list of visitor motivations and four discrete
groups resulting from the cluster analysis. These groups were identified and labeled according to their
dominant characteristics: Modernists, Family and Inspiration Seekers, Social Pleasure Seekers, and
Thrill Seekers. The article expands on these key results, focusing on a discussion of the dominant characteristics within each of the four cluster groups. The article also discusses respondents views on the linkages
between traditional Scottish music events and their role within the Scottish tourism product and cultural
tourism. The majority of respondents do believe there is an association between traditional Scottish music
events and Scottish tourism; however, debate emerges regarding the quality and range of events available to
visitors to Scotland. This exploratory study provides cultural music event organizers with a greater understanding of visitor motivations and characteristics within the context of Scotland by breaking the visitors
down into distinct motivational groups. This research adds to the body of literature in the area of visitor
motivations when attending events, specifically cultural and music events. This work also contributes to the
Address correspondence to Deirdre Mactaggart, Aberdeen Business School, Garthdee II, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7QG, UK. Tel:
01224 263010; Fax: 01224 263038; E-mail: d.mactaggart@rgu.ac.uk

57

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MCMORLAND AND MACTAGGART

body of research that has utilized cluster analysis as a segmentation tool. Further research will be recommended in relation to the cluster groups and the portfolio of events currently available as part of the Scottish
tourism product.
Key words: Tourism; Events; Attendance motivations; Cultural tourism; Community involvement; Cluster
analysis

Introduction
The last decade has witnessed an increase in literature on the motivations for attending events (Bowen &
Daniels, 2005; Chang, 2005; Crompton & McKay,
1997; Kim, Ursal, & Chen, 2002; Lee, Lee, & Wicks,
2004; Nicholson, & Pearce, 2001; Scott, 1996; Uysal,
Gahan, & Martin, 1993). However, few studies have
focused on motivations to attend cultural events and
minimal research has been undertaken within the context of Scotland. Therefore, this article aims to unearth
the motivations of traditional Scottish music event attendees and the relationship between culture and the
Scottish tourism industry. Previous event motivation
literature has highlighted the understanding of event
attendees motivations as vital to event organizers and
marketers (Cha, McCleary, & Uysal, 1995; Lee et al.,
2004; Lee, Lee, Bernhard, & Yoon, 2006). By conducting this exploratory study, traditional Scottish music
event hosts will gain a better insight into why people
attend their events. A cluster analysis was undertaken
on visitor motivations to identify if any discrete groups
exist. These clusters will be presented and discussed
focusing on the core motivations and differing profiles
of attendees.
Following discussion of findings within the context
of previous literature, the authors make recommendations, both in relation to the industry (e.g., the ability
of promoters being able to cater for attendees needs
through a greater understanding of their motivations)
and in relation to research, such as the need to further
investigate the generic motivation of enjoyment.
Literature Review
The Growth and Value of Events as an
Industry Sector
Since the inception of the events management literature with Getzs seminal text in 1991, academic interest in this area has grown significantly (Bowdin, Allen,
OToole, Harris, & McDonnell, 2006; Bowdin,

MacDonnell, Allen, & OToole, 1999; Crompton, 1995;

Dimmock & Ticye, 2001; Goldblatt, 1997; Shone, 2001;
Uysal et al., 1993; Watt, 2001). Dimmock and Ticye
(2001) put this increase in literature down to the rise
and growth in the number of festivals and events held
globally and the increasing recognition of their importance for the tourism sector (Gnoth & Anwar, 2000).
Practitioners across the globe have responded to the
growth in the events market by creating dedicated events
management bodies and developing specific strategies
for increasing events related tourism (Failte Ireland,
2007; Tourism Events Australia Steering Committee,
2004). In Scotland, where there is a long history of
events as part of a wider social and cultural tradition,
this has been realized through the creation of
EventScotland. This initiative was set up in 2003 by
VisitScotland and the Scottish Executive following the
development of Scotlands Major Event Strategy in
November 2002 (EventScotland, 2003).
A number of commentators have noted the economic
advantage of niche events (Bowdin et al., 1999; Brown
& James, 2004; Derrett, 2004; Getz, 1997; Gnoth &
Anwar, 2000; Shone, 2001). Many of these authors have
identified and discussed the wide range of potential
economic impacts that are associated with events. These
include both direct and indirect expenditure of event
attendees. As well as identifying the economic advantages, these authors have also identified the significance
events have for the development of the tourism industry of a region or country as a whole (Getz, 1997).
However events do not only benefit the visitors being drawn to the area. C. M. Hall (1992) suggests that
events may also assist in the development and maintenance of a community and regional identity, as highlighted by Derrett (2004), who states that, events and
festivals provide an opportunity for community cultural
development, which, like a sense of place, is nearly an
invisible phenomenon (p. 40). By hosting cultural
events a host community is publicizing their culture to
those external to the community and projecting a sense
of image and identity of their community.

