ScotlandsFest 2026 programme

SCOTLANDS
FEST
9TH YEAR
19–27 AUGUST 2026
24 AUTHORS • OVER 20 EVENTS

2026 marks the 9th year of ScotlandsFest, more than 20
captivating events celebrating the vibrant literary, cultural
and political landscape of Scotland. There are many
Scotlands, so many ideas of what Scotland is and can be.
Each of us carries our own vision, our own experiences and
our own perspectives of our nation. At ScotlandsFest, we
celebrate these many Scotlands as seen through the eyes
of the writer, the poet, the artist and the scholar.
Whether you live here or are visiting, make the most of
your time at the Fringe. Come along and discover
ScotlandsFest. Big thinking in a small country –
thought-provoking discussions, immersive storytelling,
history, poetry, politics and more.
Watch last year’s ScotlandsFest Showcase here for a taste
of what’s to come!
Find ScotlandsFest on:
Luath website
Eventbrite
TicketTailor

Farmyard Follies
HELEN PERCY
Mathematical sheep? Navigating dogs?
Architectural pigs? If you go down
to the farm today you’re in for a big
surprise! Helen Percy, the Highland
Shepherdess, will delight all nature
lovers, and animal lovers with her
books Skirly Crag and Whistlebare. The
creatures that share her kitchen – wild
or tame, house trained or destructive
– will steal your heart. But be prepared
to cry as well as to laugh. She brought
her dog, her duck and her horse to the
launch of Skirly Crag in 2025, so put on
your wellies and come along to the
farmyard!
Helen Percy’s description of farming life is so brilliantly accurate, it will make
even the most city dwelling reader feel the wind on their face or smell the mud
on their boots. JIM SMITH, Perthshire farmer and comedian
HELEN PERCY, a former Church of Scotland
minister, decided to change her life and
become a shepherd. In her first book,
Scandalous, Immoral and Improper (Argyll
2011), Helen tells of endurance and survival of
both familial and ecclesiastical abuse. Since
leaving the Church of Scotland in 1997 she has
worked with victims of child rape in South
Africa and donkeys in the Kalahari Desert.
Back home in the Highlands, she has
contracted for a number of eccentric farmers
throughout Scotland and Northern England,
often travelling in a small van with her sheepdogs,
a tame duck and an epileptic hare.
Wednesday 19 August, 10.30am
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Brave New Music
The Martyn Bennett Story
GARY WEST & BJ STEWART
Gary West’s portrait of one of Scotland’s most enigmatic and influential artists
comes at a welcome time in contemporary music, reminding us as it does that
music is a profoundly human endeavor, one which takes place in a continuum
stretching back beyond history. ALAN McCLURE, BELLACALEDONIA
GARY WEST is a writer, musician and broadcaster
based in Edinburgh, who has spent his professional
life researching, teaching, performing and
promoting the cultural and musical traditions of
Scotland. A former professor and head of Celtic and
Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh, he
has published widely on the themes of music,
heritage and folklore. He presented the specialist
music programme Pipeline on BBC Radio Scotland
for two decades before developing his own podcast,
Enjoy Your Piping, which promotes bagpipe
music on a weekly basis to over 100 nations worldwide.
He serves as an external examiner at the Royal
Conservatoire of Scotland and the University of
the Highlands and Islands, and in 2020 was inducted
into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame.
Martyn Bennett was an artist ahead
of his time. Piper, violinist, composer,
producer, DJ – his radical blend of
tradition and technology created
an audacious new sound that was
uniquely his own. Gary West, Bennett’s
biographer and author of Brave New
Music, and BJ Stewart, the musician’s
official photographer and close
friend, uncover his enduring legacy,
the intersection of folk, classical and
electronic music, place and nature as
musical inspiration, from mountains
and mosh pits.
