Editing Runrig (section)

===Renewed popularity (2001–2009)=== 
[[File:Runrig concert.jpg|thumb|right|260px|Runrig performing live in Germany, July 2004]]

Having established that they could continue without Donnie Munro, Runrig set to work on their eleventh studio album. Among their independently-released studio albums, ''[[The Stamping Ground]]'' (2001) was Runrig's most successful.  Moreover, critics who had given mixed reviews to ''In Search Of Angels'', praised ''The Stamping Ground'' as the quintessential Runrig album. The band continued to enjoy support in the UK, Germany, and Denmark. However, with a Canadian frontman, Runrig began finding new fans in Canada and the United States. In [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001]], [[Pete Wishart]], the band's keyboard player, left after being elected Member of Parliament for the constituency of [[Tayside North (UK Parliament constituency)|Tayside North]] for the [[Scottish National Party]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/vote2001/hi/english/key_people/newsid_1179000/1179393.stm |title=Pete Wishart: SNP |publisher=BBC News |date=22 March 2001 |access-date=21 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2174505.stm |title=BBC profile of Peter Wishart |publisher=BBC News |date=16 October 2002 |access-date=21 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/new_media/2041027.stm |title=Rock MP takes on music pirates |publisher=BBC News |date=12 June 2002 |access-date=21 October 2011}}</ref> In the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005 election]] he was again elected, this time for the new constituency of [[Perth and North Perthshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Perth and North Perthshire]] and again for the SNP.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/humber/content/articles/2005/05/11/mp4_music_feature.shtml |title=MP4 strike a chord with voters |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=13 May 2005 |access-date=21 October 2011}}</ref> Brian Hurren stepped in to take Wishart's place in the band. Wishart has been re-elected in each subsequent general election. The 2001 album ''[[The Stamping Ground]]'' was seen very much as a return to form after the lacklustre ''[[In Search Of Angels]]'' (1999), but 2003's ''[[Proterra (album)|Proterra]]'' divided opinion amongst music journalists and public alike.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/reviews/proterra.shtml |title=BBC review of Proterra |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=7 December 2005 |access-date=21 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/entertainment/louder/love/runrig/ |title=Runrig at the Sands Centre |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |access-date=21 October 2011}}</ref>

In August 2003, Runrig played their 30th Anniversary concert on the esplanade at Stirling Castle, celebrating 30 years since the band's formation, and including visitors from previous line-ups, as well as guest artists including the Glasgow Islay Choir and [[Paul Mounsey]]. Runrig played their first U.S. concert, a benefit for the charity "Glasgow the Caring City", on 4 April 2006 at the Nokia Theatre in New York City. Founding member Blair Douglas joined the band onstage, playing accordion on several numbers. While the bulk of their 2007 tour was scheduled for Denmark, Germany, and England, an outdoor show, titled "Beat The Drum", was held at [[Loch Ness]] on 18 August 2007. It was staged at Borlum Farm, [[Drumnadrochit]] and attended by 18,500 people in heavy rain. Because of the unusually large number of support acts, it had been likened to an all-day music festival, Runrig being the headline act.<ref>{{cite news|author=Raymond Buchanan |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6954703.stm |title=Fans beat the mud to see heroes |publisher=BBC News |date=20 August 2007 |access-date=21 October 2011}}</ref> This was the first in what was to become a staple for Runrig – annually staging big outdoor shows in Scotland in summer.

[[File:Bruce Guthro at Edinburgh Castle with Runrig - Luly 26th 2008.jpg|thumb|left|[[Bruce Guthro]] performing live with Runrig at [[Edinburgh Castle]], 2008]]

Runrig re-recorded "[[Loch Lomond (Runrig song)|Loch Lomond]]" and release it as "Loch Lomond (Hampden Remix)" to raise funds for the BBC's annual [[Children in Need]] appeal. The song was released on 12 November 2007, and includes the ''[[Tartan Army]]'', the name used to refer to supports of the [[Scotland national football team]], and including [[Rod Stewart]], on backing vocals. It reached No. 9 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]. "Loch Lomond (Hampden Remix)" was named "The Best Scottish Song Of All Time" in November 2008. The band were presented the award by [[Lulu (singer)|Lulu]].<ref>{{cite news |date=30 November 2008 |title=Runrig's Loch Lomond 'Scotland's greatest song' |url=http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Runrig39s-Loch-Lomond-39Scotland39s-greatest.4746392.jp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201091811/http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Runrig39s-Loch-Lomond-39Scotland39s-greatest.4746392.jp |archive-date=1 December 2008 |access-date=6 December 2008 |publisher=[[The Scotsman]]}}</ref> On 5 December 2008, during the penultimate tour date at [[Barrowlands|The Barrowlands]], Glasgow, the band was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall Of Fame, by the Scottish Traditional Music Awards Director.<ref>{{cite web| title = Inductees 2008| publisher = STMHF| url = http://www.tradmusichall.com/hofinductees.htm| access-date = 6 December 2008| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081231051702/http://www.tradmusichall.com/hofinductees.htm| archive-date = 31 December 2008| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

On 29 August 2009, Runrig performed at [[Scone Palace]] for their third annual outdoor summer show (the second being at [[Edinburgh Castle]] in 2008). They were supported by acts such as the [[Peatbog Faeries]], piper Fred Morrison, [[King Creosote]], Kathleen Macinnes, and Blair Douglas (a former member of the group) and his band. The show was part of Scotland's Year of Homecoming 2009. To underline this, First Minister [[Alex Salmond]] made an appearance on stage (introduced by his [[Scottish National Party|SNP]] colleague and former band member [[Pete Wishart]]), and launched an initiative called 'SconeStone.' This aims to promote [[Scotland]] as a kind and compassionate nation through the "journey of kindness" made by the SconeStone across the world. Its keepers, each holding it for a week before passing it on, are expected to undertake a good deed. Its first keeper was the Reverend Neil Galbraith, who was presented with the stone on the same day.