Arts, culture and heritage

The programme for the first-ever Foraging Fortnight has launched, with events ranging from woodland walks to wild food feasts to foraged cocktails!

This LEADER-funded project takes place from 31 August to 15 September and will feature a wide range of events across five diverse regions of Scotland: Lanarkshire, Fife, Moray, Forth Valley and Loch Lomond, and Orkney.

A new exhibition telling the story of the Cairngorms has been opened by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy Fergus Ewing. 

'The Cairngorm Story' is Cairngorm Mountain's newest visitor attraction, located at the base station of the mountain. 

The exhibition tells the story of the Cairngorms -- its wildlife, mountains, unique natural environment -- and highlights the achievements of mountaineers, Olympians, photographers, writers and artists from the area.

A new festival focusing on Scotland's myths, legends and dark history will launch in Upper Nithsdale in the autumn.

Award-winning tour creators and guides, Mostly Ghostly are behind the Festival of Folklore, which will run from 27-29 September 2019. The festival will feature storytelling, art, tours and trails with festival locations including Crawick Multiverse, A’ the Airts, Wanlockhead Museum of Lead Mining, the dramatic Kirkconnel hills and historic streets of Sanquhar. 

The Gatehouse Development Initiative has been working with Forestry and Land Scotland to develop apprentices’ dyking skills as part of an Erasmus+ project to transfer traditional rural skills.

Visitors can discover the story of Scotland's first Formula One World Champion at a new museum in the Scottish Borders.

The Jim Clark Motorsports Museum in Duns has opened to the public today (11 July 2019). The museum, operated by Live Borders, includes two of Jim Clark’s race cars, new image galleries, film footage, interactive displays and a simulator. There is also expanded exhibition space showcasing memorabilia and the trophy collection.

The 2019 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration are currently open for entries.

​These prestigious awards are delivered each year by SURF, a regeneration forum with over 300 cross-sector member organisations across Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Government.

The purpose of the awards is to highlight, celebrate and share the achievements of initiatives that address physical, social and economic challenges in communities across Scotland.

This year is the 18th anniversary of the Darvel Music Festival and since 2002 well over three hundred acts have entertained thousands of music fans at the town hall.

Visitors come from all over Scotland, the UK and beyond to enjoy the Darvel ‘Experience’ and the organisers expect a surge of interest for the four concerts they have scheduled for November 2019 and March 2020.

In early July a free Android app will guide visitors and local people around the West Mainland of Orkney. Orcadian Tom Muir, a traditional storyteller, and his American wife Rhonda Muir are creators of Orkneyology.com and organisers of the Orkney Storytelling Festival.​ Here, they tell us more about the Orkney Folklore Trail app. 

People are being encouraged to ‘Discover Upper Nithsdale’ with the launch of a new tourist trail which aims to ‘change the story’ of the area from economic deprivation to tourism success.