LISTINGS DAYS OUT
DAYS OUT
This section gives details of selected events taking place in and around the central belt of Scotland this fortnight. Events are listed by area and then alphabetically. All submissions should reach our Edinburgh office ten days before publication and be accompanied by a contact phone number for our inlonnation. Days Out compiled by Thom 0ibdin.
BORDERS
I CELEBRATION OF SCOTTISH BEER Sat 25/Sun 26. noon--4.30pm and 7 -11ptn. Traquair House. lnnerlcithen. l’eebleshire. £3 per session (admission to house £1.80 extra). 01896 830323. The fifth of these annual celebrations boasts fifteen cask ales and selected bottled beers from Scotland's independent breweries. The Traquair brewery will be producing its own Festival Ale and there will be free tours of the brewery throughout the weekend.
I ENVIRONMENT WEEK Sat 18--Sun 26. Various venues around The Borders. bull details frotit Roger Hemming. 1311.111". 01573 225‘)‘)5 (office hours). The Borders programme of events concentrates on exploring the enviromnent. with a biological recordings programme organised by .lohn Harrison at llawick Museum (01450 373457).
I FLOORS CASTLE HORSE TRIALS Sat 25/Sun 26. ‘)am~6pm. l-‘loors Castle. Kelso. £5 per car. ()1835 840223. Your usual two day horse event with pre- novice. novice. open intermediate. show jumping. dressage atid cross country. .-\lso trade stands.
CENTRAL & 'I'AYSIDE
I ALLDA PARADE DAY Sat 18. front 1 latti. Alloa Town Centre. l’arades around the town with funfairs. stalls. and all day street entertaimneut.
I ATHOLI. GATHERING Sat 24. 1.30—-5._‘s()pm. Blair Castle. Blair Atholl. north of l’itlochry' on the .-\‘). £3(£l ). 01796 481355. lts those heavyweight contenders. with Jamie Reeves and other pumped tip contenders going for gold with put. shot and weight. Also piping competitions. Highland dancing. stalls. trade stands. bouncey castle. helicopter rides and that all-important beer tent.
I SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARACHUTE CHAMPIONSHIPS Sat 25— Mon 27. ‘)am—dark. Strathallen Airfield. near Auchterarder. Spectators free. 01764 662572. Take your camera and serious zoom lenses to catch the 150 or so competitors iti such events as acrobatic manouevres during descent. landing closest to the target and formation manouevring in teams.
LOTHIANSG FIFE
I ANTIOUES FAIR Sat l8/Sun 1‘).
10am 5pm. Royal Highland Centre. lngliston. lidinburgh. £5 (before noon on Sat). £2.50. 01455 233495. ()ver 500 stalls selling all sorts of sttiff which is more than a century old.
I BONNYBRIDGE TRIANGLE BUS TRIP Thurs 28. front 7.30pm. Depart from King‘s Theatre. l.even Street. lidinburgh. £5 (L2). 0131 22‘) 434‘). A visit to the favourite resort for Scotland's most persistent tourists from outer space. where over 2000 C150 sightings have been recorded here. Part of the /’/mt ‘/ [from Outer Space Festival.
I FESTIVAL OF THE ENVIRONMENT Thurs 23 -Sun 2 Jun. Various venttes around Edinburgh. l-'ull programme from 0131 52‘) 4428. The original environmental festival boasts a programme of events from Longston to l.eith. The big weekend of the I‘L‘SIIVJI is Sat 2.5/50” 21). when DDT Backyard takes place at Meadow bank with exhibitions. trade stalls. lectures on environmental issues and events for all the family.
I LONE PIPER Every evening to Sun 2 June, 6.30pm—sunset, and BEATIIIG THE RETREAT Sat 18, 25, Wed 22, 29, 8pm. Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, Royal Mile. Edinburgh. Free. 0131 225 8818. As the evenings stretch out, enjoy the twilight views over Edinburgh with the strains of a lone piper providing that authentic atmosphere. The Beating ol the Retreat is a lot more militaristic and involves lots of pipes and drums. Edinburgh castle is open daily, 9.30am—6pm, £5.50 (2350/2150).
/ _/
and specialist tood stands.
I [OCH FYNE SEA F000 FAIR Sat 25, 11am—7pm/Sun 26, 11am—11pm. Loch Fyne Oysters, Clachan Farm, Cairndow, Argyll. 01499 600217. Free entry and parking. . .
but you’ll have to pay for the lovely Sea Food and selected wines and beers. There is lots 01 free entertainment however, a kids lair, demonstrations lrom Murdo McSween
I FRINGE MARKET livery Sttn front May 12. 10am 4pm. New Street lndoor Market. Car Park 2000. New Street. lidinburgh. bree. Stall information on 0385 755 461. .-\ new venture for lidinburgh. After the success of the Sunday car boot sale at (it‘eenside Place. the city can surely support this attempt to create a 'quality market for the younger generation' along the lities ofCamden
luck.