NATIVE SCOTS ATTENDANCE MOTIVATIONS

Given these wide ranging positive impacts and the
inextricable links between events, tourism promotion,
government strategy, and corporate marketing (Bowdin
et al., 2006), it is highly likely that many destinations
will endeavor to strategically grow the role of events
tourism within their overall tourism product. Therefore,
the need to understand attendees as a whole, and, more
importantly, their individual complex motivations, will
become a growing priority.
Visitor Motivations
A range of authors have tackled the issue of tourist
motivation (Cooper, Fletcher, Gilbert, & Wanhill, 1993;
Crompton & McKay, 1997; Holloway, 1998; Kelly &
Nankervis, 2001). Many have set tourist motivation
within the wider context of the models and theories found
in the general motivational literature (Dann, 1981; IsoAhola, 1980; McIntosh & Goeldner, 1986, cited in Cooper et al., 1993). There has been some debate about the
applicability of the work of motivation theorists to tourism. While some authors have been critical of this approach, others have applied it positively (Crompton,
1997; Kelly & Nankervis, 2001). Crompton (1979) (cited
in Crompton & McKay 1997) identifies seven motives
that he contends explain tourist motivation. These are
novelty, socialization, prestige/status, rest and relaxation,
education value/intelligent enrichment, enhancing kinship and relations/family togetherness, and regression.
More recently, researchers considering tourist motivation have moved away from the conceptualization of
tourists as a homogeneous group towards the investigation of specific types of tourist, such as cultural tourists. The literature related to the notion of motivation
has also received an increasing degree of complexity
in its analysis with writers such as Kelly and Nankervis
(2001) and Smith (2003) arguing that visitor motivations are multifarious and multidimensional. These
writers make the point that although tourists are motivated to take part in certain activities, the activities that
they participate in should not lead to an automatic,
monodimensional categorization of their tourist type.
Instead, they argue that even though a tourist elects to
participate in a cultural activity, it does not necessarily
follow that they do not wish to visit a nightclub or lie
on the beach as part of their holiday. Similarly, it is
clear that travelers visiting local attractions while on a
business trip can be seen to demonstrate motivations
associated with leisure (Kelly & Nankervis, 2001).

59

This more sophisticated view of tourism motivation

has been applied successfully in the field of cultural
tourism. For example, Silberbergs (1995) study into
the degrees of motivations for cultural tourism among
residents and tourists identified a fourfold typology of
cultural tourists. His work uncovered cultural tourists
that were greatly motivated, those that were only partly
motivated, some with adjunct motivations, and a final
group who were accidentally motivated.
With the growth in the interest of researchers in the
field of event management, this notion of motivations
has also been revisited in the last decade with respect
to visitors to events and festivals. A number of commentators have called for a more sophisticated understanding of the motivations of festival and event goers
(Crompton & McKay, 1997; Getz, 1991). Insight into
the area of event motivation is crucial for ongoing event
success as it is the key to designing improved products
and services, it is closely linked to satisfaction, and it is
a crucial ingredient in understanding the visitors decision-making process (Crompton & McKay, 1997;
Dewar, Meyer, & Wen, 2001; Nicholson & Pearce,
2001). This challenge has been taken up by a range of
authors who have focused on investigating the motivations of event goers (Bowen & Daniels, 2005; Chang,
2005; Kim, Ursal, & Chen, 2002; Lee et al., 2004; Mohr,
Backman, Gahan, & Backman, 1993; Nicholson &
Pearce, 2001; Scott, 1996; Uysal, Gahan, & Martin,
1993).
The key authors that have focused on event motivation are outlined in Table 1. Of particular interest is the
increased use of motivational segmentation by means
of cluster analysis by the most recently cited authors
(Bowen & Daniels, 2005; Chang, 2005; Lee et al.,
2004). Lee et al. (2004) identified four clusters (culture and family seekers, multipurpose seekers, escape
seekers, and event seekers) through the use of festival
motivation, nationality, and satisfaction of event goers
to the 2000 Kyongju World Culture Expo in South
Korea. Chang (2005) conducted a cluster analysis using motivations and demographics of attendees to the
Aboriginal Festival in Wu-tai, Taiwan. This resulted in
three clusters being identified: Aboriginal cultural learners, change routine life travelers, and active culture
explorers. Bowen and Daniels (2005) cluster analysis
used three sets of motivationsdiscovery, music, and
enjoymentto identify festival motivations of attendees to the 2004 Celebrate Fairfax Music Festival in Virginia in the US. Their research identified four clusters:

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MCMORLAND AND MACTAGGART

Table 1
Event Attendee Motivation Research
Researcher and Date

Type of Research

Event Name and Site

Uysal et al. (1993)

Mohr et al. (1993)
Scott (1996)

Event motivationcase study

Event motivation and event satisfactioncase study
Comparison of visitors motivations to attend 3 urban festivals

Crompton and McKay (1997)

Nicholson and Pearce (2001)
Kim et al. (2002)
Lee et al. (2004)

Motives and visitors attending festival events

Comparative analysis of visitor motivations
Festival visitor motivations from the organizers point of view
Segmentation of festival motivation by nationality and
satisfactionuse of cluster analysis
Segmentation of festival motivations and demographicsuse
of cluster analysis
Segmentation of festival motivationsuse of cluster analysis

