SCOTLAND’S music scene has received a new blow following the scrapping of another of the nation’s best loved festivals which brings the number axed this year to six.

The Loopallu festival based in the north-west Highlands will be marking its 13th year in September but organisers have decided to scrap it after that.

The decision has been greeted with disappointment by fans, bands and music industry executives in a year which has already seen the disappearance of Scotland's biggest music festival T in the Park and the Wickerman Festival. Earlier this year, the first ever May West Festival, with a line-up featuring The Stranglers, planned for Glasgow Green had to be cancelled.

Also axed were two one-day festival events planned for Falkirk Stadium in June, Hands Up and Studio 54, which featured top acts of the 1970s and 80s including Manchester legends Happy Mondays and disco stars Gloria Gaynor and the Village People.

Two years ago the three-day RockNess festival that attracted 30,000 to see the likes of Kasabian, Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy and Biffy Clyro was cancelled for a second time and has never returned. But a new scaled-down one-day dance music festival Groove Loch Ness took place on the same site.

Concerns for the two-day Loopallu surfaced when organisers were told they could not longer use their long-time home at Broomfield Holiday Park in Ullapool, on the banks of the Loch Broom, and had to relocate to the port pier.

But they had to restrict numbers, with the 2,500 capacity cut to 1500 and festival-goers would be unable to camp on site.

The organisers of the festival that attracted the likes of Mumford and Sons, Franz Ferdinand, Paolo Nutini and Jake Bugg said: "With a heavy heart, we’ve decided that our 13th outing is going to be our last. There’s no time to be sad, it’s time to celebrate what has made Loopallu so special over the years.

"Time to celebrate how the little event with a big heart transformed a small west coast village at the end of the season, bringing millions of pounds into the economy over the years, and not to mention the priceless friendships established."

Scots music business legend Bruce Findlay, believed Scots festivals were suffering from competition from other entertainment sources, like cheap holidays abroad, but was hopeful that the lost events could be replaced.

The former Simple Minds manager, record label and shop chain owner, said: "I am sorry to see them go. "The phenomenon has not completely gone, it seems it has just settled down.

"Maybe we are going through a phase. I hope that others will spring up.

"Kids can fly to these superfestivals in Spain and spend three days in the sun, where you are guaranteed good weather.

The 2011 Loopallu suffered from flooding

"I think people feel that camping out has become less attractive. Youngsters are spoilt."

He said he felt T in the Park suffered because it had "begun to replicate the big English festivals" like Glastonbury.

"There was very little unique about it apart from the fact it was in Scotland, and attracted a very young audience," he said.

Chay Woodman, a live music booker and organiser who has been involved with various Scots music festivals including Wickerman mourned the loss, did not believed there would be a recovery.

"It's a massive shame every time a popular festival ends because so much work and love goes into doing them, plus there's a lot of loyalty from people that now can't look forward to the next one," he said.

"People might get disappointed when their personal favourite ends, which is natural, plus some events try to replicate the blueprint of past events such as Wickerman which truly changed the musical landscape.

"However, there's always options and something that didn't appeal two or three years ago might be what they're now looking for. "Scotland's in a pretty healthy state for live music, particularly with festivals. TRNSMT on Glasgow Green fantastically kicked the hangover of 2016's T out the door, as did the much smaller Northern Roots near Inverness when it came to Brew At The Bog and the Belladrum festival has sold out.

"I'm already excited about next year."

Loopallu's will make its final bow on September 29 and 30 with a line-up including The View, Glasvegas, The Rezillos and The Pigeon Detectives.

The organisers said: "The whole team would like to say a big thank you to all who have come over the years, your support and enthusiasm made the event what it was and what it is. Loopallu may come back in the future in a different guise, but for now lets have a party one last time.

"Loopallu is dead. Long live Loopallu!"