What's On
this Summer
in Scotland
Edinburgh’s festivals
The eight Edinburgh summer festivals that take place annually are:
Edinburgh International Film Festival (19 - 30 June 2013) www.edfilmfest.org.uk
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Visit: www.edinburghjazzfestival.com
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Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival (19-28 July 2013) www.edinburghjazzfestival.com
Edinburgh Art Festival (1 August - 1 September 2013) www.edinburghartfestival.com
Edinburgh Military Tattoo (2-24 August 2013) www.edintattoo.co.uk
Edinburgh Festival Fringe (2-26 August 2013) www.edfringe.com
Edinburgh International Festival (9 August - 1 September 2013) www.eif.co.uk
Edinburgh International Book Festival (10-26 August) www.edbookfest.co.uk
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| Book Festival: John McCarthy |
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| Book Festival: Ian Rankin |
Edinburgh Mela Festival (31 August - 1 September) www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk
Glasgow
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| Visit: www.merchantcityfestival.com |
Glasgow’s Merchant City Festival, (www.merchantcityfestival.com) which returns this year from 24-28 July 2013. The festival has an exciting five-day programme filled with street art, music, dance, theatre, design, heritage, film, visual art, comedy and food & drink. Highlights for 2013 include Vintage Glasgow which celebrates seven decades of British cool. There is also a dedicated family zone with interactive events, spontaneous performances and fun activities for children and families.
Dumfries & Galloway
Dumfries & Galloway has a great deal to offer festival fans this summer. The town of Dundrennan plays host to the famous Wickerman Festival (26 - 27 July 2013) www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk. Aside from an eclectic line-up of music acts, the site is a wonderland for adults and children alike with a cinema, fun fair, circus entertainment, grass sledging, mountain biking and array of arts and craft activities scattered throughout its fields. The two-day event culminates with an unforgettable finale as a towering 40ft Wickerman is spectacularly set alight.
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| Visit: www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk |
An ideal festival to visit during the Year of Natural Scotland, the Environmental Art Festival Scotland (EAFS) (www.environmentalartfestivalscotland.com) is also in Dumfries & Galloway and is brand new for 2013. The EAFS aims to promote and develop environmental art, as well as celebrate the landscape in south west Scotland, with celebrate and develop environmental artcelebrate and develop environmental artevents taking place from June to August building up to the festival from 30 August – 2 September 2013. Four specially commissioned pieces of artwork have been created for the festival to be enjoyed as part of the great outdoors in Dumfries & Galloway.
Fife, Kinross, Perth
Heading across the Firth of Forth, visitors will be able to indulge in a celebration of art at the East Neuk Festival in Fife (www.eastneukfestival.com), which runs from 3 to 7 July 2013. The festival’s programme includes classical chamber music, as well as presenting world, jazz, folk and electronic, literature and art talks and special events for children. In addition to the area’s (and indeed Scotland’s) most music festival, T in the Park (www.tinthepark.com) held each summer in Balado, Kinross, music fans visiting the area can also head to Scone Palace in Perth, which will host the popular Rewind Festival (26-28 August) www.rewindfestival.com - a celebration of music from the 1980s.
Aberdeen
There are plenty of festivals and fun events taking place further north. The Aberdeen International Youth Festival (26 July - 3 August 2013) is one of the world’s biggest celebrations of youth arts, presenting a programme of top class performances from around Scotland and the rest of the world.
Highlands
The Tartan Heart Festival, (www.aiyf.org) located in Beauly, Inverness-shire, in the Highlands, is celebrating 10 years in 2013, and will be running from 2 to 3 August. The event is described as Scotland’s ‘wackiest festival of music and performing arts’, with a variety of acts and entertainment, including events for children. Meanwhile, the Loopallu festival (www.loopallu.co.uk) in the picturesque west coast town of Ullapool in the Highlands, continues to attract top music acts to the area and will be held this year from 20 to 21 September.
Islands
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| Visit: www.hebceltfest.com |
Travellers to Scotland in search of adventure and visiting the Islands will come across various festivals, including the Sail Stornoway (www.sailhebrides.info), a Hebridean Maritime Festival (15-20 July 2013); the event provides a week of sailing and related activities around the Isle of Lewis. Also held on the Isle of Lewis is the Hebridean Celtic Festival www.hebceltfest.com (which scooped the award for “Best Large Event” at the Scottish Event Awards in 2011). Renowned for creating a magical atmosphere, the festival’s main focus is the Castle Grounds at Stornoway. It will run from 17 to 20 July and the line-up of events includes live music, circus workshops, Celtic dancing, street theatre and fun for the whole family.
For further information on festivals, events and things to do in Scotland
Getting there
By air:
Edinburgh from Dublin
Ryanair www.ryanair.com
Edinburgh from Knock
Fly Be www.flybe.com
Edinburgh from Shannon
Aer Lingus www.aerlingus.com
Edinburgh from Cork
Aer Lingus www.aerlingus.com
By Sea:
Ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan
Stena Line www.stenaline.ie
Larne to Troon
P& O Ferries www.poferries.com
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