Taken from the new album ‘In My Mind There’s A Photograph‘

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MULL HISTORICAL SOCIETY is back with a new (10th) album release for 2026, ‘In My Mind There’s A Photograph’, and today reveals its lead single: “Cattle Bells”. Following on from the critical and commercial success of the previous record, ‘In My Mind There’s A Room’ album, Colin MacIntyre AKA Mull Historical Society will return this year with another literary inspired marvel.

Due for release on 29 May 2026 via the LNFG label, this brand new collection of songs will feature lyrical contributions from a panoply of world-leading authors, all of whom were asked to reflect on a single significant photo to them. What would yours be?

Opening-up on his current creative streak and what to expect in 2026, Colin adds: “2025 has been an incredibly productive year for me of making, making, making… juggling across many projects — writing and recording the album, writing my new Mull Mysteries crime novel also out in Spring, and my new ‘Culloden’ musical — and finding connection in all the work — and so 2026 is the year of sharing, sharing, sharing.”

The first of these collaborations is, “Cattle Bells”, which features words from Sir Alexander McCall Smith, acclaimed author of the ‘No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency’ series among countless other feats. It also features a beautiful guest appearance from London African Gospel Choir.

Set in Botswana, “Cattle Bells” finds the veteran writer reflecting on a photo of him sitting on the top of a hill overlooking the beautiful surrounds of the Kalahari (pictured on the single artwork below), contemplating on life, time, being in the moment, and reacquainting with his younger self. A rumination on what home really means to us.

Colin explains of the track: “I have loved working with Sandy; he is such a generous and inspirational writer and man, and I am honoured to have this personal story from him of connection with ourselves and where we feel at home as the lead single off the album. The opening line, ’This must be me…’, with the intriguing use of the word ‘must’, strikes me as a line only a novelist could summon. I have always been inspired by Paul Simon and his Gracelands album, and this song allowed me to achieve an ambition of working with the glorious London African Gospel Choir”.

Sir Alexander adds: “Colin has made a lovely job of capturing my words and photograph. “Cattle Bells” is a beautiful, rather haunting piece.”

More details on the other featured authors below… and that tattoo… 
 

Accompanying the upcoming release of ‘In My Mind There’s A Photograph’, fans can also expect a run of brand new live shows featuring appearances from some of his collaborating authors – standby for further details on those imminently.

“Cattle Bells” was recorded and mixed during Summer/Autumn 2025 at Tobermory’s Bb Studios on the Isle of Mull, produced by MacIntyre alongside the twelve tracks that comprise upcoming album ‘In My Mind There’s A Photograph’, and engineered by Gordon Maclean.