THE GUIDE TO SCOTLAND’S FESTIVALS 2022
YARN W E I
n a country of selkies, kelpies, bogles and trows, where some of the world’s bestselling authors reside, it’s fair to say we Scots have tales aplenty in our DNA. And after two years of pandemic living, stories have taken on an even greater significance, allowing us to share our personal experiences and feel connected. With a year-long programme of over 60 events taking in cinema, music, sculpture trails, nature walks and even stargazing, the Year of Stories 2022 sets out to prove that stories are for – and by – everyone, and can be found in unexpected places. There’s a long association between storytelling and Scottish islands, and from April to December, An Lanntair in Stornoway will present Seanchas – Gaelic for conversation, lore and storytelling – a series of events based around Hebridean tales. Then in August, An Tinne (The Link), on Skye, examines the links between Scotland and Australia, using as its touchstone the evictions of the 19th-century Highland Clearances. Scotland’s Nordic ties to the islands and northern coastline will be celebrated at the Northern Stories Festival based at Lyth Arts Centre in Caithness in the autumn, where travel and nature writers will explore legends and folklore, from The Orkneyinga Saga to
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Neil Gunn. Other regional events revelling in stories with local community links include Once Upon a Time in South Ayrshire, spanning right through the year, the Findhorn Bay Festival in late September, and A Yarn Worth Spinning, led by The Great Tapestry of Scotland in Galashiels, which will tell the story of the history and culture of textiles in the Scottish Borders from April to June. Also making connections to landscape, Of Scotland’s Soils and Soul is a series of events spanning the country’s four Botanic Gardens, in the Borders, Argyll, Dumfries and Galloway and Edinburgh. In these lush settings, music, song and performance will dig deep into the role of plant life in some of Scotland’s most famous stories, from Harry Potter to Sunset Song. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and some of our most famous stories of the past century have found their way to the silver screen. This year the Edinburgh International Film Festival celebrates its 75th year and will showcase Scotland’s Stories on Screen in a series of special events and screenings. Meanwhile, Transgressive North are putting on a series of ‘film ceilidhs’ in collaboration with the Scottish International Storytelling Festival in October under the title Map of Stories: Voicing LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVALS
