Save the Date
8th - 13th September 2026
On the Easter Ross Peninsula, Highland
Inspiring A Community With Creativity
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What To Look Forward To?
Authors, the Arts and Heritage
Welcome to the sixth St Duthac Book and Arts Festival!
Fàilte don t-siathamh Fèis Leabhraichean is Ealain Naomh Dubhach!
This year’s Festival 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. We get theatrical with Theatre Director John Doyle, born in Inverness, but 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!
This year, the Festival is raising money for the TRACC (Tain Royal Academy Community Complex) Campaign to save the swimming pool and leisure facilities.
Follow the Pictish trail across the peninsula. Soak up the history, take in the spectacular sights of the trails across each of the villages.
Children's Programme
We love to share our love of books with the children in the community which is why we arrange author visits to local schools and bring fun experiences for families to enjoy to the festival. As Dr Seuss says "the more you read, the more you know, the more you know the more places you go".
The Collegiate Church of Tain is dedicated to St. Duthac the Patron Saint of Tain. Built by William, Earl of Ross, over a hundred years later, in 1487 James III had it converted into a Collegiate Church. The Collegiate Church is open daily, and is the perfect location to take in a performance during the St Duthac Book and Arts Festival.
Meet The 2026 Team
Our Origin Story
In 2019 an idea by two former teachers for a book festival took root. They formed the St Duthac Book & Arts Festival group with the aim to further promote literature, heritage and the arts in their community. In 2025 we bid a fond farewell to Archie MacArthur and welcomed Barbara Cohen to the team.
Following meetings, programme development, market stalls and fundraising the first St Duthac Book & Arts Festival, based in Tain on the Easter Ross Peninsula, became a reality when we launched the first Book and Arts Festival on the Easter Ross Peninsula in 2021 .
The committee, who are all volunteers with a passion for the arts, each come with individual skills that make the festival such a welcoming event,
Thank you to everyone who has helped the group on the journey so far. Planning for the 2026 event started in October 2025 and we know that the final programme of events and pop up appearances taking place across various venues on the Easter Ross Peninsula in September will delight you, the audience.