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The Herald Scotland
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland's 10 best summer festivals that are not Edinburgh Festival
So what other festival treats can we snaffle up in Scotland over the summer? Here are 10 that might just be worth risking the weather for. TRNSMT is Glasgow's big summer music festival (Image: free) Eden Festival Moffat, June 12-15 Growing out of the Wickerman Festival, Eden is now in its 14th year and prides itself on being a family-friendly festival with activities for all ages. Wellness is a big strand of the festival with an extensive programme of workshops (if you've ever wanted to make nipple tassels, well, here's your chance). But of course the main draw will be its wildly eclectic music programme (more than 250 acts over 10 stages) which takes in DJs, Dub and Jungle sound systems, English punk duo Bob Vylan, Africa's Orchestra Baobab, American hip-hop group Slum Village and Scotland's own The Bluebells. Someone in that line-up is going to get those tassels twirling, surely? The Bluebells (Image: free) Solas Festival Errol Park, Perthshire, June 20-22 'A Summer Celebration of Music, Arts and Wellbeing' is the pitch for this bespoke festival located between Perth and Dundee. That means everything from yoga sessions to spoon carving and Indian Head Massages. There's also music and arts onsite, with appearances from the likes of headliner Hamish Hawk, Scottish folk band Kinnaris Quartet and Iranian classical musician Aref Ghorbani, as well as a literature programme that features Len Pennie. Len Pennie (Image: free) East Neuk Festival Fife, June 25-29 No one ever needs an excuse to visit the East Neuk, but this festival is a gorgeous optional extra at the end of June. Classical music is at the heart of it and it takes place in churches and town halls in Crail, Anstruther, Kilrenny, Cellardyke, and on Bowhouse Farm. This year's programme sees a focus on Beethoven's Late Quartets and Schubert Song Cycles, and features an impressive array of classical musicians including Diyang Mei, the Belcea, Castilian, Elias and Pavel Haas Quartets, Sally Beamish, tenor Mark Padmore and baritone James Newby. Jazz is represented by the Euan Stevenson Trio and the Tom Smith Septet. Pipe player Kathryn Tickell's show is already a sellout, but there will be a chance to see oud maestro Nizar Rohana. And guitarist Sean Shibe will be giving a number of performances over the long weekend. Nizar Rohana (Image: Nizar Rohana) If this gives you a taste for classical music near the seaside then you should check out the Lammermuir Festival in East Lothian ( in September. Kelburn Garden Party Kelburn Castle and Estate, Ayrshire, July 3-7 Back for a 15th year, Kelburn Garden Party is a little mini Glastonbury in the middle of Ayrshire. Combining music, art installations and theatre, it's the chance to lose yourself just off the A78. The music programme is eclectic with a capital E. Peruvian singer-songwriter Soufia Kourtesis will make her Scottish debut, Drum 'n' bass master Dillinja will also be on hand and there will be sets from Jamz Supernova, Shooglenifty and The Rebecca Vasmant Ensemble. And, of course, you have to explore the Neverending Glen. HebCelt Festival Isle of Lewis, July 16-19 HebCelt is nearly 30 now and it's now difficult to imagine a Scottish summer without it. This year's music programme mixes up Scottish folk, trad and pop names, with Tide Lines, Eddi Reader, pedal harpist and clarsach player Ciorstaidh Beaton, Kassidy and the indestructible Lulu all booked to play (and that's just a small sample of the line-up). NB, this is a festival where the majority of acts are women. There are certain Glasgow festivals