Her musical career began in the late 1970s; at the age of 15, she was already playing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with folk artists such as Fairport Convention, Ralph McTell and Martin Carthy.
On the album Tusitala: Teller of Tales (1994), she was joined by musicians from across the folk/rock/jazz spectrum in performing music she had written for the BBC television series Stevenson's Travels[3] Later work saw her collaborate with the Bhundu Boys and Toumani Diabate and participate in Womad festivals around the world.
As a songwriter she has worked with writers such as Michael Marra and singers such as June Tabor and Eddi Reader.
Her Harp String Quartet featured in the American TV series Sex and the City, while her orchestral work Misterstourworm and the Kelpie’s Gift was performed for the first time by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in 2003.
It features song settings from The Prophet by Khalil Gibran and lyrics by the Gaelic poet Aonghas MacNeacail.