1. THE MILLPORT COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL
The 23rd Millport Country Music Festival welcomes top Nashville and UK country artists on September 1st to 3rd.
With live music across three stages, family entertainment all weekend and camping available, there is something for everyone!
Rain or shine, under the cover of a huge marquee in central Millport, MC’d by Baylen Leonard, see The Shires headline Saturday’s concert and the legendary Mark Chesnutt make his Scottish debut on Sunday. From Nashville, rising stars David Ray, Morgan Frazier and Adley Stump will provide support, along with Glasgow’s own Ashton Lane.
CalMac have extended the Cumbrae ferry service to enable all festival ticket holders not staying on the island, to return to the mainland over the weekend and have guaranteed that Saturday/Sunday ticket holders who get to the ferry slip by 9.30pm (two hours after the concerts finish) will be transported back to Largs.
See millportcountrymusic.com for more details
2. HORSEPOWER
The Helix Park in Falkirk, home of the Kelpies is celebrating the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology with an a new event: Horsepower is an imaginative celebration of Scotland's equine heritage taking place on the 9th of September from 10am until 4pm.
Over 30 horses from all over Scotland including rare Scottish breeds will be attending the event to deliver live demonstrations of working horses. Horsepower star attractions, two stunt shows from les Amis Stunt Team featuring stunt riders from the Outlander T.V series 2 & 3, will bring history to life through impressive jousting techniques and Highlander Displays.
The event is full of family friendly activities for little and large horse lovers such as pony rides, cart ride, a children’s activity marquee and many more. For all food lovers, Scotland Food and Drink Fortnight is also joining the festivities with its Marketplace in the Helix Park.
http://www.thehelix.co.uk/all-events/horsepower/
3. LARGS VIKING FESTIVAL
Largs Viking Festival runs from 2 to 10 September. Visit the authentic 13th Century Viking Village and learn all about how the Vikings lived at the time of the 1263 Battle of Largs (Adults £5, Children and Concessions (over 60s and Students) £2, under 5s FREE ticket gives entry throughout the day of purchase).
Browse the Markets with local Ayrshire produce and enjoy family friendly entertainment at weekends including onstage entertainment and aerobatic displays, a Festival of Fire on 9 September with torch lit parade, burning of symbolic long boat and fireworks display and the Red Devils Freefall team will literally drop into the Clyde on the 10th.
Visit www.largsvikingfestival.org for details.
4. HALLOWEEN WITH THE SPIRITS OF SCONE
26th – 31st October
Join us for a spine-tingling night with the SPIRITS OF SCONE this Halloween! This thrilling, illuminated tour around the Palace grounds includes the ancient graveyard and the ghoul's maze. Some gruesome characters from Scottish history will be brought back to life with blood-curdling stories inspired by local folklore. Be warned; You never know who you might meet when you go down to the woods at night!
If your nerves can take it, why not join one of our ghostly story telling sessions?
Spirit hunting is hungry work! Enjoy a selection of ghoulishly hot and tasty food in our coffee shop or visit the monster marshmallow pit along the way. Our Coffee Shop will be open from 5.00pm - 8.30pm.
5. BRAEMAR GATHERING
Come over the hills to the Braemar Gathering….
This year’s Braemar Gathering is a few days away, and the organisers are confident that anyone ticking their bucket list will get to see some world class competition from dancers, pipers and athletes, from across the globe who come to take part in this great event.
Jim Wood secretary for the Braemar Royal Highland Society now in its 203rd year said “Lying in the glens at the top of end of the River Dee, Braemar is the natural place to have a gathering, and it’s little wonder that King Malcolm Canmore chose it nearly a 1000 years ago as the place he would gather and choose the best of his clans. This year, just as then we hope to put on a great spectacle and competition for our Patron and those coming over the hills.
6. EDINBURGH FARMERS MARKET
Experience Edinburgh’s original award-winning Farmers’ Market – the only Scottish market accredited by FARMA.
The Edinburgh Farmers’ Market takes place on Castle Terrace EVERY SATURDAY from 9am – 2pm, under the spectacular backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.
Listed by Lloyd Grossman as one of the World’s Best Farmers’ Markets and now in its 17th year, there is a huge variety of fresh local produce from over 40 specialist producers. The majority of stallholders grow or rear what they sell so can answer your questions about production, offer cooking suggestions and advice.
You don’t have to travel the length and breadth of Scotland to taste what the natural Scottish larder has to offer. Just visit Edinburgh Farmers’ market and be transported across the country on a taste exploration; fresh vegetables, top quality meats, baked goods, cheeses and chutneys, freshly pressed juice and locally roasted coffee, fantastic street food and much more
7. YES ARTS FESTIVAL
The Yarrow, Ettrick, Selkirk Arts Festival is a contemporary arts festival in the heart of the Scottish Borders which brings together local artists and makers and their communities with invited guests from further afield in a celebration of the unique culture and landscape of this beautiful area.
This year’s festival welcomes Scots Makar Jackie Kay, as well as Edinburgh Festival favourites Dudendance, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and guitar maestro Preston Reed, pioneer of the two-handed percussive style. See the specially-commissioned film Our Kind of Place, featuring local people sharing their love of the area, as it premieres in Selkirk's Market Place, and let the Mile Markers lead you on an enchanting journey along the valley routes.
This year's YES Arts Festival includes Theatre, Film, Writing, Music and Visual Arts and takes place from Thursday 14th - Sunday 17th September.
8. THE SCOTTISH SHIP SHOW
COASTAL Shipping are holding their third Scottish Ship Show, in Greenock Town Hall, on Saturday 2 September.
Having held two successful shows in Edinburgh, organisers are moving the event to the west coast this year in response to many requests.
Maritime-themed activities and traders from across the UK will be exhibiting model boats, selling books, photos, postcards, paintings, collectables and ephemera as well as models and kits.
For the first time Transport Past Times will be travelling from Liverpool with their diverse range of printed memorabilia spanning all aspects of shipping, railway, bus and air travel.
Former teachers Bernard and Doreen McCall have been running Coastal Shipping together since 1994. They retired early to focus on writing and publishing books about ships and transport.
The busy family-run publishing company produces specialised books and magazines about coastal shipping, maritime themes, 20th century merchant shipping and occasionally buses and trains.
The Scottish Ship Show is on from 10am to 3.30pm at the town hall in Cathcart Square.
Admission is £3 adults for and £2 for concessions. Admission is free for accompanied under-12s free.
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