When is this event?
Join acclaimed musician and composer Hamish Napier for a series of engaging folk music workshops, designed for players who want to deepen their skills and explore traditional Scottish tunes in a welcoming group setting.
🎵 Expand your trad tune repertoire
🎻 Explore ornaments and variations to bring melodies to life
🎼 Learn how to arrange music for small folk ensembles
Open to people age 16+ who play a folk instrument at intermediate to advanced level.

Strathfest is up and running again this year, with competitions from 24th February to 27th February, culminating in a Showcase concert on Saturday 1st March. Competitions, spread along the Strath, are open to all school age youngsters, in classes covering traditional instruments, classical instruments, singing and Gaelic.
Some of the winners will be performing in the Showcase Concert, 6.30pm in the YMCA Community Centre, High Street, Grantown-on-Spey. Everybody is welcome to come and enjoy the youngsters’ music for a suggested donation of £5. An appreciative audience will be a great encouragement to the young musicians.
See https://www.strathfest.org to discover the heritage and scope of this long-running festival.
How do I become an instructor?
The honest answer is it’s not for everyone, but if you choose to answer the call and step out of your comfort zone, the rewards and the personal growth you experience are beyond belief. Even if you don’t want to become an instructor, you can still immerse yourself fully in the experience of a lifetime as you complete the most empowering course on the planet… The Firewalk Instructor Training!
The time you spend with your fellow delegates during the training, will be one of the most challenging, but worthwhile experiences you will have… ever!
Training
Throughout The Firewalk Instructor Training, you will learn all you need to know to be able host and facilitate your own empowering events including firewalking, but you will learn so much more. You will learn about the nature of fear, and how it will affect your audience, and understand what tools and resources you can use to get the very best from everyone in the room!
Workshops
Team Building exercises
Eliminating Limiting Beliefs using metaphor
Breaking through Fear
Overcoming Obstacles and Barriers
The Power of Focus
Risk & Safety in your seminar
Hazards – Identifying and eliminating
Creating The Elements of your course
Fire building, safety & management
Firewalk preparation and delivery
Hands On Empowerment Training Classes
Firewalking
Glass Walking
Board Breaking with Bare Hands
Brick Breaking with Bare Hands
Arrow Breaking with your Throat
Steel Bar Bending with your Throat
Falling into Friends
Hands On Empowerment Training Classes
Firewalking
Glass Walking
Board Breaking with Bare Hands
Brick Breaking with Bare Hands
Arrow Breaking with your Throat
Steel Bar Bending with your Throat
Falling into Friends
Join us at The Boat Country Inn, Boat of Garten for an evening of indulgence and discovery at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. Hosted by the charismatic Hamish Malcolm, also known as The Dram Caddy, this exclusive event brings together the rich flavours of five exquisite Speyside whiskies paired perfectly with artisanal charcuterie.
The Stagecoach number 37 or X37 travels through Boat of Garten.
Settle in for an unforgettable experience as Hamish shares the stories behind each dram, weaving in a delightful golfing theme that adds a unique twist to the evening. From the smooth notes of Tomintoul Single Malt to the bold character of Glen Elgin Fable Piper, each whisky promises to be a highlight of the night.
Indulge your senses, savor the finest Speyside has to offer, and connect with fellow whisky enthusiasts in this intimate celebration of Scotland’s liquid gold.
Book your tickets now spaces are limited!
Our fully inter-generational themed shows draw out the storytelling, music, poetry and song of the area, and feature an invited guest to share about their work in the arts, heritage, ecology or adventure spheres.
Our young performers will be programmed into the first half, but are welcome to stay the whole time, and our guest will feature in the second half.
Follow the booking link for guidance on how to contribute at a Storylands Sessions event.
We welcome:
– folk who just want to come along and listen. You don’t have to perform to be taking part and thunderous applause is always appreciated!
– all kinds of stories: historical, myth and legend, your own experiences – or a mix!
– poetry: ideally your own, but your faves from other poets are welcome, too
– music: traditional, contemporary, original or borrowed; instrumental or sung; solo or ensemble
– art, photography, video and other multi-media presentations

Calling writers and artists! Or those who’d just like to give it a go. Ignite your creativity with this series of word and image workshops in this exciting partnership between the Highland Folk Museum and Storylands Sessions. Join us in responding to the the lesser-known stories of the Highlands, inspired by images of unique objects from the Museum’s collection.
Each month, we will gather online via ZOOM (or similar) to explore intriguing artefacts. These objects act as springboards for imaginative journeys – stories, poems, memoirs, or drama – with no limitation on genre or style and no expectation to focus on history or the Highlands. Let the objects spark your creativity and see where it takes you!
The workshops are offered to anyone aged 16+, with no writing experience necessary.
Visual artists are also warmly invited to make responses to the objects in your chosen medium. Please book in the normal way and supply your own materials.

Spark your creativity with this series of relaxed, fun and welcoming workshops in an exciting partnership between the Highland Folk Museum and Storylands Sessions.
Each month, we will gather at the Museum’s Am Fasgadh building to be inspired by unique objects in the Museum’s collection. Spooky huts, old shinty sticks, funny costumes and so much more. These will be springboards for your imagination and you can travel wherever it takes you, writing poetry, stories, drama or comedy!
The workshops are offered to anyone aged 13-18 – no writing experience needed.
Visual artists are also welcome to come and sketch or paint.
Laura has toured across the world in various different groups and artists within the contemporary folk music scene, including Kinnaris Quintet, guitar-virtuoso Ian Carr, Ross Ainslie, Salsa Celtica, NITEWORKS and with Scots Singers, Claire Hastings, Beth Malcolm & Siobhan Miller.
As a founding member of Glasgow-based Jazz/Funk/R&B/Synth/Folk Juggernaut, Fat-Suit, Laura has been inspired to play with elements of improvisation in different styles, making her a versatile influence on each project. Collaborations include performing, writing and arranging with top bands and artists including Shooglenifty, Man of the Minch, Rachel Sermanni, The Elephant Sessions, Paul Towndrow’s Keywork Orchestra, Fatherson, GRIT Orchestra and many more.
Now is the time for Laura to shine in her own right and demonstrate what a versatile, creative and adept artist she is.
In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Orkney born folk quartet FARA embark on a whistle-stop tour around the UK in 2025, returning to some of their favourite venues and towns from a decade of touring.
Presenting an evening of highlights from their three critically acclaimed albums, FARA’s fiery fiddles, foot-stomping piano, and enchanting three-part vocal harmony will take you on a joyful journey through their time performing at the forefront of Scotland’s folk music scene.
‘Gifted, imaginative, complex and engaging…a sound that just exudes joy’ – FRUK
In 563 AD, St. Columba arrived on Iona from Ireland with 12 companions, changing Scotland’s history forever.
Iona weaves together music, poetry and visual art in this world premiere taking audience on a journey delving into the lives of Vikings, kings and saints vividly brought together by actor and director John Bett’s magical script.
Composer and maestro of the fiddle Paul Anderson MBE leads a gifted ensemble blending together new music with poetry by Francey Devine and visuals of John Lowrie Morrison. ‘Iona’ promises to be an enchanting evening bringing audiences an unforgettable experience.
Where is this event being held?
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