Corn Festival, South Carolina, USA

Balloon Festival, South Carolina, USA
Bug Fest, Holiday Lights Festival, and Maple
Sugaring Festival, Ohio, USA
Fiesta in San Antonio, Texas, USA
Four South Island Events, New Zealand
Commonwealth of Virginia
The 2000 Kyongju World Culture Expo, Kyongju,
South Korea
Aboriginal Festival Wu-tai, Taiwan

Chang (2005)
Bowen and Daniels (2005)

just being social, enrichment over music, the music

matters, and love it all. The diversity in cluster solutions may relate to the nature of events chosen by each
author. What is clear is the insight gained into different
types of attendees and their motivations by means of
cluster analysis.
As highlighted earlier, Scotland has taken a strategic
approach to the growth and management of events
within the context of the tourism product. Given
Scotlands unique history and heritage, the authors have
chosen to close the review of literature with an overview of cultural tourism within Scotland, focusing specifically on the possible role of music, namely traditional Scottish music events.
Cultural Tourism in Scotland:
The Role of Traditional Music
Smith (2003) observes that the majority of governments view cultural tourism positively as it implies an
interest in the countrys people, their heritage and traditions, as well as the natural and manmade resources.
Cultural tourism is a great asset to a destination such as
Scotland. Not only is cultural appeal a central fact of
its attractiveness as a tourist destination, but cultural
tourism is seen as an acceptable form of tourism that
benefits both tourists and the local community. In fact,
in Scotland, culture has been identified as a niche market with very good prospects for the future
(VisitScotland, 2006). The Scottish Parliament has initiated a number of strategies and programs to help improve and promote Scotlands culture. An example of

2004 Celebrate Fairfax Music Festival,

Virginia, USA

this is the Cultural Steering Groups Cultural Tourism

Strategy and Action Plan, whose aim is to help provide
more evidence of good practice examples of cultural
tourism in Scotland (Scottish Executive, 2002). Policy
initiatives of this type are crucial to the recognition,
control, and promotion of the culture in Scotland.
The term, cultural tourism, however, is broad and
wide-ranging, with several authors investigating the
concept and possible categorization within it (AliKnight & Robertson, 2004; McKercher & du Cros,
2002; Smith, 2003). McKercher and du Cros (2002)
divide cultural tourism into four elements: tourism, use
of heritage assets, consumption of experiences and
products, and the tourist. Whereas Smith (2003) states
that cultural tourism is a broad concept that is in need
of differentiation. She argues that related terms such as
heritage tourism and arts tourism could become niche
components within the diverse sector of cultural tourism.
Again, the concept of arts tourism or arts culture is
broad and it is important for a destination to realize
that there are different components to the arts culture
of any country. They can include opera, dance, fine art,
theater, and music. The majority of countries that are
steeped in culture do have the advantage of a rich arts
industry and Scotland is certainly no exception to this.
The country has, to a degree, recognized the role of
cultural tourism, the arts, and music in the overall tourism product. In addition to the Cultural Tourism Strategy highlighted earlier, there is also the Scottish Arts
Council (SAC), and a number of organizations that are
dedicated to traditional Scottish music, including

NATIVE SCOTS ATTENDANCE MOTIVATIONS

Hands up for Trad, The Traditional Music and Song
Association of Scotland, and ScotlandinTune.com.
Traditional Scottish music is a valuable component
of Scotlands arts culture and has many strands, including, for example, Gaelic and Scots song, folk music,
Scottish dance music, piping, folk festivals, and ceilidh
dances. However, despite this presence and diversity,
traditional Scottish music is less well established in
terms of infrastructure when compared to other types
of music. This has been highlighted by SAC and Visit
Scotland in their Music Strategy 20022007 (Scottish Arts Council, 2002) initiative and is something they
are intending to rectify. The strategy aims to build a
stronger, professional infrastructure by developing a
core of promoters and producers who can successfully
put together tours, projects, festivals, and concert series. It goes on to mention the intention to give more
thought to the needs of professional musicians and to
give the public recognition of the Scottish music industry. A number of initiatives have been created to
help address and fulfill the aims of the strategy (Table
2). They include initiatives to support more training for
professionals to tutor musicians as well as a more substantial touring program in order to increase exposure.
These recent developments in the industry provide
rationale for the authors focus on traditional Scottish
music events. This article aims to unearth the motivations of traditional Scottish music event attendees, as
well as investigating the relationship between culture
and the Scottish tourism product.
Methodology
The methodology of this study consisted of several
stages: desk research, an exploratory focus group, self-

