Posts for March, 2025

Badenoch and Strathspey are getting ready to celebrate the start of the wader breeding season again!

The first of these enigmatic but sadly threatened group of bird species has already returned in the area. Soon they will start to fill the valley and the hills with their characteristic calls and songs.

Join us to enjoy local wader inspired arts and crafts, listen to expert presentations and get inspired by beautiful poetry and music performances.

Tickets are free of charge for this event but booking is essential. Please note entry to Highland Wildlife Park is not included.

This event will take place in our Learning Hive at Highland Wildlife Park.

For further information please contact events@rzss.org.uk.

After a five-year break from touring, The Saw Doctors staged a brilliant comeback in 2023 with sold out shows in London at Hammersmith Apollo, New York at Hammerstein Ballroom and two homecoming shows in Tuam, Co. Galway where they played to 10,000 people in St. Jarlath’s Arena.

The Saw Doctors are powered by song writers Davy Carton (vocals) and Leo Moran (guitar) with a band lineup including former Waterboy Anthony Thistlethwaite on saxophone, Rickie O’Neill, drums, Pearse Doherty, bass guitar, Kieran Duddy, keyboards, Noelie McDonnell, backing vocals and Tommy Carton, backing vocals.

“Born into a repressed, catholic, conservative, small-town, agrarian, angst-ridden & showband infested society, The Saw Doctors are trying to preserve the positive elements of our Irish background and marry them to the sounds which have culturally invaded our milieu through TV, radio, social media, 45’s, fast food restaurants, 24-hour petrol stations & electric blankets”. Leo Moran, The Saw Doctors

Ben Mhor Bar traditional music sessions arranged by The Grantown Society.

Mentored group sessions (£5). Bar music session free.

All welcome to come along and play or simply enjoy the bar atmosphere as you listen to master fiddler Paul Anderson and other talents.

Join us in the ballroom at Blair Castle on Thursday 28th August at 7.30pm for a live performance from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Experience an evening of energy and elegance as Jakob Lehmann conducts the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in a concert that sparkles with wit and youthful charm.

The night begins with Rossini’s ever-popular Overture to The Barber of Seville, a whirlwind of bustling brilliance and comedic flair. SCO Principal Clarinet Maximiliano Martín takes centre stage for Spohr’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2, a lyrical gem of the Romantic era that Maximiliano champions with passion and virtuosity.

The concert concludes with Schubert’s Symphony No. 2, a joyful work that brims with youthful exuberance, irresistible melodies and boundless energy.

Kindly supported by Eriadne & George Mackintosh, Claire & Anthony Tait and The Jones Family Charitable Trust.

There will be an interval with tea, coffee and soft drinks available.

Programme:
ROSSINI – Overture, The Barber of Seville
SPOHR – Clarinet Concerto No 2 in E-flat, op 57
SCHUBERT – Symphony No 2 in B-flat
Jakob Lehmann conductor
Maximiliano Martín clarinet

Tickets available from the SCO: Rossini & Schubert | Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Grantown’s artists and makers are opening the doors of their studios in May, allowing you to peek behind the scenes and learn more about their craft.

From painters to ceramicists, from photographers to fabric artists. There is a myriad of beautiful artwork in our town, just waiting to be discovered.

Follow the trail through Grantown to meet Rona Kant, Joanna Wilson, Angus Grant and more, before heading to the outskirts to see stained glass artist Louise Ogilvy and designers Yellow Broom. Then, travel to Dulnain Bridge to see wildlife painter Justin Prigmore and felt artist Linda Brooks.

This event is kindly funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Grantown Business Association.

Please check listings for individual artists before travelling as times may vary.

Join Glenlivet & Inveravon Heritage Ranger Lydia for a talk on Pictish art and symbol stones. We will be looking at four Pictish Stones discovered in the churchyard of Inveraven, which has been a site of spiritual practice and pilgrimage for centuries. This tour will provide an overview to Pictish art and culture and will show how the Picts contributed to the shaping of modern Scotland.

Access to Inveraven Church is off the A95 about half a mile north the entrance to Ballindalloch Castle, and can be found by following the brown tourist sign directing visitors down the single track road to the Inveraven Pictish Stones.

Parking is available at the bottom of the drive before you arrive at the church or in front of the church building.

As we will be outside, please dress appropriately for changeable weather.

Children are very welcome to attend.

Well behaved dogs may attend but must be leashed as there is often livestock on site.

Funded by Foundation Scotland from the Dorenell Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund.

Please note that toilet facilities are not available on site

“Glenlivet it has castles three, Drumin, Blairfindy and Deskie”. This easy guided walk will take us to the 16th century tower house of Blairfindy and begins outside the iconic Glenlivet Distillery. On the walk in we’ll enjoy stunning views over one of Scotland’s most famous glens. You’ll learn a bit about Glenlivet’s rich history and some whisky history too.

Blairfindy Castle was completed in 1564 by John Gordon. In its heyday Blairfindy was a fine example of a three storey L-plan tower house and even today shows a remarkable degree of preservation. A project to stabilise Blairfindy Castle took place in 2019, funded through the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Landscape Partnership, a programme supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The castle is now open to visitors for the first time in decades and has been specially adapted to encourage nesting birds and pollinators.

Still Game fans, this is your chance! Jane McCarry, the brilliant actress behind the legendary Isa Drennan, is back on tour in 2025 – and she’s bringing her hilarious stories and behind-the-scenes secrets to Boat of Garten Community Hall!

📅 Thursday 03 April
⏰ 19:30
📍 Boat of Garten Community Hall

Expect non-stop laughs, exclusive insights, and a chance to ask Jane anything about her life as a TV star. Whether you’re a long-time fan or just love a great night of comedy, this is one show you won’t want to miss!

✨ VIP Meet & Greet tickets available! ✨
Meet Jane in person
Get a photo & signed poster

Boat of Garten will be rocking to the sounds of Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly & Elvis Presley, performed by three incredible artists and a high-energy live band.

Expect all the classic hits, from I Drove All Night to Oh Boy and Return to Sender. Can you resist dancing? We wouldn’t bet on it!

🌟 Featuring Marc Robinson from Stars in Their Eyes & Buddy – The Musical, bringing timeless hits like Heartbeat, Peggy Sue & True Love Ways to life.

📅 Friday 21st March
⏰ 7:30pm (Doors open 6:30pm)
📍 Boat of Garten Community Hall

🎟 Tickets still available: wegottickets.com

Don’t miss out—grab your tickets now and get ready to shake, rattle, and roll!

Come and join us for this extra special music event – home-grown folk music, local heritage and good company, in the Talla nan Ros in the heart of Kingussie, in Badenoch.

Local musicians Hamish Napier (flute, whistles, harmonium, vocals) and Jordan Neil (guitar, Scottish small pipes), a brand new all-Strathspey musical duo, will present a programme of folk music themed on River Spey, surrounding hills and local heritage.

★★★★★ “Napier has the composer’s gift of painting a picture with sound, more evocative that an artist. Superb.” FATEA Magazine