Fiona J Mackenzie, a native of Morayshire and graduate of Aberdeen University, has lived in Dingwall for the last 20 years. After working in Gaelic Medium Education for 5 years, she was employed as the Màiri Mḥr Gaelic Song Fellow for Highland Council between 2002-09.

She won the premier award of the An Comunn Gaidhealach Gold Medal in 2005 in Stornoway. Fiona also won the title of BBC Scotland Traditional Music Personality in 2004 at the Scots Trad Music Awards and was nominated for Best Gaelic Singer in 2006.

Her travels during the tenure of the Fellowship have taken her to deliver song lectures on Màiri Mḥr nan ̉ran, the great Gaelic bardess from Skye, in Cape Breton, America, Ireland, France and Germany. She teaches Gaelic song in schools and community groups, focussing on developing opportunities for young people to participate in singing activities. Fiona is also in demand as a teacher of Gaelic song overseas and in 2006 she was invited to sing in The Library of Congress, Washington DC.

Fiona released her first solo CD 'Orain nan Rosach' (Songs of the Ross-shire Folk) in July 2006. Her debut album with Greentrax, 'Duan Nollaig', was released in October 2007, a ground breaking album, being the world's first ever recording of Scottish Gaelic Christmas Songs. Her latest Greentrax CD 'A Good Suit of Clothes' (July 2009) is a collection of emigrant songs. Fiona has also published two books through the fellowship - '̉rain nan Rosach' (a collection of songs from Ross-shire) and the 'Crunluath Collection' (new Gaelic songs based on pipe tunes).

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