61

completion questionnaires (both e-mail and paper

based), and data analysis complemented by a cluster
analysis based on motivations.
From previous literature it was evident research had
been carried out in the area of events; however, no particular studies had been undertaken on traditional Scottish music events. Therefore, a focus group was held to
gain an insight into attendees at these events with the main
aim being to unearth the motivations of people that attend
traditional Scottish music events. A focus group was the
preferred choice at this stage over the use of individual indepth interviews as it would allow participants with a common interest in the subject to engage with one another to
share their experience of events. The advantage of the
focus group is that individual opinions and attitudes are
expressed in a non-threatening situation and tested against
those of others in the group around a clear focus (I. Hall
& Hall, 2004, p. 121). The focus group comprised seven
native event goers. The transcripts from the focus group
were analyzed and the resulting themes and key issues
directly informed the questionnaire, both design and specific questions. The self-completion questionnaire consisted of 16 open and closed ended questions. A number
of rating questions were used using a Likert scale of 1 to 7
(1 = not at all important, 7 = extremely important), thus
allowing the mean ratings of each question to be calculated, crucial for the cluster analysis, as it allows the clusters to be determined by their motivational mean ratings.
Once the questionnaire design was complete it was piloted on ten individuals, to identify any initial weaknesses.
Several minor problems with wording and instructions
were rectified before the questionnaire was sent out to the
research sample.
The genre of the research was specific only to a certain target audience (i.e., people who attend traditional

Table 2
Current Development Initiatives in Traditional Scottish Music Industry
Development Initiative
Tune Up
Distil
Showcase Scotland
Traditional Music Tutor
Training Network
(TMTTN)

Description of Initiative
This annual touring program helps a dozen bands of different musical style (including traditional) to tour to audiences in
parts of Scotland they could otherwise not afford to reach.
A music laboratory that allows traditional musicians to develop their skills with top composers in a residential setting.
A weekend event at the Celtic Connections festival where the best of Scotlands talent is showcased to promoters from
around the world, resulting in more bookings for Scottish artists.
A development of a national database of traditional musicians that organizes training for tutors. Most recently an SQA
(Scottish Qualifications Authority) Certificate of Music Tuition has been validated to allow tutors to undertake training
in teaching.

Source: Scottish Arts Council Music Briefing 2002/2005 and Traditional Arts Briefing 2004/2005 (no longer available from their website).

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MCMORLAND AND MACTAGGART

Scottish music events). It is recognized that this target

audience can comprise visitors and natives. However,
it was decided to target the latter, traditional Scottish
groups or associations, as their members would have a
genuine interest in this subject and be highly likely to
have appropriate event attendance experience. The Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland
(TMSA) were chosen and contacted. This association,
established in 1966, focuses on promoting and preserving Scotlands traditional music and song heritage. Its
national office is based in Edinburgh and it has 10 regional branches across the country. It was agreed that
the questionnaire would be sent to the 175 members on
their e-mail database. They were given a deadline of a
week to complete and return it to the researcher.
Malhorta and Birks (1999) advocate e-mail as a speedy
way of administering a survey, as well as collecting
and analyzing the data. The increase in people with email access at home and work also makes this an attractive option. However a low response rate (n = 25)
from TMSA members led to the targeting of members
of Scottish Culture and Tradition (SCAT), a traditional
Scottish music association based in the northeast of
Scotland. The members were targeted over two evenings, when they held a number of their group sessions.
A total of 85 responses were received, which, when
combined with the TMSA responses, provided a sufficient amount of questionnaires for the analysis of results to take place.
The data analysis of results and the content analysis
were carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software package. The next stage
was a hierarchical cluster analysis. Several authors advocate the use of cluster analysis as a methodological
tool (Aguil Prez & Rossell Nadal, 2005; Fredline
& Faulkner, 2000; Meidan & Lee, 1983; Oppenheim,
1992; Saunders, 1980), highlighting the opportunity to
isolate different groups within the sample, the ability
to provide explicit evidence that respondents and opinions are not homogeneous, and a more accurate sample
reflection as key benefits of this approach. While these
authors advocate the use of cluster analysis, some balance this by leveling criticism at the technique (Aguil
Prez & Rossell Nadal,2005; Fredline & Faulkner,
2000), referring to the evidence that suggests those variables which truly discriminate among underlying
groups are not always well represented in many cluster
solutions, and the fact that the selection of cluster groupings is ultimately based on the respondents own knowl-

edge and experience. Professional relevance of the cluster analysis approach is evident in that the ability to
identify coherent groupings provides more realistic and
focused results, allowing marketers to adopt a more
targeted approach (Cha, McCleary, & Uysal, 1995;
Fredline & Faulkner, 2000; Lee et al., 2006).
A hierarchical cluster analysis was undertaken on the
15 motivational items (represented on a 7-point Likert
scale (1 = not at all important, 7 = extremely important),
using the Wards method of agglomeration and Squared
Euclidean Distances. This method is initially chosen to
produce a dendrogram from which the number of clusters present could be determined. Analysis of the dendrogram indicated that two-, four-, and five-cluster solutions could be used to interpret the results. The
five-cluster solution was chosen for further analysis due
to there being a better representative spread from the
five clusters. A one-way analysis of variance was undertaken and showed significant differences (p 0.001)
to exist between all five groups with regard to the 15
motivational statements, apart from Enjoyment, as
every group rated this highly as a motivation. Crosstabulations were then run between the five cluster
groups to gain a better insight of the cluster groups
characteristics. After further analysis, it was decided
the fifth cluster group was irrelevant for discussion in
this study due to the very poor response to the motivational questions that the cluster analysis was based upon.
This cluster only represented 5% of respondents and
only chose enjoyment as their main motivation for attending Traditional Scottish Music Events. Thus, the
cluster group was not informative and therefore all subsequent discussion is based on a four cluster solution.
Results
This particular section focuses purely on the results
of the research, followed by a section discussing the
results in relation to previous literature. The results from
the focus group are not included in the results section
as the purpose of the focus group was to inform the
design and specific questions in the questionnaire. The
details of which, were outlined in the methodology.
Therefore, this section will only focus on the key results from the questionnaire.
Response Rate and Respondent Demographics
The e-mail questionnaire to TMSA members provided
a low response rate of 25 (14%). SCAT provided a fur-

