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Arbuthnott to host celebration of Mearns castles and authors

Isabella Williamson reads Grassic Gibbon's 'Sunet Song.
Isabella Williamson reads Grassic Gibbon's 'Sunet Song.

A festival celebrating the work of Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Joan Eardley and Robert Burns is alive and well in the Mearns.

The Mearns Connections Festival began in 2009 and celebrates its seventh anniversary in Arbuthnott next month, and has published its programme.

Organisers said the festival has done much to raise the profile of the area’s connections to celebrated writers and artists.

This year the festival theme “castles of the Mearns” highlights the large number of such buildings in the area, which shows its political and economic importance in Scottish history.

The festival opens with a dinner on August 7 with guest speaker Jane Geddes, professor of history of art at Aberdeen University, with music by husband-and-wife team accordionist Wayne Robertson and fiddler/violinist Claire Telford.

On August 8 the popular “ballad bus” sets off from the Grassic Gibbon Centre at 10.30am to travel around the castles in the Mearns.

The bus will travel between Inverbervie, Fettercairn, Laurencekirk, St Cyrus and places in between.

This will be an educational and entertaining trip around the Mearns with local personalities and musicians to entertain along the way.

A booklet will also be available on the bus with photographs and information about the area’s buildings.

On Saturday evening at 7.30pm, the festival continues with an evening with one of Scotland’s most respected actresses, Eileen McCallum, in conversation with host Jim Brown.

Tickets for all events are available by calling 01561 361668 or by emailing arts@grassicgibbon.com.