Posts for August, 2023

A night of ceilidh dancing with a live band in Mar Lodge’s Stag’s Ballroom to kick-off the Braemar Gathering weekend.

Doors open at 7:30pm. “Music starts at 8pm and will be provided by The Drams – they were so good last year we’ve invited them back!

Bring your own bottle, although Braemar Brewery drinks, and our own Pinewood Gin (made with botanicals from the estate) will be available to buy.

Stovies, included in the ticket price, will also be provided during the break.

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

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.

Come behind the scenes and discover over 12,000 artifacts of Highland life in our wonderful collections store, brought alive by one of our store tour guides.

Only £6 per adult (no charge for children).

You can book in person at the museum reception or by calling 01349 781650.

Exhibition of work done at this year’s workshops plus entries for Rail Art for Aviemore Station.

There will also be a collection of interesting machines and there will be artists in residence doing their own work

Join us for a walk around Moray’s earliest surviving tower house 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.

“Cathedral and Toun

Wyld wrath did engulf

Lone Lochindorb Castle

The lair of the Wolf”

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.

Please park at the The Drumin Castle car park. This short circular walk will start from the Drumin Castle sign in the car park. Access is by foot along a pedestrian trail and will return by a set of steps. Please dress appropriately for changeable weather.

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.