DAYS OUT
INGS
LIST
This section gives details of selected events taking place in and around the Central Belt of Scotland. Events are listed by area and then alphabetically. All submissions should be accompanied by a contact phone number for our lnfonnatlon. 0ays 0ut compiled by Thom 0ibdin.
This issue Days out covers events happening throughout August as there will not be space to run the section in our special weekly Edinburgh Festival issues.
BORDERS
I BORDER UNION SHOW Kelso. Fri 30.
8am—8pm; Sat 31. 8am—5pm. Springwood
Park. Kelso. 0573 224l88. £2 Fri/£3 Sat (£l). Car park £2. This used to be a simple one-day affair. but it grew so large they had to hold the equestrian events on Friday. with the livestock events on the
Saturday. Main ring entertainment on both
days will include bands. clowns and heavy horses as well as ‘The Kangeroo Kid' an Antipodean maestro on the Quad Bike. Over 250 trade stands are expected. with everything from Power Tractors to food and drink. There is a craft marquee and a tent devoted to related skills including a collection of local sheep
crooks and a crook making demonstration. I TRAOUAIR FAIR lnnerleithen. Sat 7/Sun 8. Ham-6pm. Traquair House. 2 miles south of Innerleithen on the B709. 0896 830323. £8 (£5). Family £18. (£l off if booked in advance). See photo caption.
I HORSE RIDING TRIALS Lauder. Sat
2 l/Sun 22. 9am—5pm. Thirlestane Castle. Lauder. 28 miles south of Edinburgh on the A68. Saturday £4 (novice day). Sunday £6 (open day). Children and car park free. It‘s the last chance for the top riders to get into the British and Irish Horse Trial Teams taking part in the European Championships. so expect them to be at their best. Saturday includes the dressage. novice and intennediate show jumping and cross country events. as well as the Kimberly-Clark Novice Championships. On Sunday the open and advanced cross country and show jumping takes off with the 1993 British Team Final Trials. Supporting programme includes the Pedigree Chum Dog Agility trial (OK. so your Fido can jump through the hoop. but can you?) and the Audi Road Safety Challenge as well as a parade of hounds in the main ring and the usual pipe and silver bands.
Thirlestane Castle (0578 722430) will be open 2—5pm on both days. and admission is included in the ticket price. Originally a
TBACUAIB FAIB lnnerieithen. Sat 7/Sun 8, 11am-5pm. Traquair House, 2 miles south of lnnerleithen on the 8709. 0895 830323. £8 (£5), Family £18. (£1 reduction if booked in advance). 0nce a year the oldest inhabited house in Scotland throws open its gates (but not the Bear Bates, closed since Bonnie Prince Charlie passed through them for the last time in 1745) for the Traquair Fair. The tree-lined avenue in front oi the house will be filled with marquees and the Swamp Circus Company’s Big Top. The company are a non-animal circus who, besides doing all those acrobatics, aerial feats and clowning during the weekend, will be passing on circus skills to local youngsters on the three days before (Wed 4-Frl 5, 11am—1pm and 24pm). All sorts of stalls selling everything from the specially brewed Fair Ale, vegiburgers and wild-flower wine to crafts, bric-bbrac and antiques will be dotted around the grounds.
Entertainment in the theatre tent will be provided by blg-spectacle-wearing poet and deadpan comic, John iiegley, Bim Mason’s ‘Flat Feet’ and the prizewinning Clan lla Cael Irish step dancers. Musical delights include the Tam White Bend, the Rhythm Doctors and that amazing bazouki and fiddle duo Bobb and Sullivan. The kids will also have their work cutout enjoying all the entertainment put on for them by Mr Boom, the Edinburgh Puppet Company, the brilliant Clown Jewels and Palii the laughologist, not to mention exploring the colour maze. if it all gets too much just consult one of the alternative
therapists in the Complementary Tent.