Wednesday 19 August, 12pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Between the Stones
Scotland Through Outlander
WILLY MALEY, GILLEBRIDE MACMILLAN & LISA KELLY
Outlander has generated global interest
in the history, languages and landscapes
of Scotland. From the tragedy of Culloden
to American Independence and early
Scottish interaction with indigenous
peoples in North America, and, more
problematically, the Atlantic slave trade,
the books and TV series have mapped out
Scotland’s contribution to world history.
Outlander has been crucial for tourism
and heritage. Its themes have captured
the imagination of a global audience. Join
the editors of Outlander and Scotland to
find out what this time-travelling series
can teach us about Scottish history and
Scotland today?
This is surely a work destined to be a landmark in Scotland’s literary history, for
all time, a classic at a critical moment in its subject’s destiny.
ANDREW McNEILLIE, THE NATIONAL
Wednesday 19 August, 1.30pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Heel for Heel
Scottish Dance Fever
CINDY GRAY
Still on her toes and passionate for Scottish dance, former BBC reporter Cindy
has penned Heel For Heel, a book of the people who have embraced this
all-inclusive joyful tradition and put their best foot forward – Scotland style.
SALLY MACDONALD, The Sunday Post
CINDY GRAY divides her time between London
and Hampshire, where she lives on the coast.
She skis, plays tennis, climbs mountains, sings in
choirs, acts in plays and goes Scottish dancing
wherever there are classes and dances taking
place. She isn’t remotely Scottish but loves
Scotland and its dancing. An extrovert by nature,
she likes the convivial nature of dancing and
employed her skills as a former reporter for BBC
Radio to interview fellow dancers whose comments
are captured in this book. After graduating
in English at Oxford University, Cindy went on
to write travel articles in tandem with her career
in broadcasting (under her maiden name, Selby).
Heel for Heel is her first foray as an author.
What is it about Scottish dancing
that gets people the world over in
such a spin? The catchy music? The
colourful gear? The fun of formations
like ‘teapots’ and ‘helicopters’? In Heel
for Heel writer and reeler Cindy Gray
celebrates the enduring legacy of all
the genres, from the ancient ‘Highland
Fling’ to its successors, including
Scottish Country Dancing, Step Dance
and ceilidhs. Her book radiates with
the energy and enthusiasm of dancers
going ‘heel for heel’, like the guests
at Mairi’s Wedding. Expect fancy
footwork and dynamic photos!
Wednesday 19 August, 3pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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In Search of Scottish Architecture
ROGER EMMERSON
Join Roger Emmerson, author of Land
of Stone and Scotland in 100 Buildings
as he invites you into his 40-year
search for the Scottishness of Scottish
architecture. It begins before Scotland
was Scotland. Before architecture was
architecture. Between the mountain
and the sky. Between the land and
the river. An antinomy, an antisyzygy,
a parallax. Tracing a path from Celtic
culture, through Scots colloquialisms,
to the ideas of Kant, Thomson,
Gregory Smith and Žižek, Emmerson
has uncovered some answers. But the
search continues…
This engaging little book gives the lowdown on 100 of Scotland’s buildings, from
the iconic to the simply curious. Retired architect Roger Emmerson visited every
one of the structures listed, allowing them to ‘tell their own’ captivating stories.
SUNDAY POST
ROGER EMMERSON was born in Edinburgh.
He has worked in London, Newcastle upon
Tyne and Edinburgh, running his own practice,
ARCHImedia, from 1987 to 1999 while
concurrently teaching architectural design
at Edinburgh College of Art and as a visiting
lecturer at universities in Venice, Lisbon,
Stockholm, Copenhagen and Berkeley. Since
2000 he has worked extensively in
architectural conservation, housing, education
and the leisure industries throughout the UK,
retiring from architectural practice, although
not architecture, in 2016.
