“My Heart’s in the Highlands” July events spotlight on the past in Highland and Moray

 

Historic fishing boats, farewells over the ages, traditional Highland stories, and the things Highlanders took with them when they had to leave the North are all in the spotlight during July as this month’s programme of “My heart’s in the Highlands” Homecoming Scotland 2014 events gets underway.  

Strathpeffer, Burghead, Dingwall, Cullen, Newtonmore and Findhorn will all be hosting events this month encouraging local people and visitors to explore and celebrate what makes the Highland special to them.

  • The Memorial Hall in Cullen is the focus of a month-long project looking at the town during the Great War, with a variety of local heritage displays and special features on the 100th anniversary of WW1 and on Homecoming 2014.  Local folk are also being invited to help compile a Story Map showing where Cullen people emigrated/moved to and where they came from.  Anecdotes, recollections and old photos warmly welcomed!  Open every day except Tuesdays, Wednesday 2 July - Sunday 3 August.
  • At Burghead this Saturday (5 July) the focus will be on local fishing heritage, with visits from historic fishing boats including the restored Reaper Fifie herring drifter, children’s activities, paella on the pier, a hog roast and music – not forgetting the highlight of a husband-carrying race, remembering how the wives of fishermen used to carry their husbands out to their boats so that the men wouldn’t have wet feet at sea.
  • Findhorn Icehouse will be hosting special “Findhorn Farewell” sessions with local poet and storyteller Margot Henderson on Saturday 12 July – a chance to hear stories of comings and goings, and to make your own message to leave behind.
  • On Thursday 17 July, The Highland Museum of Childhood in Strathpeffer will be running its “Ceilidh Quilt” activities for children aged 4 years old and upwards, when children will be able to enjoy traditional Highland stories with local artist Lizzie MacDougall then make lovely wall hangings based on a story to take home. Places are free but must be booked in advance on 01997 421031.

Meanwhile, the “Needed on a Journey” roving Homecoming exhibition reaches the next two stops on its travels this month, arriving at Dingwall Museum on Tuesday 1 July till Saturday 19 July and at the Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore, where it can be seen from Saturday 5 – Tuesday 29 July.  The exhibition, which is part of the “My heart’s in the Highlands” Homecoming events programme, has been put together by High Life Highland.  It is visiting various locations around the Highlands and exploring what those who left the Highlands took with them, from physical objects to things people carried in their minds such as stories, songs and recipes.   

Lorna Cruickshank, chair of the “My heart’s in the Highlands” steering group said:  “We’ve been very pleased with the response to events so far, and we hope that the July programme will be enjoyed both by local people and visitors. Over the coming months, there will be 80 events in total funded by the project and a further 200+ being run by project partners.”  

For further details of July’s events and the many other “Heart” events happening in the Highlands and Moray this year, visit http://www.hearthighland.org/.

ENDS   

 

 

 

1 Jul 2014