NATIVE SCOTS ATTENDANCE MOTIVATIONS

Table 3
Age Groups of Respondents

63

Table 4
Mean Levels of Motivations for Attending Traditional
Scottish Music Events

Age Group

No. of Respondents

% of Total Respondents

1619
2029
3039
4049
5059
60 or over

2
4
18
33
37
15

1.8%
3.7%
16.5%
30.3%
33.9%
13.8%

Motivation

ther 85 questionnaires, which brought the total to 110.

Respondents consisted of 44 males (40%) and 65 females (60%), with the majority of respondents (64%) in
the age groups 4049 and 5059, as detailed in Table 3.

Enjoyment
Entertainment
Social interaction
Support Scottish music
Relaxation
Kinshipto be with like-minded people
Self-fulfillment
Excitement
Inspiration
Educational experience
See new bands
Escapism
Family togetherness
Nostalgia/reminisce
Support a family member

Mean
6.6
5.6
5.5
5.0
5.0
4.8
4.6
4.1
4.0
4.0
3.8
3.5
2.4
2.3
2.0

Motivations for Attending Traditional Scottish

Music Events
Respondents were asked to rate their motivations for
attending Traditional Scottish Music Events on a Likert
Scale of 1 to 7, where 1 = not at all important, 4 = important, and 7 = extremely important. A means test was
carried out to discover the most important motivations
for attending events. These, along with the 15 motivations used, are outlined in Table 4. The most important
motivation for attending traditional Scottish music
events was enjoyment with a mean of 6.6. To support a family member and family togetherness were
rated very low along with nostalgia/reminisce.
Cluster Analysis
The Cluster Analysis was carried out to discover the
underlying motivations of respondents. Cross tabulations were also run to find out core characteristics and
opinions of each of the cluster groups. These results
are presented in Table 5. As shown, four cluster groups
were identified and labeled according to their dominant motivations and characteristics.
The Modernist group represents the largest percentage of the sample (38%). The groups title emerges
from their motivations of entertainment and the desire
to seek and hear new bands when attending traditional
Scottish music events. They are the youngest of all clusters, with 24% of the cluster between 20 and 40 years
of age. Eighty percent of the cluster believed they were
experiencing the genuine culture of Scotland when attending these events. The second cluster, the Family

and Inspiration Seekers, was the most motivated cluster group, demonstrated by the fact they had the highest rating mean for many of the motivations. Their main
motivations were family togetherness, to support a family member, and inspiration. The overall means of these
three motivations were low for the sample; however,
this group rated these motivations highly. Family and
Inspiration Seekers had the biggest gender difference,
with 67% of the cluster represented by females and 33%
represented by males. The third cluster is entitled Social Pleasure Seekers. The most important motivations
for this cluster were enjoyment, social interaction, and
entertainment. All respondents within this cluster were
over the age of 30, and the majority believed that traditional Scottish music events are part of the Scottish tourism product. Sixty-nine percentof the cluster also believed they were experiencing the genuine culture of
Scotland at these events. The final cluster, Thrill Seekers, were greatly motivated by excitement and thrill,
as well as self-fulfillment. They are the most mature
cluster, with 88% of the cluster group over 40 years of
age. This cluster had the most respondents who believed
they were not experiencing the genuine culture of Scotland at traditional Scottish music events.
The Link of Traditional Scottish Music Events to
Scottish Tourism
A frequency test was run to discover what percentage of the sample thought traditional Scottish music

64

MCMORLAND AND MACTAGGART

Table 5
Cluster Analysis Based on Attendees Motivations
Cluster Group Name

Most Important Motivations

Characteristics

1. Modernists: 41 (38%)

Entertainment (6.20); To see new bands (5.07)

The youngest of all clusters with 24% of cluster between 20 and 40

years of age; 12% did not see Traditional Scottish Music Events as
part of Scottish Tourism Product; 80% believed they were
experiencing the genuine culture of Scotland at Traditional Scottish
Music Events

2. Family and Inspiration

seekers: 21 (19%)

Family togetherness (4.95); To support a

family member (5.81); Inspiration (6.00)

