Rampant Scotland Directory!

Events

Special events from Highland Games to concerts are listed on this page. Regular events, such as Festivals and Theatres have their own separate pages.



Separator line


Festivals in Scotland

This is a large section within the "Arts" page of Rampant Scotland detailing the Web sites of all the major and many of the minor festivals which take place across Scotland.

Scottish Tourist Board - Events in Scotland

Part of the much larger Tourist Board site, this is the area where they list forthcoming events, month by month.

What's On When

A guide to events in Scotland indexed by date, type of event or location. Covers classical music to clubs and parties, film to food and drink, and literature to opera - and a whole lot more.

Scotland Group Guide

This is the extensive events guide section of a large site designed to help you organise your visit to Scotland.

Live Music Listings in Scotland

These pages give a very good list of live music events in pubs and clubs around Scotland for the current month.

Highlands and Islands Arts Ltd (HI Arts) is an independent company limited by guarantee with charitable status, established in 1990 to promote and develop the arts in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The site has an active map and site search for art and entertainment events across the Highlands - including the Screen Machine, the mobile cinema for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, delivering new movies on the move in some of the most rural and remote communities of Scotland.

Traditional Music Sessions is a collection point for sessions (pub-based gathering of musicians) around Scotland. Lists the events and locations and links where available.

Scotland Calling has a gig Guide, concert reviews, latest releases and album reviews.

Skyelive is a listing of live music events on the Isle of Skye (though extension to the other Western Isles is planned so that the site can become the definitive guide to live music on the Islands).

TimeOut: Glasgow

The Entertainment section of the Timeout Glasgow site covers a range of clubs and theatres and a passable list of city and suburban cinemas. Likewise, the Timeout: Edinburgh entertainment section has a good list of Edinburgh Clubs and, unusually, choral and organ concerts in the Music in Churches section.

Glasgow Entertainment Guide

Designed to give you a quick guide to some of the best nights out in Glasgow. It covers pubs and clubs in particular but also cinema and live music.

Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre

SECC in Glasgow is Scotland's national venue for public events. It's also the UK's largest integrated exhibition and conference centre. The site provides a comprehensive review of forthcoming events at the SECC and an online Booking Service for all events not just at the SECC but also a selection of events elsewhere in Glasgow.

Scottish Food Fortnight

SFF is a national campaign in the last two weeks of September where producers, retailers, restaurateurs and hoteliers across Scotland organize local events to promote the Scottish produce that they either sell or make. In this way awareness is raised of the quality and variety of the food on offer in Scotland. The Web site lists all the associated events and the educational elements of the fortnight.

Tredmark Glasgow

This is guide to the underground and music scene in Glasgow Scotland, offering an online community for DJs, electronic music artists, and sound designers, promoting the work of Scottish music artists to the world wide web. There's a rundown on the various DJs about town as well as samples of the latest house, jungle, hip hop, dance, garage, funk, ambient and trance vinyl and records. There is also a 'whats on' section for a rundown on all of Glasgows clubs and pubs. The site requires the Flash 5 plugin.

Doors Open Day

Throughout September members of the public get a unique once a year chance to visit some of Scotland's most interesting buildings completely free of charge. This site lists the participating venues across the country.

Going Nova

This is is an exciting new event that will take place in Moray on 10, 11 and 12 November 2005. It provides a chance to get up close with some of the biggest names in physics and engineering. There will be talks, dicsussions, hands-on activities and an exhibition, providing a lot of new things to think about for businesses, schools and the local community.

Highland Games and Festivals Around the World

Alba Games is an unofficial guide for anyone interested in the throwing events (Heavy Events) at Highland Games held in Scotland. There is information on future events and results from previous years and a growing library of pictures.

Bundadoon Highland Gathering in the village of Bundadoon (sometimes referred to as "Brigadoon" for obvious reasons) in New South Wales, Australia has earned an enviable reputation over nearly 30 years as the premier site for hosting in April each year a traditional Highland Games. The street parade features 20 Pipe Bands from all over the State as well as decorated floats and marching Clan Societies. There are over 150 specialist stalls with Scottish food ands memorabilia, a full programme of Highland and Scottish Country dancing, heavy events - and a Ceilidh in the evening for those with energy left.

Caledonian Club of San Francisco Scottish Highland Gathering and Games has been running for over 130 years. The event takes place at the Labor Day weekend in Pleasanton, California. It incorporates the Scottish Athletics World Championships.

Central Florida Highland Games have a number of interesting activities including handfasting, the Battle of Bannockburn re-enacted, and all the traditional events which we all love and enjoy. They also have a new-look "Royal Mile"!!

Grandfather Mountain Highland Games are famous the world over.

