Are you ready to have a good time?

Summer’s here and the time is right for . . . . . everything!

ANY excuse for a party, that’s us! You name it and we’ll throw a festival for it, no problem - because there is so much to celebrate here in the West Highlands. How about music? Traditional, classical, rock, jazz, blues and more. You will hear it here on the west coast and the islands. What you should also remember is that many, many of the talented singers and musicians will be home-grown. When it comes to food and drink, we have something to show the world: lush Kintyre and island pastures filled with dairy herds to give our cheese makers the finest raw ingredients. Our hills and upland pastures are full of sheep and beef cattle being raised as nature intended. Oban has claimed the throne of seafood capital of Scotland, need we say more? Then there is the whisky . . . . our distilleries are legendary. People come from all over the world to visit them, so it is only right that we put out the welcome mat and throw the odd festival or two. The rise of the book festival is a recent phenomenon, with authors coming from all over and heading to the remotest of locations as people enjoy the written word together. And all these events take place in some of the most stunning and unspoiled countryside in Europe. You will find countryside festivals taking place this summer and even one for star gazers on the dark-sky designated Isle of Coll. Special mention has to go this year to Campbeltown and its newly renovated Picture House - one of the oldest in the world – as it holds its first film festival. This festival guide is just the beginning – our guides to all the Highland games and gatherings and agricultural shows will be published in coming weeks. So start planning your good times!