HERALD CHECKLIST
More things to do, more places to see this weekend
1 Selkirk MTB Marathon
Selkirk, Saturday Mountain biking returns to the Borders with this epic all-terrain amateur ride being staged alongside Saturday’s elite British Mountain Bike Championship. With a choice of 25, 50, or 75km distances, each course promises a mix of challenging climbs, exhilarating descents, and stunning scenery. Online pre-entry is now closed, but you can register on the day for £40 until organisers run out of race numbers. A packed weekend also includes Friday night’s free family-friendly Biking Festival in the town centre, and the Reivers Raid mountain bike orienteering event on Sunday. www. selkirkmtbmarathon.com
2 Tradfest
Across Edinburgh, until May 10 This third annual traditional arts showcase brings 12 days of music, song, storytelling, dance, drama, crafts, film and environmental art to the capital. Taking in tonight’s Beltane celebrations on Calton Hill and Saturday’s May Day Parade on the Meadows, the programme also includes gigs from the likes of Bella Hardy, Malinky, and Nuala Kennedy. Elsewhere, the Filmhouse hosts the world’s first festival of Folk Cinema, and the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the Royal Mile is a hub for a huge variety of workshops, walking tours, craft activities and musical gatherings. www.tracscotland.org/festivals/tradfest
3 Mini(mal) Music Day for Kids
Glasgow Royal Concert Halls, Sunday Part of Minimal Glasgow 2015, this morning of free musicmaking for children is inspired by the work of pioneering composers Steve Reich and Philip Glass, which might sound rather fancy but really just means lots of activities based on hitting things in a creative and tuneful way. Among the events dotted around the Concert Halls complex from 10am to 1pm are drop-in crafts activities, hands-on workshops in percussion and Indonesian gamelan, and African drums, music and movement sessions for babies, toddlers and parents.
www.glasgowconcerthalls.com
4 Brew At The Bog
Bogbhain Farm, near Inverness, Saturday and Sunday Pack your wellies - and woolies - for this weekend of top tunes and designer booze hosted by cult Scottish beer brand Brewdog. A very early start to the summer festival season that’s been expanded in its fourth year to two days, the emphasis is on emerging musical talent, street food, and craft beer. Mining the best of what’s currently hot in across the Scottish music scene, the line-up includes Fatherson, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Hector Bizerk, and Honeyblood. Tickets available online from £40 until Friday. www.brewatthebog.com
6 Celtic Food and Drink Festival
Crannog Centre, Loch Tay, Sunday Forget the much-hyped Paleo diet - this weekend is all about the kind of fare that sustained our Iron Age forebears - brought back into being for visitors to this celebration of Celtic food in Highland Perthshire. Hosted in an experimental museum which authentically recreates an ancient loch-side dwelling, forgotten delicacies on offer are likely to include clay baked salmon, spit roasted lamb, pit roasted pig, hand-made goats cheese, foraged greens, and spelt flour pancakes. Admissions is £8.75 for adults and £6.50 for children, with a small supplementary charge for the festival. www.crannog.co.uk
5 Spirit of Speyside Festival
Speyside, until Monday Arriving just in time for the start of Whisky Month is this weekendlong celebration of Speyside, home to more distilleries than any other whisky producingregion in the country. Established in 1999 and named best traditional event at last year’s Scottish Event Awards, Spirit of Speyside packs around 350 tours, trips, tastings, workshops and live performances into just five days. This year’s new events include whisky pairing-cake-making contest The Great Speyside Bake Off, a whisky cocktail master class in Aberlour, and question and answer sessions with The Glenlivet Master Distiller Alan Winchester. www. spiritofspeyside.com
7 Medieval May Day
Drum Castle Garden and Estate, Aberdeenshire, Sunday Celebrate the coming of spring in traditional fashion at one of Scotland’s oldest tower houses. Sitting in ancient woodland 10 miles outside of Aberdeen, Drum Castle is throwing open its gates for a day of Maypole and Morris dancing and activities inspired by the estate’s rich 700-year history. Along with a trail of flower displays, there will also be a medieval encampment set up on the South Lawn, and a selection of 14th century-style dishes available throughout the day in the tearoom. Open from 11am to 4pm, entry is £4 (£2 children). www.nts.org.uk/Property/ Drum-Castle-Garden-and-Estate
8 Dundead Horror Film Festival
DCA, Dundee, until Sunday Picking up where Edinburgh’s Dead By Dawn left off last week, Dundee’s horror festival is back for another weekend of blood curdling treats for film fanatics. As well as a clutch of new releases, the programme also looks back with screenings of some of the most influential genre releases from the past, including 1953 Vincent Price chiller House of Wax, landmark 1930s versions of Dracula and Frankenstein, and a string of cult John CarpenterKurt Russell classics. A weekend pass costs £75, or you can or see any six films in the festival for £40. www.dca.org.uk
9 Burns An’ A’ That
Rozelle Park, Ayr, Saturday and Sunday Held near his birthplace in Alloway, this annual tribute to Robert Burns this year takes the form of a giant two-day outdoor picnic featuring live music, food and drink, and a wealth of Bardinfused entertainment. In the live tent, Saturday’s mixtape-themed line-up is headlined by Sandi Thom, while Big Country top the bill on Sunday’s showcase of Scottish rock and folk. Along with market stalls and a Wizard of Oz-inspired treasure hunt, attractions also include willow weaving, crazy golf, lasertag, archery, and a fairground. www.
burnsfestival.com
10 Old Town Street Food Festival
Three Sisters, Edinburgh, Sunday The latest in a series of spring Bank Holiday food and drink events hosted in Edinburgh’s Cowgate, which brings together a host of street food specialists along with a rolling bill of local music acts and DJs and seven different bars serving up everything from cocktails to craft beers. Among the vendors popping up this time are the Big Meaty Sandwich Co, Adeji Chicken Shack, and The Cracklin Hog, while the line-up of live bands includes The OK Social Club, Indigo Velvet, and The Whispery Club. Open from noon to 11pm, entry is free. www. facebook.com/the3sisters