Biggest difference between genders67% female, 33% male; Highest

motivated grouphad highest rating mean for most motivations

3. Social pleasure seekers:

19 (17%)

Enjoyment (6.53); Social interaction (5.11);

Entertainment (5.16)

The whole cluster is over the age of 30; 69% believed they were
experiencing the genuine culture of Scotland at Traditional Scottish
Music Events; 18 of the 19 respondents in this group believed
Traditional Scottish Music Events to be part of the Scottish
tourism product

4. Thrill seekers: 23 (21%)

Self-fulfillment (5.39); Excitement/thrill

(5.39)

88% of cluster over 40 years of age; Had the most respondents who
thought they were not experiencing genuine culture at Traditional
Scottish Music Events

events are part of the tourism product of Scotland.

Eighty-nine percent thought there was an association
between traditional Scottish music events and Scottish
Tourism and 11% did not believe there to be a link between the two. When asked to expand on this question,
a number of key issues emerged, which are summarized in Table 6.
The Link of Traditional Scottish Music Events to
Scottish Culture
A frequency test revealed 74% of respondents believed they were experiencing the genuine culture of
Scotland at events, while 11% believed they were not.
The majority of those that did not respond (15% of the
sample) felt they could not answer yes or no as they
did not know what was meant by the genuine culture
of Scotland. Respondents were asked to develop their
answer to this question. There were varying arguments
in relation to the genuine culture of Scotland. This ques-

tion raised many issues for debate, including the actual

meaning of genuine culture.
Discussion of Results
By examining the motivations and opinions of traditional music event attendees, this research article
aims to investigate two issues: Why people attend traditional Scottish music events, and the link between
traditional Scottish music events and Scottish Tourism and Culture.
Motivations of Traditional Scottish Music Event
Attendees
From this study it was found that Enjoyment was
the main motivation for attending traditional Scottish
music events, with a mean score of 6.6. This suggests
these events are something attendees want to experience
to gain a sense of joy. It is a motivation that originated

Table 6
Expanded Response Themes on the Scottish Tourism Product
Emerging Key Themes
Traditional Scottish
Music as a part of the
Scottish tourism
product

Traditional Scottish Music Events will benefit Scottish tourism if utilized properly
People already come from far and wide for Traditional Scottish Music festivals and events
A feeling of resentment towards what is currently on offer; one respondent referred to it as Tartan Trash
There is a need for better promotion of Traditional Scottish Music Events to tourists
Traditional Scottish Music is associated with Scotlands culture so should therefore be on offer to tourists

Frequency
4
5
11
5
6

NATIVE SCOTS ATTENDANCE MOTIVATIONS

from the primary research focus group, where there was
a unanimous agreement for it as a motivation. This demonstrates a relationship between the viewpoints of the
focus group participants and the questionnaire respondents. Interestingly it has been used in previous literature, but used in the sense of enjoying a specific element
of an event: for example, because I enjoy arts and crafts
used by Uysal et al. (1993). Previous studies by Mohr et
al. (1993), Scott (1996), Nicholson and Pearce (2001),
and Bowen and Daniels (2005) have also included specific motivations as to what attendees enjoy. This particular study does not indicate what respondents enjoy
at traditional Scottish music events, whether it is music
or dance. It is recommended that if a similar study were
to be carried out the motivation Enjoyment should be
more detailed. Family Togetherness was a motivation
that was rated low in this particular study, breaking a
trend from previous literature. Previous studies by Uysal
et al. (1993), Scott (1996), and Lee et al. (2004) had
high Family Togetherness ratings. It may also be low
because of the age of this particular sample. Half of respondents are between 40 and 60 years of age and therefore may have older, independent children who may
choose not to attend such events. Another factor may be
that traditional Scottish music events are events they go
to with friends instead of family. If a similar study were
to be carried out again, it would be beneficial to discover
who attendees attend with, whether it is their family or
friends. The motivation to support Scottish music rated
highly with a mean of 5.2. This in an interesting result as
it suggests people attending traditional Scottish music
events are supportive of the industry and want to see it
succeed. Traditional Scottish music is gaining increased
support through initiatives such as the Scottish
Executives Scotlands National Cultural Strategy. Similarly the Cultural Commission highlights the significance
of the industry as part of their remit. The support of the
industry by the Scottish Executive is also evidenced
through their role as the primary benefactor for the Scottish Arts Council, a key player in initiating support programs for the traditional Scottish music industry (Table
2). From this study, it can be suggested that the traditional Scottish music events industry has strong backing
for the future. However, the potential of a biased sample
means this result should be treated with caution, as it is
an industry this particular sample is heavily involved in
and would instinctively wish to support.
The cluster analysis revealed four discrete cluster
groups Modernists, Family and Inspiration Seekers, So-

