Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes hits bull's-eye with Robin Hood film track

Kathleen MacInnes was at home in South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, when she was contacted via social networking site Facebook and asked to work with the film-maker behind such huge hits as Alien, Blade Runner and Thelma and Louise.

Her vocals, inspired by ancient Gaelic chants, are now set to feature prominently in Scott's new film, with Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, due to open next month's Cannes Film Festival.

The mother-of-three is expected to be heard during a dream sequence featuring Maid Marion (Blanchett).

It is set to be the biggest exposure for Gaelic in a major movie since Celtic supergroup Capercaillie recorded the soundtrack for Rob Roy and ended up appearing in the 1995 film, starring Liam Neeson, and performing at its premiere in Edinburgh.

Robin Hood could give MacInnes a similar boost to the one enjoyed by Edinburgh singer Mairi Campbell after an old recording of her traditional rendition of Auld Lang Syne was featured in the first Sex And The City film. And singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean had his melody featured in the epic film Last Of The Mohicans.

The involvement of MacInnes, 40, with the 100 million film is a far cry from her days appearing in Gaelic soap opera Machair, as well as comedies like Ran Dan and PC Alasdair Stewart.

MacInnes landed the role after Scott – who joined forces with Oscar-winner Crowe for the fifth time to make the film – saw the award-winning Gaelic feature film Seachd (The Inaccessible Pinnacle), which featured her singing.

Scott rang Seachd's composer Jim Sutherland to request a copy of the soundtrack and some months later MacInnes was contacted by an associate of German-born composer Marc Streitenfeld, Scott's regular collaborator on films such as Kingdom Of Heaven, A Good Year and American Gangster.

She said: "I haven't seen the film yet, as it's not out until next month, but I've just heard from Marc Streitenfeld that I'm definitely going to be singing on the soundtrack.I've not been able to talk about it until now so I've only told my family and some close friends, and I wasn't sure if I was going to be on the final soundtrack.

Sutherland, who has won a series of high-profile commissions in the wake of Seachd's success, said:

"It's fantastic for Kathleen as she's an absolutely first-rate Gaelic singer who has got this ancient-sounding voice but is also a very modern singer.

"It's great news as there hasn't been any Gaelic feature in a major movie like this since Rob Roy."

Although widely recognised as one of Scotland's leading Gaelic singers, MacInnes is little known outside traditional music and Gaelic broadcasting circles. She makes regular appearances on various Gaelic TV shows, both acting and presenting.