Thursday 20 August, 10.30am
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Scotland’s Darkest Past
MARY CRAIG
The long bibliography proves how much research Craig put into this account yet
her engaging narrative writing style makes it almost feel as if you’re reading a
novel. SCOTTISH FIELD
MARY CRAIG is a distinguished writer and
historian residing in Scotland. She earned her
academic credentials as a Carnegie scholar and
completed her education at the University of
Glasgow. With a focus on central European
history, Craig combines her roles as a working
historian and a prolific writer. Her expertise is
reflected in her numerous articles published
in various scholarly journals. Additionally, she
is a sought-after speaker, regularly presenting
talks and lectures on historical topics throughout
the country. Her contributions to the field
underscore her commitment to advancing
historical understanding and engaging diverse
audiences in the study of history.
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Join Mary Craig, author of Agnes Finnie
and Borders Witch Hunt and step beyond
the myths into a chilling world where
whispers became accusations and
accusations became death sentences.
Uncover the terrifying reality of Scotland’s
witch hunts, where zealous churchmen
and unforgiving courts turned fear into
deadly power. Hear the true stories:
neighbours betraying neighbours,
confessions forced in the shadows, and
lives destroyed in the name of belief.
This is history at its most brutal. Feel the
tension. Question the justice. Confront the
fear. This event will leave you questioning,
would you have survived?
Thursday 20 August, 12pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Fortunes from Flesh
Scotland and Slavery
KATE PHILLIPS
Henry Dundas, James Gillespie, George
Watson.
The Scots made fortunes transporting so
many people into slavery. So why do we
still distance ourselves from this truth?
For generations, the Scots prospered
by using their human property to fund
fabulous country homes, invest in ship
building, iron smelting and coal mining.
They ran a vicious propaganda campaign
to protect the practice. But Scotland’s
role in the slave trade remains a taboo.
Join Kate Phillips, author of Bought and
Sold: Scotland, Jamaica and Slavery as she
uncovers Scotland’s dark past.
No human being should be ‘bought and sold’ but this powerful book describes
the buying and selling of black people as chattel slaves and the terrible consequences
of this legal trade. SIR GEOFF PALMER
KATE PHILLIPS is a retired international
development worker previously based in
the University of Glasgow. During a varied
working life she prepared women to stand
in democratic elections in Iraq, supported
African women to take part in the World
Women’s Conference in Beijing, get elected
to and steer rights legislation through their
parliaments. She researched the situation
of girls indentured to factories in the Pearl
River Delta in China, strengthened opposition
movements in Iran, and trained trade unionists
from many, many countries including
Trinidad and Jamaica.
Thursday 19 August, 1.30pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Iona With Love
BARBARA SELLARS
Artists have long appreciated Iona’s
natural beauty, its exquisite colours
and the quality of its ever-changing
light. Photographer, writer and
longtime visitor to Iona, join Barbara
Sellars, author of Iona with Love as
she shares her own passion for this
place and her sensory experiences
of the island’s varied moods and
details – from sunshine to storm,
coast to hinterland, jewel-like pebbles
to flowering machair and from the
colours of dawn to the last of the light
on the sand. Enjoy a rich and evocative
expression of this island’s intrinsic
loveliness.
This enchanting book of striking photography and masterful description brims
with love for Scotland’s ‘spiritual’ isle of Iona. SUNDAY POST
BARBARA SELLARS has loved the natural
world for as long as she can remember;
it has always inspired and comforted her.
Since 2007, she has explored photography
as a means of expressing this passion,
capturing moments of beauty – whether it’s
the fascinating form of a tree, the vibrant
bands of metamorphic rock, or dawn on a
Hebridean beach. Each image reflects her
interpretation, standing as a witness to the
transitory nature of life.
Thursday 19 August, 3pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Tea and Tales
GERDA STEVENSON
Join Gerda Stevenson, author of Cat
Wumman: Tales o Nine Lives as she
mesmerises with her contemporary
retellings of folk tales from Scotland,
Japan, the Mississippi swamps and
Inuit tribes, blending storytelling and
song, over tea and coffee.