that might take a lesson. Meanwhile, An Lanntair will also be hosting music events alongside a hat making workshop and a couple of ceilidhs. TravFest25 Edinburgh, July 25-August 24 Lucie Barat (Image: Corinne Cumming) Breaching my 'strictly no Edinburgh guidelines', it seems worth flagging up the Traverse Theatre's festival programme which features three world premieres, three UK premieres and three Scottish premieres amongst its 12 productions. This summer will see the return of John Tiffany, former associate director of the National Theatre of Scotland, who's teaming up with writer Johnny McKnight to direct She's Behind You, exploring our love of panto. Meanwhile, Lucie Barat - sister of Libertines frontman Carl Barat - is bringing her autobiographical play Standing in the Shadows of Giants to Edinburgh for its world premiere. Other shows hail from Belfast and Nova Scotia. Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival Inverness, July 31-August 2 Now 21 years old, Belladrum has a line-up that might be aiming at the older brothers and sisters of TRNSMT attendees. Or maybe even their parents. This year's headliners are Texas, Supergrass and Paul Heaton (formerly of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South), with a supporting line that includes Tom Walker, Natasha Bedingfield, English rapper Example, the wonderful CMAT (the world's best pop star right now) and, umm, Gok Wan. Inevitably, there's a strong Scottish folk strand to the programme, with the likes of Karine Polwart and Tide Lines performing. And Doctor Who fans take note, recent The Herald Magazine cover star Peter Capaldi will also be playing. Fringe By the Sea North Berwick, August 1-10 This seaside adjunct to the main events in the capital has been going for the best part of two decades now and it provides a sweet-and-salty alternative to battling through the crowds on the Royal Mile. This year's line-up is typically eclectic, with everyone from Ruby Wax and Joe Wicks to Rory Stewart and Artie's Singing Kettle making an appearance. As well as a new music film festival event, music highlights include Hamish Hawk (clearly a mainstay on this year's festival circuit), Eddi Reader (ditto), Pictish Trail, Ezra Collective, Dave from Blur talking and DJing and, best of all, French synth duo Air, in town to perform their classic 1998 album Moon Safari in full. It's an album that sounded like a dreamy, hazy long-ago memory back then. What will it sound like now? Oh and The Boomtown Rats are about too, if that's your kind of thing. Nairn Book and Arts Festival Nairn, August 30-September 7 Sally Magnusson (Image: JULIE HOWDEN) The programme for this year's Highland celebration of literature, music, visual art and film will be announced later this month, but last year saw Sally Magnusson, Irvine Welsh and Jackie Kay all visit the Moray Firth. Team it up with a visit to the Wigtown Book Festival at the end of September and you'll have covered the country. Lochaber Live Fort William, September 12-14 Locabher no more, no more. (Sorry, not sorry.) After a 30-year absence, Lochaber Live has been brought back to life thanks to Manran's Gary Innes. Following last year's revival, it returns this September to An Aird Shinty Field in Fort WIlliam, with a programme full of familiar trad and folk names including Karen Matheson, The Peatbog Faeries, Trail West, Breabach, Cara DIllon, Fara and Manran, obviously. Fort William gets a bad name (it was voted 'worst place to visit in Scotland' last year), but it has a fine bookshop, a great cinema, and couldn't be better located. The revival of Lochaber Live is another step in the revival of the place. And how many times can you combine a festival weekend with a walk up Ben Nevis?
