Posts for October, 2023

“Glenlivet it has castles three, Drumin, Blairfindy and Deskie”. This Heritage Ranger led castle 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 fantastic views over the glen. 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 1586 Blairfindy passed to the Earls of Huntly, another branch of the family, who used it as a hunting seat. A panel above the arched doorway bears the Gordon arms and this date. 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.

Research has shown that the castle was probably burned by troops after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and it was never repaired or occupied after this time. 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.

Please park at the The Glenlivet Distillery car park. The walk will start from outside the stillhouse under the green signpost marked ‘Blairfindy Castle 1/2 mile’ (see last photo).

Access is by foot along a dedicated track. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for changeable weather.

Toilets are available inside The Glenlivet Distillery Visitor Centre.

Children are very welcome to attend.

Well behaved dogs are welcome.

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

Join Glenlivet & Inveravon Heritage Ranger Lydia for an introduction to 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 of 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. Please note that toilet facilities are not available on site.

Well behaved dogs may attend but must be leashed.

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

“Dark Nights, Dark Deeds… Death in Grantown”… The Wee Crime Festival is back in Grantown-On-Spey for its 9th year! It will run from Friday the 27th of October to Sunday the 29th. We have a brilliant line up of authors – some familiar faces, and some new. We have Douglas Skelton, Caro Ramsay, Michael J. Malone, S. G. MacLean, Olga Wojtas, James Oswald, Lesley Kelly, and Mark Leggatt.

On the Friday night we do “Pie, Pint and a Play” with the authors, followed on the Saturday by a day packed with author sessions with “The Great Big Crime Fiction Quiz” in the evening. On Sunday morning there will be “The Morning After the Crime Before”, a morning of bacon rolls, tea and coffee, which is followed by our final author session, “Thrills and Spills”.

Tickets available from The Bookmark and subject to availability

Moray’s earliest surviving tower house is reputed to have been built for Scotland’s vilest man- Alexander Stewart, the Wolf of Badenoch.

Drumin Castle is an impressive medieval fortification standing on a commanding bluff overlooking the confluence of the River Livet and the River Avon.

Once we get to the castle, you’ll learn a bit about the architecture, history, and the notorious Wolf, whose evil deeds continue to cast a long shadow in Moray’s history.

This castle has recently reopened after masonry repairs. Access to the first floor is once again possible via a narrow, stone staircase. Sensible footwear is recommended.

Toilets are not available on site.

Children are very welcome to attend.

Well behaved dogs are welcome.

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

TOMS will present a very different Christmas concert, when the 24 voices of Musick Fyne will perform a golden hour of candlelit choral music for Christmas, specialising in the rich church music of the Renaissance.
Musick Fyne often performs for charitable events, so ticket sales revenue, after expenses, will be donated to the Church, and will be used to distribute to those in local communities who would especially benefit from some extra funds at Christmas.

The LONDON BRIDGE PIANO TRIO consists of Ben Hancox on violin, Cara Berridge on cello and Daniel Tong playing piano. The group will play a programme of Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert.

SHADES OF SAMMY is the first ever performance series of the band, featuring classic Big Band hits from the Jazz Master Sammy Nestico as well as contemporary tunes. The sizzling energy and impressive repertoire that this talented collective will put on stage is the perfect entertainment for this Sunday afternoon.

Our last market of the season – lots of locally produced food, drink, crafts and gifts. Come and have a mooch around our wonderful wares – there will be Christmas gifts ideas and delicious treats in abundance!

The most magical time of year wouldnt be complete without a trip to a Christmas Market, so join us for Boat of Garten’s popular Christmas Market here at the Community Hall.

Enter our Winter Wonderland and shop local and support the best of our local businesses, crafters and charities.

The Hall will be providing a BBQ, hot and cold drinks, home baking and some mulled drinks too to warm you up.

Tables are already starting to go, so if you have products you would like to sell at our market, get in touch – 01479 831123

Come along and explore our collections store this Doors Open Weekend. The store will be open each afternoon for you to enjoy with our team of curators and guides on hand to answer any questions you may have on the 12,000 objects that we have in our collection. Donations welcome.