DAYS OUT LISTINGS
DAYS OUT
lIST
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I GAME CONSERVANCY scornsu FAlii Sat GISun 7, 9.30am-Spm. Scone Palace Grounds, Perth (oii the A93, two miles north east oi Perth). £1(£1). Free car park. 01620 850577. The red hot ticket ior the huntin’ shootin’ and iishin’ brigade with an array oi shooting and casting competitions. (in a more bizarre iront there will be a duck-driving display using sheepdogs. The landrover iiawk ilying display team will be there and there will be a llama and Alpacas parade. Over 2011 stands will be there as well as a lull complement oi attractions. Ticket does not include entry to the
Palace, ior which there is an extra charge.
This section gives details oi selected events taking place in and around the central belt oi Scotland this iortnight. Events are listed by area and then alphabetically. All submissions should reach our Edinburgh oiiice ten days beiore publication and be accompanied by a contact phone number ior our iniorrnation. Days Out compiled by Thom llibdin.
E l I ll MIDSUMMER HIGHT’S DREAM Wed 26—Sun 30 Jun. 7.30—10pm. Traquair House. lnnerleithen. Peebles. £5 (£4). Tickets must be booked in advance on 01896 830323. The gardens of the oldest inhabited house in Scotland should make a superb setting for Tweed Theatre’s promenade performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. That‘s always supposing that Bottom doesn't get stuck in the maze. I CHIRHSIDE VINTAGE RALLY Sun 30.
i lam—4.30pm. Ninewells Mill. Chirnside. £2 (50p). 01890 818343. Vintage tractors. cars. motorcycles and even stationary engines are the main attractions. although pipers. morris dancers and a Punch and Judy will also be in evidence. Although the catering is not licenced there will be kids entertainments and a car boot sale.
I HEWCASTLETOH TRADITIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL Fri 28-Sun 30 Jun. Various venues round Newcastleton village. 2| miles south of Hawick on the B6399. 013873 75658. The whole village gets turned over to this weekend of music with the accent on the traditional. Among the twenty competitive sections which take place on Saturday are ones for ceilidh bands. fiddles. accordions. mouth organ and all kinds of pipes. The winners play in the Grand Concert in the evening. The Sunday. like the late evenings. is given over to less organised sessions in the bars and back rooms. There's a mass ceilidh on the Sunday evening. Tickets are available on the day from the Festival Office. If you fancy staying over. there is free camping along the river bank as well as a secure site (£2) for caravans and tents.
CENTRAL & TAYSIDE
I DROUGHTY FERRY GALA WEEK Sun 30 Jun—Sun 7 Jul. Castle Green. Broughty Ferry. Dundee. Free. Further details from Peter Bartlett on 01382 739140. The week opens with a traditional fete on Sun 30. 1—5pm with your usual array of fancy dress and home-baking-type events augmented by a beer tent. Throughout the week there will be kids events and more grown-up events such as tug 0’ war. pavement artists and best dressed teddy competitions. Saturday sees the Tay Water Sports Club providing events on the Tay. while on the final Sunday there is a carnival on the Green with barbecue. beer tent. uad bikes and inflatables.
I CO OHATIOH PAGEAIIT Sun 30 Jun. 9.30am-5pm. Scone Palace. Perth. 01738 552300. £4.70 (£2.60). Celebration of the crowning of James W on the Palace’s Boot Hill over 500 years ago. Re- enactment of the coronation takes place at 11am and 2.30pm. with a procession in period costume threading its way from the Palace to the hill where the young James will be crowned on a replica of the Stone of Destiny. There are also lots of other activities with period stalls, a craft fair and heavy horses among the attractions on offer. But the top tip has to be the re- enacted battle between the Picts and the Vikings. From my memory of history they were a pretty bloody lot. Ticket includes entry to the Palace and rounds.
I GAME COHSERVAIH: SCOTTISH FAIR Sat 6/Sun 7, 9.30am—6pm. Scone Palace Grounds, Perth (off the A93. two miles north east of Perth). £7 (£1). Free car park. 01620 850577. See photo caption. I SCOTTISH DLACHFACE SHEARS CHAMPIOHSHIP Sun 30. noon-8pm. Games Park. Lochearnhead. £2. 01567 830229. World class sheep shearing is the major attraction of this somewhat anarchic event. Some of the world’s best shearers will be demonstrating their skill and speed. although the World Champion has had to return to New Zealand for family reasons. However. there will be a
dog-handling demonstration - if Jimmy turns up! There’s also a barbecue. attractions to keep the kids quiet and that thirst-quenching beer tent. After the main event has finished there's a dance in the marquee with Billy Ferguson’s Scottish Dance Band.
LOTHIANS 81 FIFE
I AGAVE BLOOM Daily. lOam—Spm. Royal Botanic Garden. lnverleith Row. Edinburgh. 0131 552 7171. Free. but voluntary contribution of£2.50 (£1.50) suggested. If you've been down to the Bots recently. you'll have noticed a strange. phallus-shaped flower thrusting up through the greenhouse window. The fecund monster is the flower of an Agave Salmiania presented to the gardens in 1964. And this will be its first and last bloom. Alcohol minded Days Out readers will recognise the Agave as the source of Pulque. the milky beverage from which Tequila and Mescal are fermented.
