9th - 14th September 2025
On the Easter Ross Peninsula
Inspiring A Community With Creativity
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Collegiate Church
Tain is unusual in Scotland for the rare distinction of having upstanding remains of three medieval kirks or chapels.
Each one of these owes its existence to the respect, amounting to veneration, in which men and women of previous times held St Duthac the Patron Saint of Tain.
The Collegiate Church is a well-preserved medieval church built at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries as the parish church of Tain. The church was restored after being abandoned and allowed to fall into decay around the year 1815. In 1877 the restoration began and today is managed and maintained by a volunteer committee.
The St Duthac Book and Arts Festival Group are thrilled that the Collegiate Church will once again be a venue to some of the festival events.
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Annie Worsley: Windswept Sunday 14th September 2.30pm-3.30pm
The Collegiate Church, Tain IV19 1AJ
This event is in collaboration with Tain and District Field Club.
Tickets: £5 + booking fee
on sale from 29 July 2025
Writer, crofter, grandmother and geographer Annie came to the Highlands over 45 years ago, before moving to the crofting township of South Erradale near Gairloch. She began to blog about life on Red River Croft and write essays on nature and the environment for various journals, anthologies and web sites. Annie will introduce her book Windswept: Life, Nature and Deep Time in the Scottish Highlands and offer a brief explanation of its structure which is in the form of a lunisolar calendar, before looking at the geography of Wester Ross, including a short history of crofting. Having measured landscape changes over a year, Annie will outline those changes both on the croft and across the wider area and discuss the importance of crofting to nature, wildlife and biodiversity in the Highlands. Windswept was shortlisted for the Richard Jefferies Prize (2023) and longlisted for Scotland’s Saltire Award for non-fiction (2024)
Philip Paris: A Fire in Their Hearts
Sunday 14th September
11.30am—12.30pm
The Collegiate Church, Tain, IV19 1AJ
Tickets £5 + booking fee
on sale from 29 July 2025
Philip Paris’s new historical fiction A Fire in Their Hearts tells the extraordinary story of the 17th Century Covenanters through the eyes of childhood sweethearts Violet and Samuel. Caught up in a civil war that tears Scotland apart, the couple are hunted, held prisoner and finally banished to a Barbados sugar plantation as forced labour. Inspired by true events, Philip’s talk will shine a light into a dark corner of Scottish history that resonates strongly today. Philip’s The Last Witch of Scotland was Waterstones’ Scottish Book of the Year 2024 and his contemporary novel, Men Cry Alone, broke new ground in the subject of domestic abuse against men, winning the Scottish Association of Writers Barbara Hammond trophy in 2019 while his non-fiction Orkney’s Italian Chapel: The True Story of an Icon, is a leading work on the history of the famous WW2 building.
Henry Fosbrooke — Mindfulness Drumming Wednesday 10th September 11.00am—12.00noon
The Collegiate Church, Tain IV19 1AJ
Tickets £5 + booking fee
on sale from 29 July 2025
Let the stresses of the day drift away as you lose yourself in an hour of Mindfulness Drumming with the inimitable Henry Fosbrooke. Let the rhythms and vibrations of Henry’s handmade large drums and soft beaters lift your spirits and soothe your soul as you join in to create music in the setting of the ancient Collegiate Church, Tain. If the weather is fair the session will take place in the grounds of the church, if wet it will be inside. Woodworker Henry has been making and using musical instruments all his adult life, sharing his love of all things wood, running courses in wooden house construction, and visiting schools and Care Homes with his handmade instruments.
Laura Wilkie is a hugely popular professional fiddle player from right here in Tain. She has a unique style rooted in the Highland fiddle traditions but is influenced by an eclectic range of music from all genres. Laura is currently studying traditional Gaelic waulking songs (women’s working songs) and she will include some this evening. Laura has toured internationally with various projects including Kinnaris Quintet and is a founding member of Fat-Suit, being inspired by improvisation in different styles. Collaborations include Shooglenifty and Man of the Match.
Laura will be accompanied by Jenn Butterworth, widely recognised as one of the UK's leading exponents of traditional folk guitar. Based in Glasgow, Jenn is a central figure in the thriving Scottish folk music scene and is a key member of the award-winning powerhouse Kinnaris Quintet and performs regularly in duos with Laura-Beth Salter and Will Pound.
Live Music Concert featuring Scottish Harpist Jennifer Port followed by, Traditional Fiddler Laura Wilkie and Jenn Butterworth
Sunday 14th September 7.30pm—9.30pm
The Collegiate Church, Tain, IV19 1AJ
Tickets £12 + booking fee
on sale from 29 July 2025
The Ticket price includes a glass of fizz during the interval
The Collegiate Church is the perfect venue for live music.
Join local award winning Clarsach player, Jennifer Port, in the stunning setting of the Collegiate Church, Tain. Jennifer will perform a variety of music on her Clarsach (the Scottish harp), and, as she put it in her typically modest manner, “will sing some songs”. Jennifer’s exceptional voice and accomplished playing will soar, soothe and transport the listener. Since graduating with an Honours Degree in Scottish Music, Jennifer has won numerous awards for her Clarsach playing and singing, winning Gold medals at the Royal National Mòd, and reaching the final of the BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year. Jennifer played the Clarsach at Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s wedding reception in Skibo Castle resulting in her becoming an Ambassador for VisitScotland. From nearby Golspie, Jennifer balances family life with a professional career. For more info visit www.jenniferport.co.uk
