Inveraray Bluebell Festival starts with visit to Auchindrain in Song and Story

Saturday 1st May, the 2010 Inveraray Bluebell Festival kicks off with the inclusion of a weekend of events drawing attention to Scotland’s sole remaining traditional crofting township, the 18th century Auchindrain.

This series of events, presented under the banner of Museums and Galleries Scotland’s Show Scotland programme, will highlight Auchindrain’s unique cultural and historical importance – and offer insights and entertainment in equal measure.

• On Saturday 1st May there is a specially-commissioned interactive and typically innovative play from Cowal’s well known Walking Theatre Company.
• On Sunday 2nd May there is an opportunity to see and hear Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh, the Inverclyde Gaelic Waulking Song Group. They are presenting a full day of Gaelic songs and, at the same time demonstrating ‘waulking’, or finishing, the woven tweed. As with the Walking theatre performance the day before, visitor participation will be actively encouraged.

For the rest of the month of May that the festival covers, there will be gardening events; walks; events for children including a bluebell ghost hunt and string orienteering at Ardkinglas; the Dun-na-Cuaiche Bluebell Jail Break 6.5km Fun Run (on 9th May); a peal of bells at Inveraray Bell Tower, the 2nd heaviest peal in the world (15th May, 19th May, 20th May); a Food Fair at Inveraray Castle from the increasingly distinctive Food From Argyll group of quality food producers (15th May); the Inveraray Highland Games (20th May); the second year of The George Hotel’s wicked Bluebell Music Festival (28th May); and the 2nd Bluebell Golf Open (30th May).

Full details are on the Events pages in the Inveraray Marketing Group (IMaGe) website. The festival is an IMaGe initiative.