It's Official for 2022!!!!

Did you catch the official press release announcing the return of the Popular Book and Arts Festival to Easter Ross with Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022. It went like this.

The St Duthac Book and Arts Festival Group is delighted to announce that the 2022 St Duthac Book and Arts Festival will be held from 22nd to 26th September in and around the Easter Ross Peninsula Area. A varied and exciting programme is planned with authors, storytellers, musicians, poets and artists from across the area and beyond taking part over the five days of the Festival.

Venues across the Easter Ross Peninsula Area from Castles to Churches, Hotels to Village Halls, will play host to award-winning local writers as well as exciting names from further afield. Family friendly events are planned, and there will be the welcome return of the hugely popular Pop-Up-Bookshop popping up in Tain.

The Festival, now in its second year, will feature iconic local tales as part of the celebrations for Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022. To help bring some of the stories to life, there will be walks and talks in the stunning and historically important places where some of the stories are set.

“The Group has brought together an impressive line-up to take part in this year’s Festival” said Chairperson, Catherine Williams, “there is something in the programme of events for everyone and we are thrilled to be part of Museums and Galleries Year of Stories 2022”.

Once again the Group is pleased to be working with Nigg Book Fair, whose event takes place on Saturday 24th September, and with local schools where authors will once more visit to encourage and entertain pupils and staff.

Planning by the Group over the past six months has secured funding from a range of bodies, and we are grateful to Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund, Beinn Tharsuinn Windfarm Fund (through Edderton and Kilmuir and Logie Easter Community Councils), Arnold Clark Community Fund, Balnagown Estates Ltd, North Highland Initiative and Global Energy Group for their support of the St Duthac Book and Arts Festival.

Marie Christie, Head of Development at VisitScotland said: "We are delighted to be supporting St Duthac Book and Arts Festival through the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund. Events play an important role in our communities as they sustain livelihoods and help to celebrate and promote our unique places, spaces and stories. Themed Years are all about collaboration and Museums Galleries Scotland, National Lottery Heritage Fund and VisitScotland are pleased to work in partnership to create this fund to showcase community stories. By supporting events taking place within our communities,

including St Duthac Book and Arts Festival, new opportunities with be provided for locals and visitors to come together and find out more about the diverse stories, past and present, that our communities have to share.”

Further details of the Festival will be released soon.

This event has been supported by the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund. This fund is being delivered in partnership between VisitScotland and Museums Galleries Scotland with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players.