Hans Matheson was born in a caravan on August 7, 1975 at Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, located in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Shortly after, his family moved to Canterbury, Kent in England but Hans often spent his summer holidays on Stornoway with his grandparents, As a child, his parents Iain (Ado) and Sheena often took him and his younger brother to folk festivals and Bob Dylan concerts. His father Ado is a musician and his grandfather was a Gaelic singer and songwriter before him performing at concerts and ceilidhs throughout Scotland. His great-grandfather was crowned the Celtic Bard in recognition of his writing in the '50s.