Kinross-shire Winter Festival will light up a very special time

Music, words and comedy will create a seasonal buzz

The words of author and playwright Liz Lochhead will take centre stage in an unusual collaborative event at this year’s Kinross-shire Winter Festival.

A concert featuring new pieces from Scotland’s former makar – or national poet – and indie band The Hazey Janes from Dundee will be staged in the Loch Leven Community Campus on Friday November 3.

Sticking to the literary theme, author and illustrator Mairi Hedderwick is coming to Kinross during Bookweek Scotland to talk to children and adults about her most famous creation, Katie Morag.

The talk will take place on Wednesday November 29 in Loch Leven Community Library and is free to children.

Budding authors have already snapped up all of the places on a “beginning to write” workshop, which will be led by Ms Lochhead on December 2.

Organisers said they were thrilled to see so much support already for the gathering, which is becoming a highlight of the local calendar.

“This year’s winter festival is again a collaboration between local business and community groups,” said a spokesperson.

Other strands of the 2017 festival, which is themed around “words”, will include music and comedy.

Highlights are likely to include Handel’s masterpiece Messiah, prepared and performed in just one day on Sunday November 12 – 2pm to 5pm rehearsal and 7pm concert at Kinross Parish Church with the choir led by Peter Rutterford – and the winter festival comedy night on Friday November 3 at 8pm with Chris Forbes, Bill Dewar, Ross Leslie and Chris Dinwoodie at Milnathort Town Hall.

The ever-popular festive street market returns on November 25 from 4pm to 7pm, giving shoppers the chance to source unusual Christmas gifts.

More than 70 stalls, hot food and drink, music and street entertainment will combine to create a seasonal buzz.

The Light Up Kinross event will take place that evening as the market draws to a close at 7pm.

To draw all the local events together KLEO (Kinross-shire Local Events Organisation) has produced a brochure which is available at kleo.org.uk.

This year’s winter festival is again a collaboration between local business and community groups

Liz Lochhead, centre, and The Hazey Janes who will be appearing at Kinross Winter Festival.