This year’s Festival (our 6th) is a wonderful mixture of the written word and creativity. BBC Radio 4’s Bookclub’s James Naughtie is returning after his sell-out appearance in 2022, while Newsnight former presenter Kirsty Wark dons her fiction hat to chat about her novels. The highly anticipated Asad Qureshi has cashed in on his raincheck from 2025 and joins us this year with his book 165 Days Prisoner of the Taliban.

We get theatrical with Theatre Director John Doyle, born in Inverness, and who went

on to win Tony Awards for his Broadway Musicals. More theatre from Scott Kyle, whose

start in life was not the best, but as he says, “It’s not where you start.”

There’s murder in a distillery, crime in the Court House and a shepherdess telling tales on crabbit old crofters!

The Pro-Loco Arts Competition takes place in the grounds of Balnagown Castle,

there’s a Primary School Art Competition too and more Artisan Craft Workshops than

you can shake a willow stick at! Bookending the Festival are wonderful concerts and your socks will be knocked off by Absolutely Fabulous actress Helen Lederer declaring, “Not that I’m Bitter!” It’s going to be an ABFAB six days!