Posts for August, 2023

All welcome to join.

No charge but donations gratefully accepted.

Tours start outside the front of the Invercauld Arms.

All welcome to come along.

No charge but donations gratefully accepted.

Tours start outside the front of the Invercauld Arms.

An evening with Karen Dunbar – Star of Chewin’ the Fat – at Boat of Garten Community Hall

The Big Bike Film Night is on a mission to bring the best cycling short films from around the world together for you.

Showcasing 2.5 hours of moving bike films that has everything a cycle-centric audience could want – action, drama, humour, and plenty of inspiration; the evening is unashamedly and utterly, utterly, utterly designed and devised for the two-wheel devotee!

Get ready for an intimate weekend of music in the heart of the Cairngorms this autumn.

Braemar Folk Festival returns with packed mainstage concerts in the atmospheric surrounds of St Margaret’s, while cosy venues throughout this quintessential highland village come alive with foot-stomping jam sessions, bespoke workshops and informal acoustic sets.

Nestled in the upper reaches of the Dee valley, among the mountains and Caledonian pine forests, there is plenty of opportunity to roam in the hills, swim in the rivers and lochs and enjoy the stunning nature and landscapes that this special part of Scotland has to offer.

Braemar Folk Festival is now an established and growing focal point in Scotland’s cultural calendar and was a finalist for ‘Event of the Year’ at the 2022 BBC Trad Music Awards. This October’s event is set to be the biggest yet.

Arrive in Braemar on the Friday afternoon and get into the festival vibe, with a welcome session led by some of Scotland’s top young trad talent in the local pub. We’re spoiled for great talent with an all-star, all-female line-up for our opening night concert, featuring Scots Singer of the Year Beth Malcolm and the powerhouse string group Kinnaris Quintet, with the tunes going on afterwards right into the wee small hours.

Saturday’s packed programme features workshops for beginners and improvers, a guided walk to reach a truly unique fireside concert in a mountain bothy*, plenty of opportunities for informal jamming throughout the day before you dance the night away to the sounds of the Low Light Listening Lounge and high-octane Elephant Sessions.

On Sunday, we’ll take things at an easier pace — with more workshops and a farewell session before you wind your way home.

While we want you to come to Braemar, stay the whole weekend and really soak up the festival atmosphere we know that accommodation options in the village are limited. That’s why this year we’ve put on a Festival Bus, to take you to and from our Friday and Saturday night concerts, and opening up more accommodation options throughout Deeside.

Kyle is taking to the Scottish Highlands and Islands to do a very intimate tour to promote the new View album, his new musical and new venture in Spain.

Join us at the Old Bridge Inn for iconic Scottish Indie band Wrest.

The Badenoch communities hold an annual heritage festival which builds on the very successful Kingussie festivals held previously.

This year’s Badenoch Heritage Festival will be held from 17-23 September 2023.

As usual, there will be a wide range of events including walks, tours, talks and concerts, with something for everyone interested in learning more about heritage around Badenoch.

Details of the events being held will be posted here nearer the time, once they are finalised. Booking details will then be posted on Eventbrite.

Established in 2022 in collaboration with HM the Queen’s ‘Reading Room’ – a worldwide network of literary communities – we are delighted to announce the grand return of the Braemar Literary Festival for its second year.

Turn the page on your next big adventure and visit us in our storybook setting from 29th September to 1st October 2023, for a weekend celebrating the power and quiet beauty of the written and spoken word.

Connecting bibliophiles of all ages with heartfelt readings from the authors who penned the words and a forum to engage in spirited discussion, we stand proudly as part of the new Scottish cultural scene.

Tickets are now on sale.

Paul Mealor brings his Caritas Choir back to St Margaret’s for this popular, annual concert.

Named after Mealor’s composition, ‘Ubi caritas’ written for the Wedding of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, ‘Caritas’ means ‘love’ and the choir, made up of singers associated with Mealor over many years, presents a concert of popular and new choral classics.

Paul Mealor’s ‘Coronation Kyrie’ was sung by bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel and the Choir of Westminster Abbey during the Coronation service on Saturday, May 6. Mr Mealor has described it as “cry from the deep soul of the hills and valleys of Wales for hope, peace, love and friendship”.