Monty Python classic to be screened at Scottish castle
According to Eric Idle the film had a total budget of £175k (around £1.6m adjusted for inflation), with the Pythons making a joke of the fact by eschewing real horses in favour of miming horse riding while porters banged coconut shells together.
Read More:
Much of the filming took place at Doune Castle, including a famous scene with a rude French knight who tells the grail-seekers "your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" before firing livestock at them from a catapult.
To celebrate 50 years of the film, exclusive screenings will be shown at the castle from Friday 22 August to Sunday 24.
Gillian Urquhart, Events Manager at HES, said: 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail is an iconic film which has been loved by audiences for 50 years. To celebrate the anniversary of its the release, we're delighted to host showings of the film in the historic Doune Castle which served as the backdrop to a number of filming locations.'
The screenings will take place in the historic Great Hall from the HES website.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
15 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Diego Velazquez sold ahead of Jacques le Marois start
He will remain in training with Aidan O'Brien for the remainder of the 2025 season, with a view to retiring to the National Stud in Newmarket at the end of the year. He will wear the famous silks of the late Robert Sangster in the Marois. A Group-race winner at two, three and four, most recently in the Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh, Diego Velazquez will bid for a first Group One success at Deauville this weekend, where he will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon. Purchasing the horse for a 'high-profile' syndicate, Sangster said: 'He is a horse that leaves little to the imagination, he is the stamp of his father and a top-class racehorse to match. 'He's done it at Group Two level across three seasons and was Classic-placed (fourth in the French 2000 Guineas), which gives him a rare depth of form and longevity. 'The Jacques le Marois is the immediate target, and from there we have a number of exciting Group One races to consider, we are in world-class hands in that respect. 'With the strength of the ownership group and the National Stud behind him, this horse has every chance of being a major success both on the track and at stud we believe he will be very well received by European breeders.' Diego Velazquez will join the stallion roster at the National Stud for the 2026 breeding season, with further details to be announced in due course, and Sangster said: 'We've been on the hunt for a horse like this for some time, and I'd like to thank the team at Coolmore for giving us the opportunity to get involved with a colt of his calibre.' Soumillon's mount is one of 10 left in the Marois, with O'Brien also responsible for former Derby favourite The Lion In Winter and Rosallion (Richard Hannon), Notable Speech (Charlie Appleby) and Dancing Gemini (Roger Teal) representing British interests. Sangster added: 'He'll be running in the Sangster family colours, which will be one for the old romantics and it is very exciting, that is for sure. 'It will be a very exciting weekend for us with Rashabar running in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano on Saturday and Christophe Soumillon is booked to ride both.' The Lion In Winter has raced over a variety of distances this season, finishing sixth on his belated reappearance in the Dante Stakes at York over a mile and a quarter before coming home 14th of 18 over a mile and a half in the Derby. He performed far better when a close-up third in the Prix Jean Prat over seven furlongs last time and O'Brien is looking forward to seeing him tackle what he feels could be his optimum trip. 'Everything seems good with The Lion In Winter. Obviously he started back this year late, we just tried to get a run into him for the Derby and he ran in the Dante and looked pacey,' he told Sky Sports Racing. 'You're never sure and he obviously went to the Derby and it was very apparent very quickly that he was probably a miler the way he went through the race. 'We had our eye on this race, but we felt we had to get a run into him over a shorter distance before he went and the Deauville race was perfect. It was three-year-olds only, we knew he wouldn't be fully primed up for it as it was first run back after going back a mile and a half over seven furlongs, so we were delighted with the run. 'He ran a lovely race, we've been very happy with him since and we're looking forward to running him over the mile as it's a distance that's going to really suit him we think. 'We weren't expecting him to run that well on his first run back at a shorter distance, but we felt to go to the race on Sunday he had to have a run like that.' Of Diego Velazquez, he added: 'He hasn't really had the rub of the green, little things have held him up. 'We always felt that he was a miler, we were very happy with his run the last day over seven furlongs which we thought was tight enough for him. 'He's very well and has made great progress since his last run. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do as the track and the trip and ground should suit him.'
