Think of all of the things that make the holiday season so infectious. Add a Scottish fiddle, and all the ingredients are there for “A Scottish Christmas.”

Bonnie Rideout, a self-proclaimed “Midwest Yankee kid,” grew up in Maine and Michigan hearing and learning the music of her family. She says she was always interested in music but never knew it was going to be her life and career.

“It’s the music from my heritage and learned from my parents,” Rideout says of Scottish music. “There was always traditional music at home, and it grew from there. I have always played the fiddle because that was my way of life.”

In college, she received her degree in fine arts and worked for museums. Her love the fiddle was put on the back burner for a few years. Her love of the fiddle outgrew her love of art, and she began playing music full time.

She has since released nine albums and is now releasing her second Christmas album.

Rideout had the idea to put out another Christmas album after people really seemed to enjoy the mixture of Christmas music with Scottish instruments and style in her first album.

“It was a good market and became a hit,” Rideout says. “The whole show is centered around a new CD called ‘A Scottish Christmas: The Celebration.'”

The album will be released to the public next year and currently is exclusive to the show and Rideout’s Web site, she says.

The show is the CD brought to life and includes music from an all-star ensemble of musicians compiled from Scotland and North America.

The ensemble includes William Jackson (harp), Jerry O’Sullivan (Uillean pipes), Stephen Holloway (percussion) and Bryan Aspey (guitar).

Rideout brings to the show her own style of fiddling she describes as being reflective of the bag pipes. Often Rideout is tagged “the piping fiddler.”

Rideout says her style stems from many different factors.

“I compose a lot and do lots of original stuff, but I also do my own interpretations of older, traditional fiddle,” Rideout says.

As far as the show is concerned, Rideout says audiences can expect to hear traditional Christmas music with a Scottish flair.

“You will recognize it, but it will be a little different.” Rideout says. “The show is very upbeat and very celebratory. It is an elegant show that is very colorful and festive; everyone is dressed up in velvet and kilts.”

Dancers and voice are also included in the show and add to the overall tone of the performance. The tone and feeling as audiences leave is what Rideout loves most about performing.

“A good, fun warm feeling — if we do our jobs, that’s what we will accomplish,” Rideout says.