Vikings, traditional musicians, authors and storytellers will take centre stage in Dingwall this August as part of the town’s 800th anniversary celebrations, with a major Viking community day and a new four-day music and literature festival among the highlights of the expanded Dingwall 800 programme.
As part of Dingwall 800, the year-long celebrations marking Dingwall’s 800 years as a royal burgh, Centuries – Clash, Crafts & Ceòl on Saturday 8th August, will take locals and visitors to the town on a journey through the centuries to experience the rich heritage of Dingwall.
The high street will host a variety of stalls from local businesses, craft makers and charities from 10am and there will be a procession at 12:30 led by The Glasgow Vikings, part of the UK’s largest Viking-age society, before festivities move to Pefferside Park from 1pm. Opening the festival is Einar Saemunddsen, Director of the Thingvellir National Park, who will give a warm welcome and discuss the links between Dingwall and Thingvellir National Park in Iceland. There will be medieval music with Bill Taylor and James Ross, traditional mead with Thingvoll Grog & Plunder, Viking flower crown making with Fluraichean, archery with Bow Hunter Woodland Adventures, an armoury display with MacDonald Armouries and Pict displays with CATU and Andrew Newton. Live music will take place at Cromartie Car Park, with the Fèis Rois Ceilidh Trail performing at 7pm before Highland favourites Rhythmnreel headline an evening concert at 8:30pm.
Dingwall 800 Event Producer Siobhan Macintyre said: “The anniversary offers an opportunity not only to reflect on Dingwall’s Viking origins, but also to celebrate the resilient and vibrant community the town has become over the centuries.
“Centuries – Clash, Crafts & Ceòl captures everything Dingwall 800 is about – celebrating the people, stories and traditions that have shaped the town across the centuries. The history will come alive in a fun and accessible way, while also showcasing the incredible music, creativity and community spirit that thrives in Dingwall today.”
Building on the legacy of the much-loved Highland Traditional Music Festival, which ran in Dingwall from 1982 – 2002, the new four-day Dingwall Music & Book Festival (Fèis Inbhir Pheofharain) will celebrate music, literature, heritage and creativity. Taking place from 27th – 30th August, the festival will feature 28 events including music sessions, concerts, book readings and heritage walks.
Dòchas, featuring renowned Gaelic singer and former Dingwall Academy pupil, Julie Fowlis, will headline the Saturday night concert, alongside Eadarainn and young musicians, Cluich Rois.
Award-winning Black Isle fiddle player and composer, Lauren MacColl will lead a two-day workshop with participants getting the chance to learn the music from her suite, The Seer – a musical work inspired by the life and prophecies of The Brahan Seer.
Widely regarded as “Scotland’s foremost folklorist”, Margaret Bennett will talk about The Folklore and Songs of Plants in the Highlands and Island, whilst historian and author, David Alston will explore some of the ways in which money made from the slave plantations of the Caribbean shaped the development of Dingwall in the early and mid-1800s.
Ruairidh Gollan, Dingwall 800’s Programme & Production Assistant, who has been an integral part of the Dingwall Music & Book Festival organising added: “The Highland Traditional Music Festival holds a special place in many people’s memories, and we’re delighted to honour that legacy while creating something new for today’s audiences. The festival brings together music, literature, heritage and storytelling, creating opportunities for people of all ages to celebrate the culture and creativity that continue to thrive in Dingwall.”
Jonathan MacColl, Chair, Dingwall Museum, said: “The Dingwall Music and Book Festival has items everyone will want to attend to meet the authors, musicians and performers. As well as going to other events, I’m looking forward to presenting some of my own history walks on Dingwall’s streets
“In Dingwall Museum we have on display many of the surviving memorabilia of those eight centuries – and more – in our display cases, rooms and cupboards. At the moment one display shows images of the Royal charters to explain where we got the idea of 800 years in the first place. We also have a new Children’s Trail to attract our younger visitors into finding out about some of the more exciting items in the collection.”
The organisers of Dingwall 800 recently announced the expanded programme, confirming a number of additional events and activities that will take place throughout the anniversary year. Other events in the revised programme include a series of cultural and ecological workshops, Dig Where We Stand, exploring Dingwall’s history and landscapes with a variety of experts including Mairi McFadyen, Richard Lockett, Col Gordon, Olivia and Maureen Ross, Julie Fowlis and Sheila Wickens; and Harps Galore, a harp concert celebrating the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Clarsach Society in Dingwall in 1931.
Siobhan added: “The enhanced programme reflects the growing community involvement and increasing interest from visitors eager to explore Dingwall’s cultural heritage and contemporary creativity, and we’re looking forward to hearing what people think.”
Dingwall 800 commemorates the 800th anniversary of the town being granted Royal Burgh status by King Alexander II in 1226. The royal charter gave Dingwall significant legal and economic privileges, establishing it as a centre of trade, justice, and administration in the Highlands. The name of the town is derived from the Norse Thingvollr, meaning the field of the council and the court of justice, whilst in Gaelic the town is known as Inbhir Pheofharain meaning the mouth of the Peffrey, or Baile Chàil which translates to cabbage town.
With history, music, literature and community celebration all on the programme, August promises to be one of the most exciting months of the Dingwall 800 year. To view the updated programme, physical copies can be collected from Dingwall Museum or Robertson House, and it is also available to download from feisrois.org.