From 19th – 29th October, Dumfries & Galloway’s annual Wild Goose Festival will host a series of events stretching across the region from Dumfries, and the surrounding areas, through Galloway and into Stranraer.

In a celebration of nature, creativity and place, this year’s programme of activity includes exhibitions, guided walks, tours, creative workshops, interactive performances, film screenings, stargazing, literary events, lectures, and opportunities for see our local and visiting wildlife up close in their natural habitats.

This ten-day festival is produced by The Stove Network, and forms part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023, is supported by Dumfries & Galloway Council and TRACS – Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland.

Alongside the main festival activities which can be viewed at the festival’s dedicated website: www.wildgoosefestival.scot, the 2023 festival will be further supported by an immersive Wild Goose Festival Hub, hosted in the Loreburne Centre on the High Street of Dumfries. This interactive space will utilise a former retail unit in the heart of the town, to offer a special youth engagement programme, supported by the Youth Arts Open Fund, a Creative Scotland fund administered by Youth Link Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government. Through this fund the festival’s youth engage programme will stretch beyond the ten-day festival and continue into spring 2024.

Graham Rooney, Lead Producer of Wild Goose Festival comments, “Wild Goose Festival is a really special event, a true celebration of nature, creativity and place. Not only does it unite so many different partners from across the region, highlighting the unique natural recourses that Dumfries & Galloway has, but it also encourages new audiences to engage, learn and interact with the natural world in new, innovative and creativity ways.”

Emma Harper, MSP said of this year’s festival, “This work is invaluable both in educating and celebrating what Dumfries & Galloway has to offer with its migratory visitors. It is encouraging to see so many organisations getting involved in the festival which, I understand, will include walks, talks, workshops and storytelling to people of all ages. This festival also has an important conservation message, evermore important in the current global twin climate and nature emergencies.” The Wild Goose Festival connects the region to other locations across the globe, from Norway to Iceland, Svalbard to Greenland, the festival uses the power of partnership to shine a light on Dumfries & Galloway, the unique natural recourse found here, its abundance of native and visiting wildlife and the connection these have to the places and people who live here.

This years’ key festival partners include; The Stove Network, BTO (British Trust for Ornithology), Cycling Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway Council Arts and Museums Service (East), ECO LG, Fair Scotland, Fife College, Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere, LiftD&G, Loch Ken Trust, Moat Brae, MOOL (Massive Outpouring Of Love) National Trust for Scotland, NatureScot (SNH), Nith Life, PAMIS (Promoting a More Inclusive Society), Platform London, RSPB, Solway Firth Partnership, Species on the Edge, University of Glasgow, Upland, Wigton Festival Company, WWT Caerlaverock

This year’s festival programme is now live and can be viewed online at wildgoosefestival.scot and printed event guides can be picked up at The Stove Café on Dumfries High Street or at participating partner sites.

Access to the castle will be free on the first Sunday of each month from October 2023 – March 2024.

Caerlaverock Castle is set to welcome visitors for free admission this winter, as part of Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) Historic Sundays.

For six months, HES will offer free admission to participating Historic Scotland visitor attractions,  which is part of Historic Environment Scotland, on the first Sunday of the month (1 October 2023 through to 3 March 2024). People living in Scotland can access Historic Scotland winter ticketed sites by simply pre-booking online and showing their proof of address on arrival.

Alex Paterson, Chief Executive of HES, said: “With over 5,000 years of history in our care, our historic buildings and monuments can tell us so much about the past, and how it continues to shape our world today, from being the backdrop to film locations to attracting millions of people from around the world and closer to home.

“We think it’s vital people living in Scotland feel history belongs to us all, and through our Historic Sundays initiative we hope more people will take the opportunity to discover the history on their doorstep, or explore further afield to sites they may not have seen until now. Engaging with heritage has lots of proven benefits, including well-being, and we very much hope people take the opportunity to explore these sites and be part of history.”

Explore Caerlaverock Castle’s unique triangular shape, home to a turbulent history and multiple sieges but now lies peacefully next to Caerlaverock Nature Reserve.

Across Scotland, the winter Historic Scotland sites which ordinarily charge an entry fee include Edinburgh Castle; the medieval grounds of Arbroath Abbey; Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots; the historic barracks and fortifications of Fort George; and Skara Brae, the best-preserved Neolithic settlement in Western Europe.

Advance booking is required. To book, and for a list of participating Historic Scotland sites, visit HistoricSundays.scot

Susan Bradbury, from the Stained Design Glass Partnership, Ayrshire, will be giving a free presentation on the fascinating ancient craft of Stained Glass this Thursday, 14th September at All Saints Church, Challoch as part of Scottish Archaeology Month.

The talk will cover the origins of the craft up to the present day and include reference to Challoch’s own ten windows – the work of two eminent stained glass artists, Charles Eamer Kempe and Charles Alexander Gibbs.

The triple east window is by Kempe (1837-1907) whose maker’s mark was the wheatsheaf. His studios produced over 4,000 windows and also designs for altars and altar frontals, furniture and furnishings, lychgates and memorials. Examples of his work can be seen at 58 sites in Scotland, including St. Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, Girvan Old Parish Church and All Saints Challoch – as well as Chester, Gloucester, Hereford, Lichfield, Winchester and York cathedrals in England.

Charles Alexander Gibbs (1825-72) was one of three sons of Isaac Alexander Gibbs who became stained glass designers. The family firm was established in about 1848 but split when Charles Gibbs set up his own works at 148 Marylebone Road, London in 1858. His most elaborate surviving works can be seen in the east window at St. Mary’s Church, Bideford and All Saints, Margaret Street.

Priest-in-charge at All Saints Dawn Matthew said: “Visitors to All Saints Church are often struck by the beauty of its stained glass windows. Now they will have a chance to hear about the history and making of these wonderful artefacts from an acknowledged expert in her field.”

The use of stained glass in churches stems from medieval times when the large majority of the population were illiterate. They were a way of telling bible stories and depicting saints, in vivid colours.

Susan Bradbury’s talk will take place at 2.00 for 2.30pm on Thursday, 14th September with refreshments afterwards.

Tickets can be booked online via Eventbrite here: https://the-ancient-art-of-stained-glass.eventbrite.co.uk or by emailing: [email protected]

Galloway Glens Scheme Completion Event Planned 26th September, Castle Douglas Town Hall, 2.30-4pm

The Galloway Glens Scheme is an initiative of Dumfries & Galloway Council’s Environment Team, funded by a range of partners including the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Over the last five years, the scheme has worked to ‘connect people to their heritage’, while boosting the local economy and supporting sustainable communities.

This fun event will draw together all strands of work, look at what has worked, what hasn’t and overall lessons learned to inform future schemes. The event will include words from the Galloway Glens Staff and key partners. Attendees will be the very first to receive a copy of the ‘Galloway Glens: Measuring Success’ document. The event, called ‘One last thing…’ will end with elderflower cordial and cake.

McNabb Laurie, Galloway Glens Team Leader, said: “The Galloway Glens Scheme is coming to an end. For some, this has been quite a journey!

We have benefitted from the input of so many folk – professionals to volunteers, ideas and time. This short and fun event on 26 th September in Castle Douglas is a chance to look back at five years of work, take stock of activities supported, initiated and catalyzed, and to thank everyone involved. And did we mention there was cake? Hope to see you there!” The event is open to all, there is no need to RSVP, however if you have any queries on accessibility or otherwise, please send a note to Anna Harvey on [email protected]