Gerda Stevenson has mined the seams
of ballad, song and folktale to produce
these eldritch and uncanny stories,
and delivers them in a Scots that
wonderfully demonstrates the richness
and vigour of the language.
JAMES ROBERTSON
In Stevenson’s hands, her beautifully crafted and wonderfully speakable Scots
seems like a language reborn to meet the deep civilisational challenge of our
time... a book of mighty and magical stories simply and superbly told, that marks
its author out as one of the great champions of the Scots tongue.
THE SCOTSMAN
GERDA STEVENSON is a multi-talented,
award-winning Scot. The writer, actor,
singer, and director has produced widely
recognised works. This recognition
consists of multiple awards, including a
BAFTA for Best Film Actress Award.
Stevenson has travelled the world with
her previously published theatre
productions and poetry, which have also
received much acclaim.
Monday 24 August, 10.30am
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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A Wee Bit Zen
When less is more
ALAN SPENCE
Join Alan Spence, former Edinburgh
Makar and author of the cult-classic
Glasgow Zen and upcoming sequel
A Wee Bit Zen for conversation and
short-form poetry from a trickster with
words and a mesmerising performer
of his own work. Haiku, found poems,
sound poems, text poems, puns and
one-liners, overheard word-on-thestreet
poems, everyday zen, timeless
poems of the here and now, poignant,
insightful and laugh-out-loud funny.
‘Spence is a calm and necessary
visionary.’ (Ali Smith). ‘Poetry with the
gloves off.’ (Liz Lochhead).
He is a gentle writer, but never sentimental. The beautiful moments have
always been earned. He is a writer to cherish, one offering deep and
fulfilling pleasures. ALLAN MASSIE, The Scotsman on Glasgow Zen
ALAN SPENCE is an award-winning
Scottish poet, novelist, playwright and
short story writer, known for his haiku
and reflective works rooted in Zen and
everyday life. Born in Glasgow in 1947, he
is Professor Emeritus in Creative Writing at
the University of Aberdeen and was
Edinburgh Makar from 2017 to 2021. He
and his wife run the Sri Chinmoy
Meditation Centre in Edinburgh. Alan has
also spent a lot of time in Japan, gathering
materials to enhance his writing.
Monday 24 August, 12pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Northern Spirits, Restless Hearts
JANIS MACKAY
Join Janis Mackay, author of On a
Northern Shore, in the fertile place
where ancient Scottish folklore and
new feisty fiction meet, where love is
hampered by ghosts and the restless
surge of the sea is always in hearing.
A love story, steeped in Celtic folklore
and set in the windswept coastal
shores of the far north of Scotland,
On a Northern Shore, takes you right
there, where the gull’s lonely cry and
the seal’s song can tear your heart.
‘Beautifully written’, ‘Unputdownable’,
‘Atmospheric and intriguing’.
This far north, they say the dead are with us…
JANIS MACKAY is a writer, storyteller and
creative writing tutor, from Edinburgh,
Scotland. After careers in journalism and
theatre Janis completed a Masters in Creative
Writing at the University of Sussex in 2004.
She won the Kelpies prize with her first novel
for children; Magnus Fin and the Ocean Quest
and later, in 2013, won the Scottish Children’s
Book Awards with her novel, The Accidental
Time Traveller, published by Floris Books.
Her novel, Wild Song, published by Piccadilly,
was nominated for a Carnegie Medal. With
eleven published books for children, and one
self published book for adults, On a Northern
Shore is Janis’s first published work for adults.
Janis lives in the Borders with her partner, and
teaches creative writing at Edinburgh
University.
Monday 24 August, 1.30pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Fake news, trust issues, real poems
ALAN RIACH
Alan Riach’s new poems centre on the
question, ‘What – and who – can you
really trust, these days?’ What the Sea
Gives was described in 2023 by Bard-
Google’s AI chatbot as ‘A collection
of poems that explores themes of
nature, memory, and the Scottish
landscape. Riach’s poems are lyrical
and atmospheric, and they offer a
profound appreciation for the beauty
and mystery of the natural world.’ In
2023, neither title nor book existed
– but they do now! Delivered live, in
person, not by hologram.
