Two key assets in Argyll’s and Cowal’s cultural tourism industry Continue reading
Tag Archives: Walking Theatre Company
Highland Tourism Awards shortlists Dunollie events, The Hidden Jewel & Sadie Dixon Spain
Dunollie’s MacDougall Clan Homecoming programme, with The Walking Theatre Company’s The Hidden Jewel Continue reading
Innovation-rich Cowalfest gets going: Friday 9th October
Argyll’s Cowalfest – an innovative event from the outset Continue reading
Cowal Family Gathering
The Cowal Family Gathering at Strachur on Sunday 30th August Continue reading
The Walking Theatre Company’s Hidden Jewel at Oban’s Dunollie Castle
The Hidden Jewel, a new play celebrating one of Scotland’s National Treasures Continue reading
Spirit of the West Festival tickets on sale with a few surprises from The Walking Theatre Company at the press launch
Tickets for the whisky, food and entertainment Spirit of the West Festival at Inveraray Castle on 16th and 17th May are for sale online via the website.
Performers from Cowal’s The Walking Theatre Company (TWTC) made the sort of impact at the Press Launch on 6th March that they will make when they hit the event itself.
They presented a drama around whisky smuggling to a special audience including the Duchess of Argyll. And there was a whisky tasting masterclass with whisky writer Charles Maclean and songs by Robin Laing. Each of these acts will feature at the festival which is set to be the flagship Homecoming Scotland 2009 event for the west coast and a signature event for the programme’s Whisky Month which was launched in February.
The spirit of the west was manifest in more ways than one – as were the magnificent hills of Glen Fyne, seen in the background and the venue for the launch.
In line with the festival’s celebration of west coast culture, the Whisky Coast Memoirs campaign invites people to send through their stories, experiences and passions for the nation’s west coast.
The campaign aims to bring together a global appreciation of the region’s beauty, atmosphere and culture with a focus on Ayrshire & Arran, Argyll, Lochaber, the Hebrides and the North West Highlands.
There is so much to say about this part of the world. The Whisky Coast Memoirs is an inspired idea that promises to be a mesmeric collection we look forard to reading.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, helped kick start the campaign by contributing a memoir of his own of the west.
He says: ‘Although I was born and bred in the East of Scotland, I have spent a lot of time in the Highlands of the West of Scotland. As a student, and even after I was elected to Parliament, I have walked in Skye, Kintail, the Hebrides, Argyllshire and Sutherland, often with parliamentary colleagues such as the late John Smith MP. I have many fond memories of days on the hill and in the glens; and of good hospitality and entertainment in the evenings, as often as not accompanied by a dram. I send best wishes to the organisers of Spirit of the West’.
This memoir was described gratefully by Nicky Murphy, Event Manager for Spirit of the West and Project Manager for the Whisky Coast, as really helping ‘to kick start our campaign’.
The entire programme for the two-day event is steeped in interest, variety – and whisky – and offers something for everyone. The full programme - and information on how to contribute your own west coast memoir – is on the Spirit of the West website.
Launch of May 2009 Bluebell Festival in Inveraray – Homecoming Scotland 2009 event
Not a man to mind getting his hands dirty, His Grace the Duke of Argyll, with his sons Archie and Rory, led a party planting 2,000 native bluebells along the margins of the road into Inveraray. The party included children from Inveraray Primary School whose massed planting forks looked like an attempt to recreate some legendary defence of Inveraray Castle. The children were productively supported by members of the local community included business people and regular visitors who felt like lending a hand – or a foot.
The event was the launch, this morning (18th December 2008) of the May 2009 Bluebell Festival – in a miraculously dry, bright hour against a frightful weather forecast which shortly did its worst,
Inveraray Castle and the Inveraray area are already home to a superb collection of woodland bluebell glades. These are now under threat due to cross pollination with the Spanish Bluebell. The new bulbs planted today are designed to greet visitors on their entrance to the town every May.
The Bluebell Festival has a pretty intensive programme of its own. It aims to provide a range of active experiences for people of all ages and degrees of fitness, family entertainments, talks, music and some events unique to this festival.
Even at this stage of planning the following events are already confirmed:
- Sat 2 May – A light hearted look at women in words and music from the Walking Theatre Company. Inveraray Castle. Ticketing Information: Inveraray website
- Sat 9th May – Neil Munro Society Lecture. Argyll Hotel. Ticketing Information: Inveraray website
- Sun 10th May – Clan Campbell History Story (Historic Scotland). Inveraray Castle. Ticketing Information: Inveraray website
- Sat 16th Sun 17th May – Spirit of the West: Food & Drink Festival. Inveraray Castle. Ticketing Information: http://www.spiritofthewest.co.uk
- Sat 16th May – Burns Ceilidh Dinner. Inveraray Castle. Ticketing Information: http://www.spiritofthewest.co.uk/
- Sun 17th May – Hamish McHaggis visits Inveraray (Children’s Book Character). Author Linda Strachan will be signing books. Inveraray Jail. Ticketing Information: Inveraray website
- Sat 23rd May – Crarae Gardens Murder Mystery. Crarae Gardens. Ticketing Information: Inveraray website
- Sat 23rd May- Murder Mystery Trial (Play). Inveraray Jail. Ticketing Information: Inveraray website
- Sat 30th May- Dunnaquaich Fun Run. Inveraray Castle. This is a reintroduction of a contest that was once a traditional event in the Inveraray Highland Games. The ascent is no light matter and the view is stupendous. Ticketing Information: Inveraray website
- Sun 31st May – Neil Wilson Classical Guitar Recital. Inveraray Castle. Ticketing Information: Inveraray website
Throughout May there will also be:
- story tellers, day and night, every weekend in different venues throughout the town and in nearby venues like the Auchindrain Township Museum
- official Bluebell walks and horse rides every day throughout the month
- traditional folk music every weekend in May during the evenings in the hotel bars
Further events will continue to be added to this programme. Keep up with developments at the Inveraray website.
Further information is also available at any time from:
- John Patrick (Argyll Adventure) 01499 302611
- Jane Young (Inveraray Castle) 01499 302551
Group photograph copyright John Patrick. Other photographs copyright Rebecca Martin.