65

cial Pleasure Seekers, and Thrill Seekers (Table 5). Each

cluster has their own motivations and characteristics
and participates in traditional Scottish music events for
different reasons. This result proves that not all attendees are identical and raises the question of as to how
insightful studies which treat attendees as one homogeneous group are for theorists or practitioners. The
groups uncovered in this study can be linked to
Silberbergs (1995) research into the degrees of motivations for cultural tourism. The Family and Inspiration Seekers cluster has parallels with his Greatly
Motivated type as they had the highest rating mean
for most of the motivations. This cluster also has similarities with Lee et al.s (2004) Multi-purpose Seekers that had high mean scores across all motivations,
with the exception of Family Togetherness, as well as
Bowen and Daniels (2005) Love it All cluster, which
ranked the highest on each of the motivation groups,
music, enjoyment, and discovery. This result proves
interesting, as there is evidence to suggest that, no matter the type of event, there are those that have multiple
needs. The Social Pleasure Seekers from this research
can be linked to Lee et al.s (2004) Event Seekers as
both groups indicated a need for social interaction when
attending events. The Social Pleasure Seekers demonstrated a need for enjoyment, social interaction, and entertainment and the Event Seekers rated socialization
and the event itself as the highest on their agenda. Bowen
and Daniels (2005) Enrichment over Music cluster
can also be related to these two groups. They rated the
discovery dimensions of the study highly. This was inclusive of the motivation to be with people from the community. Clearly this suggests a need for social interaction with people, in the context of those from the
community where the festival is held. While family togetherness as a motivation was rated low by the total
study sample, the Family and Inspiration Seekers discrete cluster demonstrated a strong desire for family
togetherness, a motivation also displayed by Lee et al.s
(2004) Culture and Family Seekers. Bowen and
Daniels (2005) Just Being Social and Love it All
clusters also show signs of the need to spend time with
family at events as they both rated the enjoyment motivations (including spending time with friends and family) highly. As previously mentioned, past event motivation research has had high Family Togetherness ratings
(Scott, 1996; Uysal et al., 1993). Through the use of cluster analysis, researchers can further identify the types of
attendees that rate family togetherness highly.

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MCMORLAND AND MACTAGGART

Those respondents within Bowen and Daniels (2005)

The Music Matters cluster were highly motivated by
the studys specific music motivations, to listen to live
music and this years musical artists have a special
appeal to me. This group can be compared to this
studys Modernists cluster, who expressed a desire
to see new bands when attending traditional Scottish
music events. Both clusters are clearly influenced by
the actual artists that perform at music events, a result
that is significant to organizers of this type of event.
As highlighted within the methodology (Cha,
McCleary, & Uysal, 1995; Fredline & Faulkner, 2000,
Lee et al., 2006), traditional Scottish music event organizers and marketers can learn from findings like these
as they give them a better insight into attendees core
motivations and their differing profiles. This has the
potential to allow an event organizer or marketer to
adapt their event accordingly, and satisfy and attract
more attendees.
Traditional Scottish Music Events and the Link to
Scottish Tourism and Culture
The majority of respondents (89%) thought there was
an association between traditional Scottish music events
and Scottish tourism. This suggests that they see traditional Scottish music as a vital part of the Scottish tourism industry. As with Smith (2003), who observes arts
as a subsector to cultural tourism, there is a clear correlation between the two in the mind of respondents.
When respondents were asked to expand further on this
question, a number of issues materialized. Among these
was the discontent towards what is currently on offer
to tourists. Phrases such as Tartan Kitsch, Pseudo
Material, and Shortbread Tin Music were mentioned.
Among current Scottish attendees at traditional Scottish music events there is, therefore, a negative perception of the offering to tourists. Respondents placed the
blame upon those who market Scotland and traditional
Scottish music events.
Despite this perception by respondents, improvements are being made by the Scottish Arts Council and
VisitScotland through the aforementioned initiatives.
Associations such as the TMSA and Hands Up for Trad
are also working towards improvements that will have
a direct impact on the tourism industry. As previously
highlighted, the TMSA aims to promote Scotlands
music and song heritage and achieves this through running festivals, ceilidhs, concerts, workshops, tours, and

competitions. Examples of previous initiatives include

the Young Champions Tour (1990s) and The Working
Yeartape of songs. Hands Up for Trad is an organization which focuses on raising the profile and awareness of Scottish traditional music, and key ongoing initiatives include the BBC Radio Scotland Young
Traditional Musician Awards, the Scots Trad Music
Awards, and the St Andrews Celebrations. The actual
results from such initiatives have yet to be seen. Therefore, a future study into their outcome is vital for the
industry.
One respondent stated traditional Scottish music
events are associated with Scotlands culture and should
therefore be on offer to tourists. If traditional Scottish
music events are part of Scotlands culture, are attendees experiencing the genuine culture when attending
these events? Respondents were asked this as part of
the questionnaire; 74% believed they were, 11% believed they were not, and 15% did not respond. These
results show that the majority believe they are experiencing the genuine culture of Scotland at these events.
This is significant for the industry, particularly bearing
in mind the fact that the sample is native Scots. However, those that did not respond could not answer the
question as they did not know what was meant by the
genuine culture of Scotland. This stems back to the
previous argument by, among others, McKercher and
du Cros (2002) and Smith (2003), over the meaning of
culture and cultural tourism. There is no consensus of
opinion over the meaning of the terms and therefore
people have difficulty in agreeing on what can be called
the genuine culture of Scotland. As an exploratory study
it was interesting to discover the reaction of respondents to issues such as genuine culture; however, if further studies were to be carried out, this term will have
to be used with caution.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Prior to any conclusions and recommendations being made, it is important to recognize that this research
was an exploratory study. Therefore, it only gives an
initial insight into the traditional Scottish music events
industry and its attendees. Although exploratory in nature, the research does highlight several issues for the
focus of further research, and recommendations the
industry must consider. This article set out to examine
the motivations of traditional Scottish music event attendees and the relationship cultural events have with

