Ahead of Salmon Fairytale at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the 29th of April, Georgiana Keable, one of the performers, gives us some background on the show and their influences. Tell us about your show, Salmon Fairytale. Salmon Fairytale is about wonder and madness; we combine joik (traditional song), philosophy and stories from Sami and North-American … Continued

Lynne Campbell, storyteller and singer, presents Songs & Stories of Scotland at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the 27th of April. Revisit familiar tales and songs, and learn new ones in Lynne’s personal account of Scotland’s cultural heritage. We had a chat with her about the show and her background: Tell us about your show, … Continued

The Red Chair is based on acclaimed Dundee-born Sarah Cameron’s original book; a surreal story of a dysfunctional family whose father literally eats himself into a chair.  A unique solo storytelling performance told in a rich and saucy Scots dialect with physical verve and a musical score that rolls in like mist over the hills.  Devised in collaboration … Continued

The very best of Scotland’s piping talent will open the fifth TradFest Edinburgh Dùn Èideann at The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh on Wednesday 26 April 2017, celebrating cultural heritage with a contemporary showcase. Hamish Henderson is often credited for kick starting the Folk Revival when he and Alan Lomax organized the People’s Festival Ceilidh at Oddfellow’s … Continued

Over one hundred people attended ‘Farewell to Paddy’ at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on Tuesday 28th February to raise a glass, sing a song and remember with gratitude all that Eberhard “Paddy” Bort shared with us. Tributes have been pouring into the Edinburgh Folk Club from those who couldn’t attend, including a letter from Scotland’s … Continued

Scotland has a vibrant group of new storytellers, honing their skills and developing their craft with the help of the Centre’s Storytelling Apprenticeship, led by Janis Mackay. On Saturday 4 March, the group will perform their favourite tales at Stories on the Way, a showcase of the skills and stories they’ve developed over the course … Continued

“I perch to rest, and from this misty cnoc the whole world goes drifting by” – Alastair McIntosh,  Poacher’s Pilgrimage: An Island Journey   Could Scotland recover the glory days of its ancient and medieval pilgrim routes? This idea will be explored at a special event at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on Saturday 4th March. A … Continued

Four funded PhDs at The Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen   The Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen, is pleased to announce four PhD scholarships in the field of Ethnomusicology, starting in September 2017. Please see details below.   Sacred Singing among Scottish Travellers   Application Deadline: 22 March 2017   This topic focuses on expressions … Continued

“A bannock fur Bride Roun lik the sun A snawdrap fur Bride Pure lik dawnlicht Hearth fire fur Bride Reidbreist warm The days rax oot Spring kens its time.” The legend of Bride, or Brigid, goes back to pre-Christian Ireland where she has been known as a goddess, saint and Celtic cultural icon. A link … Continued

“A blethering, blustering, drunken blellum; That frae November till October, Ae market-day thou was na sober; That ilka melder wi’ the Miller, Thou sat as lang as thou had siller; That every nag was ca’d a shoe on, The Smith and thee gat roarin’ fou on; That at the Lord’s house, ev’n on Sunday, Thou … Continued