“WILD NORTH” celebrates the nature, landscapes and people of Caithness and Sutherland.

The “Wild North Festival 2012” is an exciting programme across the northern highlands to promote and celebrate the nature, culture and landscapes of our area.

“Wild North” will focus on activities to encourage visitors and local communities to enjoy and learn more about the rich heritage of the northern Highlands. All events being held during the Festival will have a direct or indirect link to nature and the rich tapestry of landscapes that make up Caithness and Sutherland.

As a pilot event, this year’s environmental Festival will be held from 28th September to 14th October and will focus on three distinct and stunning areas for nature, landscapes and culture; Assynt and the Mackay Country in Sutherland, and the north coast of Caithness, from Castletown to John O’Groats.

Mackay Country

As a taste of some of the things to come, from 28th September to the 2nd October the Wild North Festival hopes to present; guided walks in and around Durness, a local art exhibition, a local food event, Nordic walking activities, a full day of activities with Gaelic artist Déirdre ní Mhathúna working at Strathnaver Museum, music, a ceilidh, illustrated talks, mountain bike training and wood arts & crafts activities in Borgie forest, building and decorating bird and bat boxes with RSPB and Meg Telfer all across the coast, surfing tasters at Strathy and Great Yellow Bumblebees, working sheep dog and wool crafts at Portskerra

Assynt

From the 3rd to the 9th October the outline programme includes; heritage walks,

a performance and drama in Gaelic by local schoolchildren, an Arts and Craft Fair throughout the day in Lochinver, a drama about Herring Fishing (in English with Gaelic songs), A workshop on Music Through the Ages, a Ceilidh including a collection of songs of Assynt, a bushcraft and survival skills Family Event in Culag Woods, illustrated talks on whales, dolphins and porpoises and ospreys and eagles. The Assynt part of the Festival will end with a family Fun Day in Lochinver ending with Torchlight Procession, fireworks and final Ceilidh.

Castletown to John o’Groats

If you still have the stamina for more events then the final part of the Wild North Festival moves to Caithness from the 10th to the 14th October. Here there will be an exhibition of photographs/interpretive material on bees and bee-keeping, a 2 Day workshop to learn the making of outdoor films/videos with a nature theme and screening, guided coastal walks and treasure hunts at Freswick, open workshops on spinning, dying of wool, and a full day of activities from “Dawn to Dusk at Dunnet” with fishing competitions, bird song, sand art, walks and stories, surfing taster sessions and a shorewatch event around beach bonfires and on to a Night Sky event. Other Caithness events include a guided walk to the forgotten village of Badryrie, an opportunity to learn about migratory birds at St John’s Pool, Brough, an all-day event at John O’Groats including a BBQ, well known musician and teller of tales, Bob Pegg, and young artist Madeline Mackay, from Bower will help you to participate in The Big Draw.

Add to this more art exhibitions and a wild food foray and you’ll see there is a very ambitious programme to keep us all entertained across the north Highlands! And all this is just a pilot for an even bigger festival hopefully to be held in June/July 2013 to help celebrate the Year of Natural Scotland.

The Wild North Festival is being led by North Highland Initiative through a steering group made up of individuals and organisations from across Caithness and Sutherland.

David Whiteford, Chairman of North Highland Initiative, said: “We are delighted to be involved in the birth of an exciting event which celebrates the extraordinary environment of the Northern Highlands and all that it can offer. We very much hope that the festival becomes an annual must-do event in the calendar.”

For more information on the Wild North Festival contact Alexandria Patience on 07599 760798 or 01641 531355.

http://northhighlandsscotland.com/wildnorthfestival/


http://www.facebook.com/WildNorthFestival

Source: Wild North Festival