Highlands of Durham is a 4 day Highland Games and Celtic Celebration in Port Perry and Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada. There is a Military Tattoo and Massed Band Ceremony and Ceilidh and the heavy games include the caber toss, stone and hammer throws and a tug-o-war competition. The burning of the Viking Ship is the grand finale to these games.

Jacksonville Highland Games take place in Florida which must make it warm work tossing that caber!

Japan Scottish Highland Games are a highlight of Tokyo's autumn calendar with piping and dancing, with experts flown in from Scotland to judge the competitions. There are traditional 'heavy' events, such as 'tossing the caber' and 'putting the stane' and modern events such as 5-a-side football and tug-o-war. The Website has details of when/where plus illustrations.

Events in the Kalamazoo Scottish Festival in Michigan include a Ceilidh, athletics, Scottish dancing and, of course, pipe bands. There are also demonstrations of spinning and weaving.

Kincardine Scottish Festival and Highland Games is held at the end of July in Victoria Park, Kincardine, Ontario, Canada on the shores of Lake Huron. It starts with a golf tournament and there is a clan parade, piping and highland dancing. To promote the event, they have declared Fridays as "Tartan Fridays" and a Tartan Patrol checks business and people on their use of tartan.

Mallaig & Morar Highland Games take place at Traigh Farm, Arisaig. Also included in this site is information on anything you would need to know about the local area if you wished to travel to see the beautiful scenic landscape associated with the villages of Mallaig and Morar, such as the Silver Sands of Morar, and the journey from Fort William to Mallaig, also known as The Road To The Isles.

Ohio Scottish Games take place each year attracting Scots from far and wide. In addition to the usual features of such events, the Ohio games has massed pipe bands, border collies and a genealogy booth to help those researching their family tree.

The Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games and Clan Gathering is held at King County Fairgrounds, Enumclaw, Washington.

Scottish American Athletics Association provides a FAQ on the "heavy" events at Highland Games, plenty of illustrations of athletes in action and a calendar of events where you can see the action for yourself.

The Scottish Tourist Board provides a search engine for Highland games and Gathering Events in Scotland. Select the month, year and category of event in an area and the technology does the rest.

Ultimate Heavy Athletics has results, pictures and video clips from last season and more information on the current Ultimate Heavy Athletics schedule!

U.S.SCOTS Directory of Scottish Games and Celtic Festivals has an extensive list of events, mainly in North America but also around the world.

Williamsburg Scottish Festival and Celtic Celebration takes place at the Williamsburg Winery in September. There are clan tents, dance competitions, Celtic folk bands, pipe bands, sheepdogs in action, and a ceilidh towards sunset.

Royal Highland Show Ground

The Royal Highland Show site gives details of the multipurpose venue. The annual Agricultural Show at the end of June is Scotland's largest outdoor event with a wide variety of entertainment, over 4,000 livestock entries and a full countryside programme including a large food hall. And throughout the year there are other events, exhibitions and indoor shows.

Braemar Gathering

This is regarded as the premier event in the Highland Games calendar in Scotland - perhaps in part because the Monarch attends for at least part of the time as Chieftain of the Braemar Gathering. It is claimed that there have been Gatherings at Braemar since the days of King Malcolm Canmore, nine hundred years ago. But the Gathering as we know it has been organised by the Braemar Royal Highland Society since 1810. It is always held on the first Saturday in September. There are international athletes, pipers and dancers, a Hill Race up Morrone and massed pipe bands.

Turriff Show

Organised by the Turriff District Agricultural Association, this is a two day event, held on the Sunday, Monday before the first Tuesday in August. It has been running since 1864 and is probably the largest two-day agricultural show in Scotland. Top livestock producers and horse and pony exhibitors are much in evidence and there are over 250 trade stands, including a renowned food fayre.



The Scottish Tattoo

This site covers the Scottish Tattoo at the Royal Albert Hall, which took place for the first time in April 1999 with 400 performers, taking the massed pipes and drums to the heart of London. The event was replicated in other venuses in Scotland and England. Information on other events is also provided on the site.

Scots In London ( SIL )

This is the largest Scottish network, news, events, business and social networking organisation in London. SIL are the first truly inclusive hub for all London Scots and they bringing together the Scottish diaspora / Scottish community in London. All Scots and global friends are encouraged to subscribe to free SIL newsletters and are welcome to their friendly SIL quarterly and monthly business and social networking events.

Strathspey in May

A traditional music festival in Grantown-on-Spey with not only performers presenting a mixture of up-and-coming young musicians together with seasoned and renowned artists, but also a range of tuition workshops with the addition of clarsach, bazouki, step dance, songwriting and accompaniment.

