SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

Hidden Door

PHOTO: CHRIS SCOTT

Festivals don’t have to attract tens of thousands of folk or fill every available cultural venue in town to make their mark. Megan Merino checks out some of the more intimate gatherings taking place across Scotland in 2022

Big isn’t always better, a point proved by a host of events on Scotland’s packed festival calendar this year, where attention to detail and often beautiful scenery add to their boutique charm. For music lovers, the creatively curated Eden Festival kicks off in Raehills Meadows near Moffat in June, with comedy and cabaret in the mix alongside a kids’ arena, drivein cinema and healing field. July brings the return of Kelburn Garden Party, utilising every corner of Kelburn Castle and its estate for its stages, hang-out spaces and watering holes. Doune The Rabbit Hole adopts a similar vibe, with a roster of great bands plus free-for-all jam sessions and yoga and wellness areas, while Woodland Dance Project in September brings electronic music to the beautiful natural setting of Vogrie Country Park, near Gorebridge.

In Edinburgh, Hidden Door celebrates new and emerging musical, theatrical and artistic talent in June. This year, the imposing Old Royal High School building on the slopes of Calton Hill, which has lain mainly disused for decades, will be brought back to life for ten days by the cutting-edge festival.

More niche interests are catered for at the likes of HippFest, a celebration of silent film held in Bo’ness in March, or the Isle of Arran Mountain Festival in May. For the academically minded, June welcomes Solas Festival, Scotland’s midsummer festival in Perth’s Errol Park, which explores social, political, theological and cultural topics through dance, poetry, music and discussion. For food and drink enthusiasts, a dram on the beach at the Islay Festival in late May could be just the ticket, or if beer is your chosen tipple, quench your thirst at Glen Fyne’s FyneFest which returns in June. Elsewhere, the Scottish Wild Food Festival and Stranraer Oyster Festival should get stomachs rumbling in September. The first involves foraging walks, wild cocktail making, cooking demos and workshops in the grounds of Tir na nOg Holistic Centre, near Drymen. Or venture further west to the community-run celebration of Stranraer’s local delicacy and watch the action at the Scottish Oyster Shucking Championships.

Family-friendly festivals are becoming more and more common (see Solas Festival, Eden Festival and Kelburn Garden Party) but for those who want a weekend purely dedicated to their little ones, Wildhood Festival in early June is a good bet. This Perthshire festival has a programme packed with immersive outdoor entertainment, so expect arts and crafts, woodland trails and storytelling adventures in the heart of the Scottish countryside.