Posts for July, 2023

Join award-winning musician, music tutor and experienced performer, Hamish Napier, in this local folk music workshop series that builds confidence, theoretical ideas and practical techniques, in a relaxed, fun and highly supportive environment.

At the workshops you can learn how to interpret Scottish folk tunes and how they are accompanied using chord sequences. Open to melody and chord players alike. The tunes chosen by Hamish to learn are mostly locally sourced traditional tunes with strong links to the Badenoch & Strathspey landscape and heritage.

If you would like to join in but want to catch up on the materials from previous months, just sign up to the next workshop and you will get an email from Eventbrite with a link to an online folder containing the resources and video of the previous sessions.

Bring instrument, voice memo recording device (handheld recorder or smartphone with voice memo app), paper, pen and a bit of enthusiasm and self- belief.

The Storylands Sessions are a series of music and storytelling events in Badenoch,  celebrating Highland culture and community, both traditional and contemporary.

Led by musician, Hamish Napier, and writer, Merryn Glover, each month we hold a themed Early and Late Show in Kincraig, where you can join us to perform, or sit back and enjoy.

On the same night as this event, we also hold the Late Show at 8 pm. Same theme, but a bit longer and features a special guests.

6pm to 7pm – doors open at 5.30 (please don’t arrive earlier!)

Ever wished you could take your ideas and experiences and shape them into words for sharing with others?

Join award-winning author and experienced performer, Merryn Glover, in this online workshop series that builds confidence and ideas for just that! In a relaxed, fun and highly supportive environment, we will share our work and find the best ways to get your best words into the world.

We will look at:

– how to gather good ideas

– how to decide if it’s a story or a poem or something in between

– what makes a great story, or a great poem, or a great in-betweeny-thing

– how to write it and RE-write it for improvement

– structure, timing, language, tone and other word craft skills

- ways to share your words – in publication and performance

– whether to memorise, improvise or read

– how to practice

– how to gain confidence to perform

– how to develop your body, breath and voice

– how to deal with nerves, memory lapses and scowling audiences

– how to love it!

Bring paper, pen and a playful spirit.

Open to anyone aged 16+

Ever wished you could take your ideas and experiences and shape them into words for sharing with others?

Join award-winning author and experienced performer, Merryn Glover, in this workshop series that builds confidence and ideas for just that! In a relaxed, fun and highly supportive environment, we will explore stories, poetry and other forms, share our work together and find the best ways to get your best words into the world.

We will look at:

– how to gather good ideas

– how to decide if it’s a story or a poem or something in between

– what makes a great story, or a great poem, or a great in-betweeny-thing

– how to write it and RE-write it for improvement

– structure, timing, language, tone and other word craft skills

- ways to share your words – in publication and performance

– whether to memorise, improvise or read

– how to practice

– how to gain confidence to perform

– how to develop your body, breath and voice

– how to deal with nerves, memory lapses and scowling audiences

– how to love it!

Bring paper, pen and a playful spirit.

Open to anyone aged 16+

Scalan was originally the site of a secret Roman Catholic seminary where priests, known as ‘heather priests’ were trained in the 1700s when Catholicism was prohibited. Following the departure of the priests in 1799, Scalan reverted to a farm.

Two steading buildings were built housing corn threshing mills which served the Glenlivet farming community. The threshing machines and water wheels are still in place along with a wealth of historical graffiti telling the story of farming life in the 19th and 20th centuries.

A major project to conserve the mill buildings took place in 2019, restoring the waterwheel and lade in North Mill and improving visitor access to the site. This was funded through the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Landscape Partnership with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Join members of the Scalan Association and Glenlivet & Inveravon Heritage Ranger Lydia on a guided tour of the site and the mill buildings. In addition to being a special area of historical interest, this area of the Glenlivet Estate abounds with oystercatchers, curlews, and lapwings in the spring and summer months – be sure to bring your binoculars if you have them.

We will be meeting in the Carrachs car park before proceeding by foot along a farm track, 1km from the car park at the end of the public road. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for changeable weather.

Donations to the Scalan Association on the day are most appreciated and help them to care for this special place.

Children are very welcome to attend.
Toilets are available on site in the summer months.

Well behaved dogs are welcome in the mill buildings, but are not permitted in the seminary. Please note that sheep and other livestock live on site. Please be aware that there may be cattle present on the walk in.

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

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.

“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.

This year, award winning Clive John pays homage to Cash’s career as the Man In Black, alongside his iconic wife June Carter (Meghan Thomas) and The Roadshow Horns. With all the hits like Walk the Line, Ring of Fire, Get Rhythm, Orange Blossom Special and Boy Named Sue alongside some of the darker more atmospheric songs such as The Man Comes Around and Hurt, this year’s show is an emotional roller-coaster!

Late summer exhibition showcasing some large wildlife paintings by Andy Graystoke (1939- 2008). Andy worked in wildlife both at London Zoo and at the Highland Wildlife Park, and also painted while there. His paintings are often large scale, detailed gouache works of both animals and birds, beautiful studies.

We will also show other paintings and photographs by local artists, as well as crafts including ceramics, glass, tweed, wood and jewellery. The gallery is also a working fine art studio for artist Kirsty Ritchie and glass artist Anne Bridgen.

Please note Saturday times are 10am-1pm and 2pm-4pm

Join us for an evening with Donald S Murray who will discuss his latest book “Red Star Over Hebrides”, a collection of short stories and song inspired by the whispers from Tsarist Russia that Donald himself heard growing up as a child on Lewis. The Klondykers, Russian fishing vessels, could often be seen off the coast of Stornoway, this book takes focus on the interaction between those aboard the Klondykers and the locals – so come along to hear stories of people from different reaches of the world connecting through a culture of fishing.

Red Star Over Hebrides offers an alternative way of viewing the Minch, not as what separates the islands from the mainland, but opening Scotland up to the Baltic.

Complementary glass of wine.

Tickets available at The Bookmark, 34 Highstreet, Grantown-On-Spey, PH26 3EH