Posts for June, 2025

Timed Race, Style Comp, Live Music, Food, Prizes and More

Famous Courageous John Roy Stuart poet and warrior in Love and War reinacted by Michael Nevin with Bill Taylor harpist Jason Faulkner bag piper and Sheena Farquhar folk singer

Pilgrimage Expert David Pott talks at Kincardine Church

All funds raised will go to Mikeysline and CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young.

Bring along your unsued biking related stuff and we will sell it for the charities, or come along to browse or get yourself kitted out. If you have more to sell, contact us to find out about renting a table.

We will be fuelled by the Jailhouse Coffee van.

Step back in time and uncover the mystery of the Picts with the Glenlivet & Inveravon Heritage and Dark Sky Ranger. This engaging talk and tour will introduce you to the Pictish people, their unique art, and the symbol stones that continue to inspire centuries after they were carved.

Set within the ancient and atmospheric site of Inveravon Church—an important place of worship and pilgrimage for generations—we’ll closely examine the intricate carvings on the four remarkable Pictish stones discovered here. You’ll learn how these enigmatic symbols fit into a wider cultural story and how the Picts helped lay the foundations of modern Scotland.

This is an opportunity to connect with Scotland’s ancient past, surrounded by the stunning scenery of Speyside.

Practical Information:

Meeting point: Access to Inveravon Church and burial ground is via a single-track road off the A95, about half a mile north of the entrance to Ballindalloch Castle. Follow the brown tourist sign for the Inveravon Pictish Stones.

Parking: Available at the bottom of the drive and in front of the church building.

Family-friendly: Young visitors are often fascinated by the Picts and are warmly encouraged to attend. All children and youth under 16 attend free.

Inveravon Church is currently under threat of closure and sale by the Church of Scotland. The local community is working hard to preserve it as a heritage centre and community hub. Your support helps keep this unique site alive and accessible for future generations.

Please note that toilet facilities are not available on site. Public toilets are available in Cragganmore at Ballindalloch Station on the Speyside Way or in Aberlour.

Well behaved dogs may attend but must be leashed.

This event is generously funded by Foundation Scotland from the Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.

Enjoy an afternoon of poetry celebrating the languages of Scotland at Braemar Castle. Joining us will be Miriam Gamble and Peter Mackay for a special walk-through event, combining a reading and tour of the castle.

Miriam Gamble is a Northern Irish poet. She has published three collections with Bloodaxe Books, The Squirrels Are Dead, Pirate Music and What Planet. In 2020 What Planet was awarded the Piggott Poetry Prize, the most valuable poetry prize in Ireland. Miriam lectures in creative writing at the University of Edinburgh.

Peter Mackay is a Gaelic poet originally from the Isle of Lewis. His poetry collections are Gu leòr/Galore and Nàdar de/Some Kind Of. He has also written critical books on the work of Sorley MacLean, Wordsworth and Seamus Heaney. Peter lectures at the University of St Andrews and in 2024 was named the new Scottish Makar.

In association with the University of Aberdeen

Urban orienteering involves using a map to find controls in the town. Run or walk, the aim is to find the right controls, in the right order. There will be long course and short course options. Courses should take 20-40 minutes. There are pre-printed maps and electronic timing. Families and children are welcome, but children (U16) must be accompanied by an adult. See the website for full details and please enter before the 22 June to make sure you can get a map.

Returning for 2025 is our popular Bivvy Trek. We will once again be returning to Ben Macdui in what will be a unique experience on the UK’s second highest mountain.

This trek will start at 6pm (1800hrs) from the Cairngorm Mountain upper car park. This is slightly later than our usual treks with the idea we will reach the summit of Ben Macdui just before midnight, able to enjoy the late light of midsummer from the comfort of our bivvy bags. The following day we will have a relaxed morning with a cooked breakfast prepared by your guide, with a return journey via Loch Avon and a second Munro summit of Cairn Gorm.

A bivy adventure for us is all about feeling connected to the environment you wish to be in. Tents are great and offer a lot of comfort but once you close the doors you miss that immersive experience with what’s going on outside. Bivvying also avoids many of the issues surrounding pitching a tent, for example unsuitable ground or finding a large enough area to accommodate a group. You literally find the perfect spot, lay yourself down, watch the sunset or simply open your eyes throughout the night to gaze up at the sky.

Provided on this trek is a lightweight Bivvy (348 grams), cooking equipment, hot drinks and breakfast. We recommend you have a meal before setting off. Your guide will also provide and carry all safety gear including a large tarp for the group to sleep under if the weather is wet. All other equipment is to be provided by the client including sleeping bag and mat. This is a great introduction to minimalist wild-camping.

Come and see / try heritage crafts in action. There will be demos across the site of traditional skills including rope making, spinning & weaving, waulking the cloth, tradition games and lots more!! Don’t miss the coracles on the Sawmill Pond and visit the Smiddy to see the Blacksmith in action.

No need to book just drop in and enjoy! There will be a full list of demos for each day available at reception. Activities 11am—1.00pm and 2.00—4.00pm each day. (Activities may differ on different dates.)

Our woolly celebration is back! Come and see spinning, weaving, natural dyeing & waulking the cloth. Have a go at knitting, crochet and other textile crafts. No need to book, just come along and enjoy the event!