Glasgow Times
25 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Diego Velazquez sold ahead of Jacques le Marois start
He will remain in training with Aidan O'Brien for the remainder of the 2025 season, with a view to retiring to the National Stud in Newmarket at the end of the year. He will wear the famous silks of the late Robert Sangster in the Marois. A Group-race winner at two, three and four, most recently in the Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh, Diego Velazquez will bid for a first Group One success at Deauville this weekend, where he will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon. Purchasing the horse for a 'high-profile' syndicate, Sangster said: 'He is a horse that leaves little to the imagination, he is the stamp of his father and a top-class racehorse to match. 'He's done it at Group Two level across three seasons and was Classic-placed (fourth in the French 2000 Guineas), which gives him a rare depth of form and longevity. 'The Jacques le Marois is the immediate target, and from there we have a number of exciting Group One races to consider, we are in world-class hands in that respect. 'With the strength of the ownership group and the National Stud behind him, this horse has every chance of being a major success both on the track and at stud we believe he will be very well received by European breeders.' Diego Velazquez will join the stallion roster at the National Stud for the 2026 breeding season, with further details to be announced in due course, and Sangster said: 'We've been on the hunt for a horse like this for some time, and I'd like to thank the team at Coolmore for giving us the opportunity to get involved with a colt of his calibre.' Soumillon's mount is one of 10 left in the Marois, with O'Brien also responsible for former Derby favourite The Lion In Winter and Rosallion (Richard Hannon), Notable Speech (Charlie Appleby) and Dancing Gemini (Roger Teal) representing British interests. Sangster added: 'He'll be running in the Sangster family colours, which will be one for the old romantics and it is very exciting, that is for sure. 'It will be a very exciting weekend for us with Rashabar running in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano on Saturday and Christophe Soumillon is booked to ride both.' The Lion In Winter has raced over a variety of distances this season, finishing sixth on his belated reappearance in the Dante Stakes at York over a mile and a quarter before coming home 14th of 18 over a mile and a half in the Derby. He performed far better when a close-up third in the Prix Jean Prat over seven furlongs last time and O'Brien is looking forward to seeing him tackle what he feels could be his optimum trip. 'Everything seems good with The Lion In Winter. Obviously he started back this year late, we just tried to get a run into him for the Derby and he ran in the Dante and looked pacey,' he told Sky Sports Racing. 'You're never sure and he obviously went to the Derby and it was very apparent very quickly that he was probably a miler the way he went through the race. 'We had our eye on this race, but we felt we had to get a run into him over a shorter distance before he went and the Deauville race was perfect. It was three-year-olds only, we knew he wouldn't be fully primed up for it as it was first run back after going back a mile and a half over seven furlongs, so we were delighted with the run. 'He ran a lovely race, we've been very happy with him since and we're looking forward to running him over the mile as it's a distance that's going to really suit him we think. 'We weren't expecting him to run that well on his first run back at a shorter distance, but we felt to go to the race on Sunday he had to have a run like that.' Of Diego Velazquez, he added: 'He hasn't really had the rub of the green, little things have held him up. 'We always felt that he was a miler, we were very happy with his run the last day over seven furlongs which we thought was tight enough for him. 'He's very well and has made great progress since his last run. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do as the track and the trip and ground should suit him.'
Scotsman
3 hours ago
- Scotsman
I tried 'hidden' art inspired bar in the heart of Edinburgh - it's a must-visit
If you're looking for a place to enjoy a cocktail or two, as well as some street performers, then this pop-up bar is well worth a visit. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... With the Edinburgh Festivals in full swing, the city is buzzing with performers , visitors and residents. With so much going on, it's always welcome when you find a spot to relax and soak up the atmosphere. Ideally with a nice drink or two. A new, and relatively unknown spot, is the French Institute, just off the Royal Mile. It's home to Le Bistrot, a 'down to earth' French restaurant that's billed as being great value. And, for the month of August, there will also be a pop-up Amethyst bar serving £10 cocktails. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad X Muse cocktails at the Amethyst bar in Edinburgh. | Rosalind Erskine From the team behind Jupiter Artland and X Muse vodka, and the Edinburgh Art Festival (EAF), this serene bar has high tables and chairs and white walls adorned with black and white pictures of the many artworks at Jupiter Artland, which is situated just outside of Edinburgh. The feature of the room is the large number of amethyst crystals which appear to pour out of a fireplace. These are in homage to the installation, The Light Pours Out Of Me by Anya Gallacio at Jupiter Artland, and its inspiration behind the production process of X Muse vodka, which is made using two barley spirits which are blended to create a smooth spirit. I tried it for the first time last year and was converted to vodka martinis because of it. X Muse is the first blended barley vodka and has been inspired by the spirit-making traditions of Scotland. It came about thanks to a collaboration between Robert and Vadim Grigoryan, a renowned drinks industry expert who worked for years with Pernod Ricard. It also has links to amethyst as the liquid from the distillation process of the vodka rests on amethyst crystals, linking to natural energetic healing and in reference to Anya Gallaccio's amethyst grotto at the Jupiter Artland estate. Running for three weeks in August (6-23), the pop-up bar has an outdoor terrace, inside bar and creative space with bespoke cocktails inspired by the art works of Jupiter Artland, the spiritual home of X Muse vodka and art visitor estate. The Amethyst bar blends contemporary art and mixology together reflecting the brand's unique commitment to art and artists. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Each of the bespoke cocktails on the menu (all priced at £10) has been crafted by some of Edinburgh's most talented bartenders, drawing direct inspiration from artworks located within the Jupiter Artland grounds, such as: Cells of Life by Charles Jencks, Star/Steer by Ian Hamilton Finlay, The Light Pours Out Of Me by Anya Gallacio, and Cafe Party by Nicolas Party. Visitors will be able to enjoy the curated cocktail menu and neat tasting serves of X Muse and its two distinct barleys. The pop-up will also feature a terrace space on the Royal Mile, providing a perfect point of relaxation to soak in the festival atmosphere. I visited on the day the bar opened to find a peaceful spot amid the chaos of the Royal Mile. The small but well curated cocktail menu will appeal to those looking for a twist on the classics and the Scots Pine martini - a refreshing take on the classic pour which has been made using needles and cones Scots pine. Vadim Grigoryan, co-founder and creative director of X Muse said: 'X Muse has art in its DNA. Since its inception we have been organically building our relationships with the world of art through our pop-up bars, such as at Venice Art Biennale. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Our partnership with EAF is a very logical continuation of this belief in the transformational power of art, what I call 'Art Thinking' in my book. The Amethyst bar is treated in this way to the utmost details of its cocktails - both delicious and meaningful.'