Culross Music & Arts Festival

Culross Festival, Fife, has built up an enviable reputation and now attracts the highest standard of artists to come and perform blues, opera, drama, folk, dance, comedy, jazz, theatre and concluding with a Medieval Burgh Fair. It takes place in early August each year in the beautiful gardens of Lord Bruce's Abbey House Estate, while the Burgh Fair takes place on the village green in front of Culross Palace and the Town House.

Kirkcudbright Summer Festivities

Kirkcudbright Summer Festivities website contains details of the events held in Kirkcudbright during the summer. Individual events include a Music Festival, Jazz Festival, Medieval Fayre, Children's Festival, Pipe Band Night, Scottish Nights, Wicker Man Festival, Vikings, Vintage Cars and Tattoo.

Crieff and Strathearn's Drovers' Tryst Walking Festival

In the 18th century Crieff was a major crossing point for the Highland drovers taking their cattle to market in central Scotland. This walking festival in October commemorates those days with activities which range from a brisk hike up a hill or a ramble in the valley to climbing the local Munros - or a creepy crawly walk for children. There is also live street theatre, live music, a ceilidh, pipe bands and a farmer's market. You can even take part in abseiling, weaving, spinning and glassblowing or savor Strathearn's colourful whisky history. Sounds like fun!

Ullapool Guitar Festival

This music festival is held each October in this village on the North West Coast of Scotland. Venue is the Royal Hotel and the event is spread over three days.

Big in Falkirk

Big in Falkirk, Scotland's National Street Arts Festival each year has a packed programme of spectacular outdoor theatre, international street arts, live music, comedy, children's entertainment and much more. Big in Falkirk is one of Scotland's biggest cultural events, dedicated to bringing international outdoor theatre to Scotland and the UK, attracting in excess of 100,000 people to Falkirk's Callendar Park.

Hogmanay.net

Hogmanay is a highlight of the Scottish calendar and this site has a round-up of Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as elsewhere in Scotland. There is also a Hogmanay FAQ. Other Hogmanay sites include Edinburgh's Hogmanay - the biggest Hogmanay Party in Scotland and Biggar has its Hogmanay bonfire. Stonehaven goes one better with the swinging of the fireballs, a tradition which has been followed for around 100 years.

St Andrews Day Rally

St Andrew's Day (30 Novenber) is probably celebrated more by Scots abroad than in Scotland itself but that situation is changing as interest grows in all things Scottish. The St Andrews Day Rally in Edinburgh began in 2003 with a march led by a pipe band along Princes Street. The Web site has a history of both St Andrew and the Saltire flag, possibly the oldest national flag in the world.

Scottish Road Race Fixtures and Results

This is a calendar for road races and cross country fixtures around Scotland with results of many of the races which have been run.

International Pleasure Fairs

Thomas Hiscoe and Sons provide waltzers, dodgems, twists, skydivers, speedway, dive bombers, big wheels, coasters, ghost trains for funfairs around the country. The site has a timetable of where they will be around Scotland, and when.

Golden Spurtle

This is the site of the 'World Porridge Making Championship' which has been running since 1994. In addition to providing details of the event, the 'Porridge' page has recipes including the current champion's tips and the Porridge & Oatmeal Thesaurus. ("Spurtle" is the Scots word for the wooden spoon traditionally used to stir the porridge).

Blitz Entertainment

Based in Stonehaven, this is a professional theatre company that presents Murder Mysteries all over Scotland and England, catering for large and small events including corporate management training and team building courses as well as for social events. The site describes a number of their Murder Mysteries including The Horror of Feichie Moor a period tale with a distinctive Scottish flavour.

Game Conservancy Limited Scottish Fair

The fair takes place in the grounds of Scone Palace, Perthshire towards the end of September. The event attracts people who come to enjoy and learn from the displays and demonstrations, try their hand in the many competitions and events and shop at more than 250 trade stands.

Atmosphere at Dynamic Earth

Dynamic Earth is an unusual venue for events, conferences and private parties. Within The Atmosphere there is a choice of three unique and flexible venues to ensure that each event is memorable. The venue is ideally situated, close to Edinburgh’s bustling City Centre but with the tranquil backdrop of Holyrood Park.

Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre

North of Scotland's best known Exhibition and Conference Centre for music, events, conferences, exhibitions.

Scottish Convention Bureau

Part of the Scottish Tourist Board site, the Convention Bureau assist organisers of conferences to plan for their event in Scotland. The site provides a point of contact, information on 240 venues of various sizes and locations and further brochures are obtainable, on request.

Tents and Events

A family run business, specialising in marquees combined and personal service. All types and styles of marquees are catered for from small parties to large corporate affairs. A full range of ancillary services is also offered from tables/chairs to full Event Support.

Separator line

Where else would you like to go in Scotland?

Separator line