Arts, Books and Craft Festivals

A weekend of events, demonstrations, displays and exhibitions in Whithorn.

Whithorn Arts & Crafts Trail for 2017 is on 22 -23rd July. (more…)

Boswell Book Festival is held each May in Dumfries House, Cumnock. The Festival is named after James Boswell, a writer from Ayrshire who is regarded as being the inventor of modern biography.

Authors featured by Boswell Book Festival in the past have included Sally Magnusson, Kate Adie, Bill Paterson, John Byrne and many more.

The main festival for 2018 will feature appearances by Dame Judi Dench, Matthew Parris, Andrew O’Hagan, Neal Ascherson, Maggie O’Farrell, Judy Murray, Finlay Wilson, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Mary & Giles from Googlebox, Anthony Horowitz, Alexander McCall Smith, Sally Magnusson, Michael Heath and Jackie Kay and many others besides!

In addition to the main event, there will be a Boswell Children`s Festival too.

Please check the programme for Boswell Book Festival for full details

Robert Burns was a great admirer of James Boswell. Boswell was perhaps best known for being the biographer of Samuel Johnson and also wrote an account of a Tour to the Hebrides he made with Samuel Johnson.

Dumfries House, in which the festival is based is a beautiful stately home and was designed by the Adams Brothers. It is home to an amazing collection of Thomas Chippendale furniture and is set in 2,000 acres in Ayrshire. The house and furniture was secured for the nation as a result of an initiative brokered by HRH Prince Charles and using £20 million of his own charitable foundation funds.

Studios of artists, designers, photographers potters and all manner of creative crafts are on display for this magical long weekend at the end of May.
Renowned as the most successful contemporary visual art & craft open studio event in Scotland and one of the best in the UK, Spring Fling brings around 30,000 visitors from across the world to artists’ studios in Dumfries & Galloway, South West Scotland each year in Spring.

2018 sees the 16th anniversary of Spring Fling in Dumfries& Galloway!! Saturday 26th – Monday 28th May
Have a look at the Spring Fling 2015 Video

Kirkcudbright has a busy schedule of events throughout the 2018 season.

MARCH

25 March          Kirkcudbright Farmers & Producers Market

APRIL

30 Mar/1Apr   Village Fair

22 April             Kirkcudbright Farmer & Producers Market

MAY

6    May              Kirkcudbright Annual Plant Fair

13 May               Kircudbright Car Boot Sale

26 May               Half Marathon & Beeches Run

27 May               Kirkcudbright Farmers & Producers Market

JUNE   

10 June              Kirkcudbright Car Boot Sale

12 June              Kirkcudbright Historic Walk

14 -17 June        Kirkcudbright Jazz Festival

18 – 23 June      Art and Crafts Trail Taster

19 June              Kirkcudbright Historic Walk

23 June             Buckland Burn Up and Children`s Fun Run

23 – 24 June     Vintage Fair

24 June             Kirkcudbright Farmers & Producers Market

24 June             Galloway Childrens Festival

26 June             Kirkcudbright Historic Walk

JULY

3 July                 Kirkcudbright Historic Walk

8 July                 Car Boot Sale

10 July               Historic Walk

12 July               Kirkcudbright & District Pipe Band Night

14-15 July         Kirkcudbright Country Fair

17 July              Historic Walk

19 July              Scottish Night

20 July             Kirkcudbright Riding of the Marches

22 July             Farmers and Producers Market

24 July             Historic Walk

26 July             Scottish Night

31 July             Historic Walk

AUGUST

31 July             Historic Walk

2 August         Scottish Night

3 August         Maggie`s Tour of Old Kirkcudbright

3-6 August     Kirkcudbright Arts and Crafts Trail

9 August         Scottish Night

10 August      Maggie`s Tour of Old Kirkcudbright

12 August      Car Boot Sale

16 August     Scottish Night

17 August      Maggie`s Tour of Old Kirkcudbright

18 August     Rotary Club Fun Day Beer Tent Barbeque

18 August     Kirkcudbright Grand Parade

23 August     Scottish Night

24 August     Maggie`s Tour of Old Kirkcudbright

25 August     Floodlit Tattoo & Firework Display

25-26 August  Vintage Fair

26 August     Classic Car Rally

26 August     Rotary Club Duck Race High Tide

26 August     Farmers& Producers Market

SEPTEMBER

9 September    Car Boot Sale

15 September  Autumn Plant Fair

30 September  Farmers & Producers Market

OCTOBER

20-21 Oct         Vintage Fair

27-28 Oct         Kirkcudbright Food Festival

31 Oct                Halloween Ghost Walk

NOVEMBER

25 Nov              Farmers & Producers Market

For 2018, the Kirkcudbright Art & Crafts Trail is from Friday 3 August until Monday 6th August.

Details will be added soon – in 2015 the trail had 101 venues and over 200 participants. The 2018 Trail will be the 15th year this popular event has been held. (more…)

Wigtown Book Festival 2018 is a milestone brings the 20th annual festival.  Over 200 events for all ages including literature,  music, film, theatre, arts and crafts. The 10 day Wigtown Book Festival is based in and around Scotlands Book Town and grows in popularity and size every year. Another great reason to holiday in South West Scotland. (more…)

Probably the largest Burns Supper Event in Scotland or beyond – 10 days, 20 venues and a Burns Night Carnival with a cast of over 5,000!

Not one to miss – entertainment includes cabaret, comedy, music and poetry.