NATIVE SCOTS ATTENDANCE MOTIVATIONS

the Scottish Tourism industry. It must be considered
that the results from this article represent a small sample
of traditional Scottish music event attendees with a bias
towards native Scots attendees. Therefore, the results
can only be regarded as possible indicators.
By identifying traditional Scottish music event
attendees motivations, those involved in organizing and
managing these events will gain a competitive edge. It
is vital for those who manage these events to recognize
the needs and satisfactions of attendees, as this will help
with the marketing strategies within the industry. The
most important motivation for attending traditional
Scottish music events was Enjoyment. It was evident
that those who attend traditional Scottish music events
are highly motivated to attend to Support Scottish
Music. In previous event motivation literature family
motivations such as Family Togetherness were rated
highly. However, in this study attendees to traditional
Scottish music events rated them low. The cluster analysis for this study identified four cluster groups (Modernists, Family and Inspiration Seekers, Social Pleasure Seekers, and Thrill Seekers). By segmenting the
sample into clusters, the core underlying motives and
individual characteristics for each cluster can help suggest the different types of attendees to traditional Scottish music events. If promoters of traditional Scottish
music events know the profiles of their attendees
through the use of a cluster analysis they can provide
and improve their events to cater for their needs. This
methodological approach is invaluable as planners can
market to a number of smaller discrete groups, rather
than treating the marketplace as one undifferentiated,
generic group. For example if organizers know the attendees come to their type of event to socially interact,
they can provide for this. Examples include having
breaks between a band playing, spaces for people to
network, and the chance to meet the performers or an
opportunity to join traditional Scottish music clubs.
The majority of respondents (89%) thought there was
an association between traditional Scottish music events
and the Scottish tourism product. However, what is on
offer to current tourists was disputed by a number of
the respondents. 74% of the sample felt that they experience the genuine culture of Scotland when attending
these events, which is noteworthy for the industry. There
was confusion among respondents as to what was meant
by the notion of genuine culture. As an exploratory
study it was interesting to discover the reaction of respondents to this issue. Respondents indicated a range

67

of events they considered to be authentic, from renowned events such as Celtic Connections, to local festivals and concerts. It is vital for organizations such as
the Scottish Arts Council, VisitScotland, and TMSA to
recognize the events that the native people of Scotland consider to be authentic. If organizations recognize this they can market the right events to tourists
who are looking for the authentic experience (an experience the cultural tourist is currently seeking).
Despite the improvements that are being made by
VisitScotland and the Scottish Arts Council, it is still
important for them to consider the views of those who
attend these events frequently. A suggestion would be
for organizations such as The Traditional Song and
Music Association of Scotland to produce a guide of
traditional Scottish music events.
A valuable extension to this study might be to carry
out a similar analysis, using cluster analysis of traditional music event attendees, but extending the geographical sample to reflect several communities across
Scotland. In terms of more specific research recommendations, from previous research it was evident that
Enjoyment is referred to as a specific element of an
event. Further research should be more explicit in determining whether attendees are motivated for example
to enjoy the music or to enjoy the dancing.
A suggestion for the result of low family motivations in this study was the higher average age of respondents. A suggestion for future research would be
to gain a comparative analysis between who attendees
attend events with, whether it is friends, family or with
a partner. The authors acknowledge that event experience authenticity has only been mentioned briefly on
within this article, and would therefore recommend
more in-depth research within this area in the future.
Lastly, in future research, the term genuine culture
must be used with caution, as this study proved respondents find the term difficult to determine.
This exploratory study has given an insight into the
motivations of traditional Scottish music event attendees and the links between culture and the Scottish tourism industry. Further research would benefit the industry enormously. Scotland as a nation has realized the
benefits of the events industry through initiatives such
as the formation of EventScotland. They have recognized the advantages of utilizing its cultural assets for
purposes of tourism at home and abroad, as traditional
Scottish music is a vital part of the culture of the country. As one respondent put it, If properly presented

68

MCMORLAND AND MACTAGGART

these events can provide an insight into the history and

tradition as well as the music of Scotland and thus enhance the visitors experience of what Scotland can offer
of its own.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank both reviewers for their comments
on the paper at its various stages of development. The
authors also wish to thank Dr Seonaidh McDonald,
Senior Lecturer at The Robert Gordon University, for
her direction and constructive contributions.
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