Stonehaven Festival July 2011

Stonehaven, the coastal town in Northeast Scotland, is a charming suburb about fifteen miles south of Aberdeen. Not only is Stonehaven the birthplace of Robert William Thomson, inventor of the pneumatic tyre, it has hosted, for the past twenty-three years, the Stonehaven Folk Festival, which has become one of the most popular summer festivals in Scotland. Scotland has a lot to offer and if you are planning on visiting this area then check out the Jurys Inn rage of hotels in Aberdeen.

This year, the festival is taking place 7-10 July. As always, its programme is shaping up to be exciting. First off, there are the Stonehaven’s Main Stage events which will present great folk music.

The artists lined up are: The Wilson Family, Twa Folk, and Carol Anderson and Martin MacDonald at Town Hall on Friday night; Julie Fowlis, YouTube sensation Muckle Loons, and Jeanna Leslie and Siobhan Miller at Town Hall on Saturday night; on Sunday afternoon, the Traditional Bearers Concert at St Bridgets Hall, which will include Siobhan Miller, Barbara Dymock, Joe Aitken; and on Sunday night at Town Hall, Session A9, Adrian Nation, and the JP Trio will perform.

The Fringe events are what make the Stonehaven Festival really special. Two examples of these events, which demonstrate the festival's irreverent spirit, are the ever-popular World Paper and Comb Championship, which really needs no description. Secondly they have the Aqua Celidh, which is a dance performance that takes place in Stonehaven’s famous heated Art Deco Open-Air Swimming Pool.

There will also be workshops for all ages, usually hosted by the festival’s artists. Examples of some of the most popular workshops are the festival’s many songwriting courses and the Digeridoo tutorial. Both these workshops will return this year.