I BRITISH DRIVIHG SOCIETY SCOTTISH SHOW Sun 30. 9am—5pm. Royal Highland Showground. lngliston. Edinburgh. 0131 449 3799. Free. This was not originally intended to be a public event. but the organisers of this carriage-driving show will welcome anyone who wants to go along. The day has serious nostalgia value with competitions for hackney vehicles. pony and traps. tandems. pairs and singles. Courses include dressage. dressage to music and circumnavigating cones.
I CRITICAL MASS Fri 28 Jun. 5.30pm. Meet outside National Gallery. Bottom of The Mound. Edinburgh. Enjoy a gentle evening cycle ride around the city with a mass of other cyclists.
I GEDDGEDLAR RE-EHACTMEHT Sun 30. Dirleton Castle. Dirleton. 2pm (01620 850330) and Tantallon Castle. 3 miles east of North Berwick. 3.30pm (01620 892727). £2 (75p) each event. Tantallon is probably the better bet to see these nutters throw the ketchup around in bloody re- enactment of scuffles between 14th century English and Scottish troops.
STRATHCLYDE
I CRITICAL MASS Fri 28 Jun. 5.30pm. Meet outside Kelvingrove Art Gallery. Kelvingrove. Glasgow. Enjoy a gentle evening cycle ride around the city with a mass of other cyclists.
I CUL-DE-SAC STREET PARTY Sun 30 Jun. noon-midnight. Ashton Lane. Glasgow. 0141 334 8899. Free. An afternoon of free entertainment in the Lane with competitions to benefit Childline. Besides oodles of kids entertainments there will be live bands. a comedian. dancers and jugglers. At 6pm the action moves into the Cul-de-Sac bar for an hour of music before the Euro 96 Final. DJs Nigel Hayes and Larz continue to provide the grooves after the match until midnight.
I DOLLY MIXTURE Sun 30 Jun. noon—5pm. Finlaystone. Langbank. Renfrewshire. 01475 540505. £2 (£1.20). This new attraction at Finlaystone features dolls from around the world. Seven hundred to be precise. ranging from
dancing dolls to male dolls'and dolls in uniform. There are dolls made from wood. cloth. plastic and even one made from prunes. The grand opening of the exhibition will be attended by Olivia Bristol. Christie's doll expert. who will be available to value any dolls you want to take along. There will also be stalls selling all sorts of doll-related items. The country estate of Finlaystone seems like a sorted. if genteel Day Out with gardens. woodland walks. playgrounds and a ranger service. It is open daily. 10am—5pm. and there is usually an extra charge of 50p to the Dolly Mixture exhibition.
I SMA’ SHOT DAY Sat 6. l lam-5pm. Various venues around Paisley centre. Free. 0141 886 1997. Victory to the workers is marked on this day. Sma‘ shot was the binding thread integral to the shawls for which Paisley was famous in the 19th century. But because it was not visible behind the coloured threads of the pattern. the bosses refused to pay the weavers to buy it. After much struggle. justice prevailed and the weavers named their existing holiday after the infamous thread. The celebration kicks off from Brodie Park at 11am. pausing for the Sma' Shot Address at noon at Abbey Close which will be followed by entertainment all afternoon.
HIGHLAND GAMES
lio Scottish summer is complete without a severe ralnstonn, a round oi midge bites and a trip to a genuine iiighland Games. Those listed here should provide you with the proper ingredients: a dose oi iiighland dancing, some tossing, putting and throwing oi cabers, shots and hammers, various races, a piping competition and, it goes without saying, a beer tent in which to replenish your energy.
I Sat 29 Jun.
Aberdeen Grampian. 10.30am—6pm. Hazlehead Park. £2.50 (£1). Not your bona fide games. but the Scottish Pipe Band Championships. involving bands from all over Scotland. juvenile and drum major competitions. Highland dancing and massed bands.
I Sun 30 Jun.
Beauly lnverness-shire. 10am-5pm. Braeview Park. £3 (£1).
I Wed 3 Jill.
Edinburgh Lothian. 5—9.30pm. Stewart's Melville Playing Fields. Ferry Road. £4 (£2). Shuttle bus from Waverley Bridge. every half hour from 4pm. Beer tent from the makers of Greenmantle. Yum Yum! I Sat 6 Jul.
Thornton Fife. Noon-6pm. Memorial Park. £2 (£1). includes cycling. fairground. go-carts and mini motor bikes. Thurso Highland. i—5pm. Millbank. £2 (£1). The Caithness Highland Gathering. I Sun 7 Jill.
Barre Westem Isles. 2—6pm. Borre Machair. Castlebay.
Super Fife. Noon—5.30pm. Duffus Park. £2 (£1). includes cycling and Chieftain's Parade.
I Wed IO
Edinburgh Lothian. 5—9.30pm. Stewart’s Melville Playing Fields. Ferry Road. £4 (£2). See Wed 3.
72 The List 28 Jun-ll Jul 1996