I INCHCOLM ISLAND RE-ENACTMENT Sun 1‘). l lam. 12.45pm. and 3pm. lnchcolm Abbey. lnchcolm Island. birth of l-‘orth. Take Maid of Forth ferry from South Quectisfcrry. berry office: 0131 331 4857. £6.75 t£5.50/£3.50 kids). Historic Scotland 0131 668 8800. Members of the Carrick 800 battle re-enactment society do their warlike stuff and take you back to the wars of 1ndependence in 1300. .-\u afternoon ofentertainment is promised with major shows at 1.30pm and 3.45pm. Book now to a\oid disappoititment.
I LONE PIPER lfvet'y evening until Sun 2 June. 6.30pm sunset. atid DEATING THE RETREAT Sat 18. 25. Wed 22. 2‘). 8pm. lidinburgh Castle lisplanade. Royal Mile. liditihurgh. liree. 0131 225 8818. See photo caption.
I ST FORT FESTIVAL OF COUNTRY SPORTS Fri 24 Sun 26. ‘)am 5pm.Sl15ort l-istate. Newport on Tay. bite (on the .'\‘)14. south of Dundee). £10 per car (Free on liriday). 01382 541587. Spectacular sporting competitions on liriday'. with a game fair over the weekend. But the real attraction is tlte sport of kings: The Scottish ()pen Carriage Driving Championship in which Prince Philip is taking part. Saturday is the driving trial marathon ( 1 1am 5pm) and Sunday is the obstacle cone competition and hunter trials.
I TOY, TRAIN AND SCI-Fl FAIR Sun 26.
1 lam ~4pm. Royal Highland Centre. liiglistou. lidinburgh. 0141 552 675‘). £1 (kids free). ()ver 200 stalls selling old toys and trains. surprisingly enough. With the new corgi roadshow. a meccano display. llot'nby ‘()‘ gtiage display and a separate postcard and football memorabilia fair downstairs.
I WILD WEST STREET FAIR Sun 1‘). hiin noon -chow time. Bo‘ness town centre. I'TL‘L'. .\It).\ey Ull (IUWII It) limitless 1‘01' sulllt‘ rootm' & toolin' fill) with country and western entertainers. a bucking bronko. Btlll‘alo 'l-olitaltawk Hill. stalls. sideshow s, tucker and the Robbing of the Ho'tiess livpress. as staged by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society.
I BIRD SONG Fri 17. 7.30pm. and DAWN CHORUS Sat 25. 4am. l.ochwinnoch RSPB Nature Centre. 1.args Road. l.ochwinnoch. 01505 842663. £2 (RSl’B members £1) each. learn how to identify birds from their song at the evening lecture. then go out and ptit your knowledge into practice. Aimed at beginners. adults and older children.
I COMPUTER FAIR Sun 26. 10am—-4pm. Mitchell Theatre. Charing Cross. Glasgow. 0181 856 8478. £4 (£2). All formats. hardware and software for business. education and home use.
I ENVIRONMENT WEEK Fri 17 Mon 27. Various venues around (ilasgow. bull details from Caroline White. HT linvironment Week. 0141 248 6864. More than a token tip of the hat to nature. BT linvironment week allows ongoing projects to highlight their activities and new projects an impetous to get going.
I FESTIVAL OF FLIGHT Sat 25 Mon 27. llatn -5pm. Kelburti Country Centre. l5airlie. near 1.args. 01475 568685. £4 (£2.50). It's ‘up tip and away" at Kelburn this weekend with all sorts of flying machines (if not the ‘Magnificent Men‘ to go in them). Remote control model airplanes. balloons. rockets. a falconer. parachute games attd 300 kites on a single line (weather permitting).
I GOLD PANNING DEMONSTRATIONS Sun 26. Haiti—4.30pm. Museutii of Lead Mining. \‘v'anlockhead. 1.anarkshit'e. 0165‘) 74387. £1.50 (50p). Discover how to pan for gold with a griddle in the burn. There's also a treasure hunt. pri/es. guides in costume and gold menu III the tea room. Price includes a llake of real Scottish gold. btit entry to the guided tours and other attractions is £3.50 extra.
I LOCH FYNE SEA FOOD FAIR Sat 25. 11am -7pm/Sun 26. l lam 71 1pm. loch l’yne ()y'sters. Clachan liarm. Cairndow. Argyll. 014‘)‘) 600217. l-‘ree entry and parking. See photo caption.
I P.A.D.D.L.E. AGM Tue 28. 0pm. Cottitiiunity Central Hall. Mat‘yhill Road. Glasgow. l"ree.l)l41 332 ‘)l 15 est 1‘). The Partnership Against Deprivation for the l>eveloptiient of Leisure and liducatton (apart from deserving an award for most contrived acronym) is aiming to provide a Community \\';itet'spoi'ts Centre at the liirhill Basin. 11' they succeed. they will provide plenty ofquality 1)ays ()ut action. so deserve our support.
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