This is surely a work destined to be a landmark in Scotland’s literary history, for
all time, a classic at a critical moment in its subject’s destiny.
ANDREW McNEILLIE, THE NATIONAL
ALAN RIACH (b.1957) ia a poet and Professor
of Scottish Literature at Glasgow University.
His books include, poetry: The Winter Book
(2017), Homecoming (2009), Wild Blue: Selected
Poems (2014), The MacDiarmid Memorandum
(2023); criticism: Representing Scotland
(2005), Hugh MacDiarmid’s Epic Poetry (1991),
and co-authored with Alexander Moffat, Arts
of Resistance: Poets, Portraits and Landscapes
of Modern Scotland (2008), described in the
TLS as ‘a landmark book’. Luath Press also
publish his 734-page Scottish Literature: An
Introduction (2022), described in The Times as
‘magisterial’.
Monday 24 August, 3pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Talking two millennia
(of Scotland’s history)
ANNA GROUNDWATER
How distinctive is Scotland’s history
from that of other countries? What
was happening in Europe when the
Scots won at Bannockburn, or in
Russia when Mary, Queen of Scots lost
her head? When St Columba was in
Iona, what was Muhammad doing in
the Arabian desert? From Columba to
Robert the Bruce, John Knox to Nicola
Sturgeon – join Anna Groundwater,
author of Connecting Scotland’s History
to hear 2,000 years of Scottish history
located within the global.
A very accessible timeline of key developments in the history of Scotland...
Strongly recommended.
PROF EMERITUS SIR TOM DEVINE, The University of Edinburgh
DR ANNA GROUNDWATER is currently the
Principal Curator for Renaissance and Early
Modern History at the National Museum of
Scotland. She previously lectured in early
modern Scottish and British History at the
University of Edinburgh. She is the author of
several publications on Scottish history including
History Scotland, and acts as a consultant
to TV history programmes including the BBC’s
Scotland’s Clans. She is currently a Fellow
of the Royal Historical Society, and on the
editorial boards of the Antiquaries of Scotland,
and of the Scottish Archives, the journal of the
Scottish Records Association.
Tuesday 25 August, 10.30am
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Ancient Voices, Living Landscape
Scotland’s Geomythography
STUART MCHARDY
Join Stuart McHardy, author of Scotland’s
Geomythography and look at ancient
Scotland through new eyes. Through a
lifetime of research as a musician and
storyteller, combined with decades of
teaching, McHardy has forged a new
approach to understanding Scotland’s
past. Combining archaeology and history
with place-name and landscape analysis,
and drawing information from oral
tradition, he has found evidence to reveal
how our ancient forebears understood
their world. Behind modern beliefs and
assumptions lies a network of local, and
national, cultural treasure that has much
to teach us in our ever-changing world.
This is a journey into the cultural heritage of a nation.
SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKS on Scotland the Brave Land
STUART MCHARDY is a writer, historical scholar,
poet, musician, folklorist and renowned lecturer
about Scottish history and culture, at home as
well as abroad. His unique understanding of
tradition comes from a thorough immersion in
the storytelling arts and history alike. Former
President of the Pictish Arts Society and the
Director of the Scots Language Resource
Centre, McHardy has occupied leadership
positions with organisations working towards
the aim of rediscovering Scottish national
identity.
Tuesday 25 August, 12pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Unfinished Business
Scotland’s Political Crossroads
HENRY MCLEISH & JAMES MITCHELL
We want to move beyond politics in which each party seeks to outmanoeuvre others
and score a decisive victory. is leads to political stalemate. We want to re ect on the
successes and failures of devolution and offer a series of proposals for reform that
could be embraced by a broad swathe of opinion.
