What's On in Leopardland
Jolomo: On the Edge of Buchan
Contemporary landscapes by John Lowrie Morrison; Banff and Buchan’s landscape, dramatic shoreline and coastal villages. Duff House, Banff. Until 30 August
Abolition of African Slave Trade
Exhibition at Fraserburgh Heritage Centre. Until 17 August. Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm; Sunday, 1-5pm, last admission, 4.14pm
Exhibition: Lighting the World’s Seas
Historic lighthouses and Scotland’s place in their history. The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, Fraserburgh, until 16 August
International Street Market
Products from the UK and Europe. Union Terrace, Aberdeen, 3–5 July, 9am-6pm
Strawberry Fair
The taste of Summer at the United Reformed Church Hall, Mid Street, Fraserburgh 4 July
Scotland’s Gardens: Hillockhead
Wildflower areas, herbaceous borders, and organic fruit and vegetables punctuated by numerous sitooteries and quiet corners. Glendeskry, Strathdon, 4 July, 2-5pm
Scotland’s Gardens: Bruckhills Croft
Productive and ornamental garden with unusual plants. Home-made preserves. Rothienorman, Inverurie, 5 July, 2-5pm
Scotland’s Gardens: 23 Don Street
Atmospheric walled garden in historic Old Aberdeen, with a wide range of rare and unusual plants and old-fashioned scented roses. 12 July, 1.30-6pm
Family Funday
Activities and entertainment for all ages.
*Games Field, Braemar, 12 July
Jazz on a Summer’s Evening
Relax, bring a picnic and enjoy the music as the “Buchaneers Jazz Band” performs in the walled garden. Pitmedden Garden, 18 July, 7-9.30pm
Salmon Bothy Talk: A Coastal Walk
Imagine the sights of Cullen, Deskford, Fordyce and Sandend. Upstairs at the Salmon Bothy, Links Road, Portsoy, 19 July, 2.30-4pm
Motorvation: Alford
A celebration of the motorcar with special displays and an action-packed arena programme. Grampian Transport Museum, Alford, 19 July, 11am-5pm
Trubb and Brown
Niall Brown (cello) and Isabelle Trub (piano), play Beethoven, Schumann and Strauss. Woodend Barn, Banchory, 22 July, 7.45pm
Graeme Stephen Sextet
Jazz traditions with world-wide influences: Martin Kershaw (alto sax), Fraser Fifield (soprano sax), Chris Stout (fiddle), Mario Caribe (bass) and Stu Ritchie (drums). Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, 23 July, 7.30pm
Aberdeen International Youth Festival
A multi arts festival in and around Aberdeen, welcoming around 1000 young people from both the UK and around the world. Various venues, 29 July – 8 August
Garden Walk
Learn more about the history of the garden with a personalised tour by the Head Gardener. Haddo House 31 July.
August
Until 8 Aug: Aberdeen International Youth Festival.
1: Aboyne Highland Games and March of North-East Clans, Village Green, Aboyne.
2: Aberdeen’s Tartan Day, featuring The Gordon Highlanders International Beating Retreat.
Wallace 700 Ceremony, Rosemount Viaduct.
Aberdeen Family & Local History Fair, Aberdeen Town House.
2–3: Turriff Agricultural Show, including Turriff Heritage Fair, The Haughs Showground, Turriff.
3–9: Bennachie Heritage Festival, Bennachie Centre.
6–9: Speyfest 2009.
7–16: Ballater Victoria Week.
8: Tarland Show, Show Ground,
13: Ballater Highland Games, Monaltrie Park, Ballater.
14–16: Burns in the Mearns, Grassic Gibbon Centre, Arbuthnott.
15: Lourin Fair, Old Rayne.
15, 16: Ballater Royal Horticultural Show, Victoria Hall.
22: Lonach Highland Gathering & Games, Ballabeg Park, Strathdon.
22, 23: Lighthouses in the Air, Walker Park, Aberdeen.
23: North of Scotland Champions of Champions, Pipe Band Contest, Aden Country Park, Mintlaw.
28: ‘Wha’s like Us’, Community Hall, Gartly.
28–30: Fyvie Homecoming Festival, Fyvie Castle, Delgatie Castle, Fyvie Castle, Royal British Legion, Community Hall.
28–5 Sept: Play ‘Silver Darlings’, His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen.
29: Clydesdale Horse Show, Duthie Park, Aberdeen.
30: Aberdeen Pony Show, Duthie Park.
September
Until November: As Others See Us, exhibition, Duff House, Banff.
4–6: B.I.R.D. Scottish Bash, Vale Hotel, Fyvie.
3–13: Aberdeen International Jazz Festival*.
5: Braemar Gathering, Memorial Park.
12: Aberdeen’s Doors Open Day.
12–21: North East Open Studios, across Aberdeenshire.
19: North Aberdeenshire Doors Open Day.
25: Alford Heritage Fair, Alford Heritage Centre.
25–11 Oct: Doric Festival.
October
3: Inverurie Heritage Fair, at Inverurie Academy
3–11: Peterhead Fish Fest, Peterhead Fish Market.
10: Fraserburgh Heritage Fair, Fraserburgh Heritage Centre & Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.
30–22 Nov: SOUND.
November
5: Winter Festival Fireworks Night, Aberdeen Beach.
15: Haddo Heritage Fair, Haddo House, Tarves
28: Stonehaven Heritage Fair, Stonehaven Community Centre
30: St Andrew’s Weekend Ceilidh, Union Terrace Gardens.
December
3–12: European Curling Championships, Curl Aberdeen Rink, Lang Stracht.
31: Stonehaven Fireballs Ceremony, The High Street and open air in The Square, Stonehaven.
Hogmanay Street Party, Union Street, Aberdeen.
Calling all writers!
The Toulmin Short Story Competition, with a prize of £500 to the winner, is open for entries.
The winning entry will appear in Leopard magazine this summer.
The competition, organized by the Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen, icommemorates the work of one of the North-East’s finest exponents of written Doric, John Reid, who published under the name David Toulmin.
John Reid (1913-1998) was an Aberdeenshire farm labourer, who spent most of his life working long hours for very small rewards. In odd moments he jotted down short stories, character studies, and bothy tales, which he drew on in writing articles for local newspapers. He published ten books, consisting mostly of short stories and reminiscences, which paint a harsh picture of farm life.
The competition is open to all amateur writers* over the age of 16 and the story should be concerned with some aspect of life in North-east Scotland. The story may be written in Scots, including Doric, or English or a mixture of the two.
The award for the best entry will be made at the 2009 WORD Festival weekend (May 13-17) at the University of Aberdeen, when the winning story will be read out by a well-known writer. The story will also be published in Leopard Magazine.
A short story of up to 4,000 words in length should be submitted by 31 March, 2009 to Dr Ian Russell, Director, The Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen, MacRobert Building, King’s College, Aberdeen AB24 5UA. Hard copy, size A4, should be sent in addition to an electronic submission in MS Word. For more information contact the Elphinstone Institute 01224-272996 or atelphinstone@abdn.ac.uk.
*A professional writer is considered to be one who has had a solo work published with a recognised UK publisher.