Auchindrain: there’s walking and there’s waulking

See the difference and taste the Springbank dram on Saturday 28th May 2011 at Argyll’s unique Auchindrain, Scotland’s only preserved, unimproved Highlands farm township.

Recreating the Waulking Day

Table thumping and a traditional Gaelic community sing-a-long is the order of the day when a group of women recreate a traditional ‘Waulking Day’ at the Auchindrain Township on 28 May.

Sponsored by Springbank Distillery of Campbeltown, the Inverclyde Waulking Group or Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh – pictured below at work in Auchindrain -  are going to recreate the day when the women of the township undertook the task of finishing newly woven woollen cloth by soaking it and thumping it to shrink and soften it.

Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh specialises in the traditional Gaelic songs which accompanied the work.

Bob Clark, Development Manager at Auchindrain (or Achadh an Droighinn – the field of the thorn tree, between Inveraray and Furnace n Loch Fyne) ) says: ‘This is not the pretty side of Highland life. This is about a group of working class women getting together to carry out what was essentially an industrial process.

‘The Waulking Day was a day the women looked forward to, a day when important work was done, in good company, with plenty of fun, singing and gossip’.

Waulking songs are quite unique, a precious heritage of song giving an insight into all aspects of life in days gone by. Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh seek to keep the songs alive and to present them in the context of the work for which they were composed.

The Waulking Day will take place at Auchindrain Township on Saturday 28th May 2011, from 11.00 to 16.00.

A whisky tasting session, featuring Springbank whisky will also be taking place at 13.30 (over 18s only).

Normal admission charges apply.