What has a quarter century of
devolution meant for Scotland? The
‘Scottish Question’ will always be
‘unfinished business’ according to
James Mitchell and Henry McLeish. So,
what’s next? What are the social and
economic challenges and opportunities
that lie ahead? What do we need
to do to make our institutions and
politics fit for purpose? In a culture of
political stalemates and ‘permanent
campaigning’, Former First Minister
Henry McLeish, Minister responsible for
devolution and Professor James Mitchell
of Edinburgh University have an idea or
two to brighten Scotland’s future…
Rt Hon Henry McLeish began his political career as an elected member in local government
in 1974, and was leader of Fife Regional Council for five years. In 1987 he was elected
as a member of the UK Parliament and acted as Minister for Devolution and Home Affairs
in the Labour government from 1997 to 1999. In the first Scottish Parliament he was
Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning from 1999, and in 2000 he became First
Minister of Scotland until 2001. Retiring from politics in 2003, he is now an adviser,
consultant, writer author and broadcaster and lectures in the USA and elsewhere on the
European Union and politics.
JAMES MITCHELL holds the chair in Public Policy and is Director of the Academy of
Government at the University of Edinburgh. He previously held chairs at the University of
Strathclyde and Sheffield. His research has included studies of political parties and public
opinion in Scotland. His most recent work has included studies of the SNP, Scottish
elections and the independence referendum. All of his work is informed by an
appreciation of the importance of the past in its impact on current concerns.
Tuesday 25 August, 1.30pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Donald Dewar
An Incomplete Legacy
MARK PEEL
Donald Dewar, Scotland’s inaugural
First Minister, battled long and hard
to establish the Scottish Parliament.
Yet, despite the vision proclaimed at its
opening in July 1999, the Parliament has
become mired in constitutional wrangling.
Where has it all gone wrong and who is to
blame? The media, for inflating unrealistic
expectations? Dewar, for failing to outline
a new vision for Scotland? Or the Labour
Party, for underestimating the rise of the
SNP? Mark Peel, Dewar’s biographer and
author of Scotland’s Lost Leader, charts
the fluctuating fortunes of his career and
assesses the impact of his premature
death.
Truly a tour de force. ASSOCIATION OF CRICKET STATISTICIANS
on Ambassadors of Goodwill
MARK PEEL read History at Harrow and
Edinburgh and taught history and politics
at Fettes School for more than twenty
years. A veteran biographer, he has written
acclaimed lives of figures from sport and
politics, including Shirley Williams and
leading cricketers, and his first book won
the Cricket Society Literary Award.
Tuesday 25 August, 3pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Choose Life Choose Leith
Trainspotting on Location
TIM BELL
A great study from a serious Trainspotting scholar. IRVINE WELSH
TIM BELL arrived in Leith in 1980 from his
native rural Northumberland, and has lived in
the same house there since then. Working as a
social worker and bringing up a young family,
he was a witness to the unfolding drama of
the heroin epidemic and the arrival of HIV/
AIDS in the setting for Welsh’s Trainspotting.
Intrigued by the way Welsh spliced geography
and history into his fiction, Bell set about
unpicking the chaos and complexities of the
place and the culture. In 2000, Tim became a
tour guide in Leith and embarked on research
for Choose Life, Choose Leith.
Set firmly in unglamorous 1980s
Leith, Trainspotting has burst through
stage, film and now musical genres,
dodging the forces of orthodoxy
and censorship. But is it just
scurrilous punk, junk, transgressional
entertainment that got lucky? Bell
reveals how this hard-to-read and onlocation
book tells truths that need
to be told. And how it’s everyone’s
business. Bell is the ideal guide: author
of Choose Life, Choose Leith and
living in Leith since 1980, he brings
street-level wisdom, erudite research,
and a good dash of humour to the
Trainspotting phenomenon.
