SCOTLAND’S biggest roots and traditional music event, Celtic Connections, has felt the effects of the Brexit vote, with the weak pound leading the cancellation of planned US acts for the festival.

Donald Shaw, the artistic director of the popular annual festival, which will run from January 19 to February 5 next year, said the post-referendum slide in the value of the pound meant bringing US musicians across the Atlantic had become prohibitively expensive – and several shows he had planned will not now go ahead.

READ MORE: Women, Canada, and musical struggle to be celebrated at Celtic Connections 2017

Mr Shaw, whose festival next year features a focus on women artists including an opening concert by Laura Marling, said: “It affects us primarily from a budget point of view, because Celtic Connections runs on a tight budget anyway.

“The reality is that this time last year, we were booking flights from Nashville and they were £600, and the same flights are now £900, because of the sterling crash against the dollar.

“It’s had an impact, because we have quite a high ratio of American artists on the bill.”

Inspirational women of music is one of main themes of the 2017 Celtic Connections festival, which still features several US acts.

The Mercury nominated and Brit award-winning singer songwriter Laura Marling will make her Celtic Connections debut leading an orchestrated performance of her songs at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Thursday, January 19, for the opening concert.

READ MORE: Women, Canada, and musical struggle to be celebrated at Celtic Connections 2017

Olivia Newton-John, Grammy nominee Beth Nielsen Chapman and Amy Sky will perform music from their collaborative album Liv On live for the first time, at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Tuesday, January 24.

Scottish singer, songwriter Karine Polwart’s Wind Resistance will be presented at the Tron Theatre and the lauded song collector and singer Shirley Collins follows the release of her first album for more than 30 years this November with a performance at the City Halls on Saturday, February 4.

Shooglenifty and special guests will come together for A Night for Angus, paying “tribute to their friend, band member and inspirational fiddle player” Angus R Grant who died recently.