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Scotsman
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Len Pennie: Poet who posted daily Scots word videos during Covid wins top literary award
Scots poet Len Pennie has won a major literary award. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers 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... A book of poetry by a writer who shot to fame during the Covid pandemic with her daily videos of Scots words has scooped a top literary prize. Len Pennie's work, Poyums, which is now a Scottish Qualifications Authority set text and is written in English and Scots, has been named Discover Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. It is the first time in ten years that a poetry book has won an award known in the industry as the 'Nibbies'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Pennie, who has since published a second volume of poetry, Poyums Annaw, is published by Canongate Books. The award spotlights authors in underrepresented genres. Scottish children's author Julia Donaldson meanwhile won this year's Children's Illustrated book award with long-time illustration partner Axel Scheffler, for their book Jonty Gentoo: The Adventures of a Penguin. Repeat shortlistees and previous winners in 2020, Donaldson and Scheffler's best-selling story of a penguin on the journey of a lifetime was their highest value picture book since 2004. Overall Book of the Year 2025 was awarded to Patriot by Alexei Navalny, the posthumous memoir of the Russian opposition leader. His wife, Yuliya Navalny, who is to appear at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this summer, beat Boris Johnson, Gillian Anderson and Sir Chris Hoy in winning the award. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Len Pennie is the first poet to win a prize at the British Book Awards in ten years. | Book Awards Other winners include Percival Everett, who won Author of the Year and Fiction Book of the Year for his 24th novel James, on a shortlist that featured David Nicholls, Sally Rooney, Colm Tóibín and Jacqueline Wilson. Philip Jones, chair of The British Book Awards, said: 'The 35th year of these fabulous awards was the best yet, combining politics with pluralism, joy with hope. Our winners - among them Percival Everett, Kate Mosse, Rob Biddulph, Julia Donaldson, Waterstones, and Bloomsbury - speak to the great strengths of this trade. 'Excellence, fortitude. Imagination. Defiance. Longevity. Ingenuity. This is a business that stands for reading and its value to society. And for three decades now The British Book Awards has stood with it. The challenges we face - from artificial intelligence to authoritarianism - are growing, but we are many and we will not be moved from this purpose.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kate Mosse, writer and founder of the Women's Prize, was awarded The British Book Award for Social Impact in celebration of Allen Lane, sponsored by Penguin Random House. The new award is inspired by Mr Lane and his mission to widen access to books and democratise reading. Rebecca Sinclair, chief brand officer at Penguin Random House UK, said: 'This is a special year, as we celebrate 90 years since Penguin's founder Allen Lane changed reading with his launch of the first ten Penguin paperbacks. His transformative – some thought outlandish – idea was to provide quality literature at an affordable price. Widening access to books, in all forms and formats, is as relevant today as it was back in 1935.
Glasgow Times
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
How to enter Scottish Wildlife Trust writing competition
The contest, held in association with the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, is now open for entries. This year, the theme is 'From source to sea' and participants are encouraged to submit original works about Scotland's freshwater and marine habitats. Read more: Rising stand-up comedians to perform in Glasgow for first time Entries can take the form of poetry, short stories, journalistic articles, essays, letters, or even song lyrics, and can be written in English, Scots, or Gaelic. Jo Pike, chief executive of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: "Following a hugely successful competition last year, we're thrilled to bring back Words of the Wild for 2025. "This year we're focusing on the incredible wildlife and habitats found in and around Scotland's lochs, rivers and seas. "Whether it's a memorable moment on a riverside walk, an awesome experience at a seabird city or an epic encounter on one of our snorkel trails, we can't wait to read everyone's stories." River woodland (Image: Scottish Wildlife Trust) The competition will select an adult and junior winner for each language, with more than £2,000 worth of prizes to be won. Entries are limited to one per person and can be up to 1,000 words in length. Adult prizes include a pair of binoculars from Viking Optical and a selection of nature books from Canongate, while junior prizes include a snorkelling set from Arran Active and a £100 wildlife equipment voucher for NHBS. The judging panel features notable names from literature and conservation, including Scots poet Len Pennie, Scottish Wildlife Trust chair Dr Kenny Taylor, and former Scots Scriever Susi Briggs. The deadline for submissions is Saturday, July 12, with the winners to be announced at the Scottish International Storytelling Festival in October. Read more: Orchestra release new album after collaborating with Glasgow recording studio Dr Taylor said: "Nature has inspired some of Scotland's greatest literary creations, from the tim'rous beastie in Rabbie Burns' 'To a Mouse', to Nan Shepherd's exploration of the Cairngorms in 'The Living Mountain'. "Last year's competition highlighted that this talent and connection to nature is still alive and well in the writers of Scotland, and I'm delighted to be involved once again." Donald Smith, director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, said: 'Nothing touches us more deeply than our experiences of natural life. "We have to dig creatively into our powers of language and the gift of storytelling to express them. "I am sure that this year's competition theme 'From Source to Sea' will evoke a host of evocative journeys and encounters.' More information about the competition, including details on how to enter, can be found on the Scottish Wildlife Trust's website.