Thursday 27 August, 10.30am
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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Art Without Borders
Demarco’s Europe
RICHARD DEMARCO & RODDY MARTINE
As well as being recognised internationally as an artist, Richard is equally recognised as
the promoter of exhibitions and theatre events that have broken new ground in Britain
and further beyond, to which the long list of his national and international awards and
honours attests. RICHARD NOYCE
RICHARD DEMARCO is an artist and patron of the
visual and performing arts. He has been one of
Scotland’s most influential advocates for
contemporary art through his work at the Richard
Demarco Gallery and the Demarco European Art
Foundation. He has attended every Edinburgh
Festival since its inception in 1947, and he was a
co-founder of the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh
in 1963.
RODDY MARTINE is an author, journalist and
broadcaster. He regularly worked as a columnist
on a wide range of newspapers and periodicals
throughout the UK. Roddy is also the author of
over thirty books.
‘There is no such thing as Scottish
art, only art in Scotland which is part
of a European tradition’ says Richard
Demarco CBE, who has been to every
Edinburgh Festival since its inception
in 1947. The festival’s origins are firmly
rooted in an international outlook,
one that Demarco, a cultural pilgrim,
continues to embody. Demarco’s
Europe, the third of a trilogy written
in collaboration with Edinburgh-based
journalist Roddy Martine, is dedicated
to the importance of Scotland’s ongoing
cultural engagement with continental
Europe. With existential threats all
around, can art provide a healing balm?
Thursday 27 August, 12pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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A Scottish Football Odyssey
ARCHIE MACPHERSON
Archie Macpherson has been writing and broadcasting on the beautiful game for
60 years. From triumphalism to downright despondency, he has seen and felt it
all. From the 16mm film pictures of the 60s to the ever-advancing digital age and
a financial landscape disfiguring that environment he became accustomed to,
Scottish football faces unprecedented challenges. Has our appreciation of the
game been cheapened by increased access via technology? How do we forge a
path ahead for Scottish football. The familiar raconteur bares all.
The voice and face of Scottish football... his iconic style, confidence and talent
kept Archie at the forefront of sports broadcasting, and in Scottish living rooms,
for decades. BBC ICONS OF FOOTBALL
ARCHIE MACPHERSON was born and raised in
Shettleston in the east-end of Glasgow. He was
headteacher of Swinton School, Lanarkshire,
before he began his broadcasting career at
the BBC in 1962. It was here that he became
the principal commentator and presenter on
Sportscene.
He has since worked with STV, Eurosport,
Talksport, Radio Clyde and Setanta. He has
commentated on various key sporting events
including 3 Olympic Games and 6 FIFA World
Cups. In 2005 he received a Scottish BAFTA for
special contribution to Scottish broadcasting
and was inducted into Scottish football’s Hall of
Fame in 2017.
Thursday 27 August, 1.30pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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No Scotland No Party!
JULIE MCNEILL
Submarines, tunnels, train rides and a
new pair of false teeth! Nothing is offlimits
as one woman crosses borders
en route to the World Cup – or at least
to the nearest pub with a big screen!
With a showcase of the poems from
her collections, Love Goes North and
a brand new World Cup edition of the
celebrated We Are Scottish Football
there will be tears, humour, despair,
goals and celebration all shoehorned
into a lively hour of poetic mastery.
Hold onto your sporrans, you’re not
going to want to miss this!
A poetic tribute, capturing the soul-stirring drama and devotion that
make Scottish football an enduring and enchanting spectacle.
PAUL ENGLISH, The Herald
JULIE McNEILL, poet, author and workshop
facilitator, specialises in creative writing workshops
and talks, focusing on mental health and
supporting individuals with additional needs.
Author of Mission Dyslexia and two poetry
collections, she’s the Poet in Residence for
St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation and the
Makar for The Scottish Women’s National
Football Team Poets Society. Her
performances include notable events like
Wigtown Book Festival and StAnza
International Poetry Festival.
Thursday 27 August, 3pm
St Columba’s by the Castle Church Hall
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