CLASSIC VEHICLE SHOW Culzean. Sun 1, mam-5pm. Culzean Castle, 12 miles
south of Ayr on the A719. Cars: £9, Motorbikes £3. 05556 274. It’s the biggest day in Culzean’s calendar, which is saying a lot for the castle and grounds which won a tourism ‘oscar’ in 1990. Over 200 entries from the UK and overseas are expected on the day, with masses of supporting attractions. Culzean itself is always a day-out and-a-hali with major thrills for the kids, from the forest walks down to the sea shore. Mon 9 to Fri 13 is Children’s Week, with extra events on every day for 8-12 year-olds, including mystery trails, castle detective tours and several other tours of the castle looking at all sorts of
different aspects.
13th century tort. it was rebuilt in the 16th century and has been enlarged and embellished over the years. Look out for the State Rooms. which are decorated with Restoration plasterwork. and the old family nurseries which house a collection of historic toys as well as modern replicas for kids to play with. ()utwith the Horse Trials. entrance to the castle and extensive grounds is £3 (open 2—5pm. closed Saturdays).
CENTRAL & TAYSIDE
I BEATIHO THE RETREAT Stirling. Sun l5th. 9pm. Stirling Castle Esplanade. £5 (£3.50) seated. £1 standing. Ticket from Stirling Tourist Information Centre. 0786 475019. See photo caption.
I FAMILY DAYS OUT Falkirk. Sat 2 l/Sun 22. l—Spm. Callendar Park. Falkirk. Free. Two days of free entertainment for all the family around the park. including Live Music on stage with the Central FM Road Show, funfair. charity market. dry slope skiing and grass go-karting. In the arena from 2pm there are spectacular events. including the 1993 Family Show It‘s-A- Knockout competition on Saturday. On Sunday the Gala Queens will parade while the Blue Arrows Motorcycle Team and the Kangaroos Gymnastic Team both display. with music from the Wanganui Brass Band from New Zealand.
I FLOAT PARADE Comrie. Sat 7. l.30pm—late. Comrie Village. 6 miles west of Crieff on the A85. Free. Local rivalries abound for this annual parade which is the culminating event of the Comrie Festival Week. The floats start out round the village at l.30pm. ending up at Laggan Park at about 2pm for the float judging and sports. Then it‘s your average tranquil fun family day out until 6.45pm when there’s a pipe band playing in the village.
' I mcnutito GATHERING Crieff. Sat 21.
l lam—6pm. Market Park. King Street. Crieff. 0738 27782. £3 (£1.50). One of the top Highland Games. with local events starting at l lam. and the open events at lpm. Shots will be put. cabers tossed and hammers thrown in the Scottish Heavyweight Championships. while cyclists and runners blaze around the track. Also tug-o'-war. solo piping. Highland Dancing. wrestling and pipe- band contests. Trade and food stands will abound. but after all that physical activity. the thirsty are likely to find their best sustenance in the beer tent.
I HORSE TRIALS Gleneagles. Sun 8. 9am—5pm. The Gleneagles Mark Phillips Equestrian Centre. Auchterarder. 0764 63507. £5 per car. Join the horsey types at 9am for the dressage phase of the trials and the show jumping which starts at l0.30am. More exciting on the entertainment front. the first horse and rider will set out over the cross-country course at l l.30am. Top notch participants include lan ‘Flying Scot' Stark and fellow ()lyrnpic team member Karen Dixon who will be trying their best over this course designed by Captain Mark Phillips (who else?) Public catering and tradestands will be available for those not quite up to the hotel.
I JACOBITE TOURNAMENT Killiecrankie. Sun 8. noon—3pm. Killiecrankie. 3 miles north of Pitlochry on the 88079 (old A9). 0796 473 233. (Site open daily. 9.30am—6pm. 50p). ()n 27 July I689. Killiecrankie was the scene of a rout. as the Jacobite cause got its first taste of blood: Dundee and the Highlanders set about Mackay‘s men with a vengeance. Coming out of Killiecrankie pass. Mackay had the ground against him and although his men had the newly invented bayonet. it was still a screw-on affair. Having fired
54 The List 30 July—l2 August 1993