What’s on this July

Summer is back and there are plenty of events no matter where you are headed in the South of Scotland. Wave farewall to the Galloway Hoard with a Viking Honour Guard, or cheer on the riders at one of the many Common Riding festivities. Be entertained at one of the many outdoor theatre productions across the region. There is even a day out, or two, for the dogs! What are you waiting for? Start planning….

Farewell to the Viking Hoard

Where: Kirkcudbright

As the Galloway Viking Hoard exhibition prepares to close at the Kirkcudbright Galleries and move on, the Vikings have come to say goodbye and ensure safe passage to the next stop on its tour in Aberdeen. There is a week (2-10 July) of varied activities at the Viking encampment including meeting Hrefna and Cathbad as they teach you about different Viking-age crafts and tell you stories of the about their time. You can make your own Viking costumes to wear as part of the Galloway Hoard Honour Guard and train to be a part of the Honour Guard and then join the Vikings as they ceremoniously say goodbye to the Galloway Hoard!

The final day to see the Viking Hoard at Kirkcudbright Galleries is Sunday 10 July.

Common Ridings

Where: Various

Throughout July the traditional annual Common Ridings take part across the South of Scotland.  This historical riding of a town’s borders to mark out territory will occur this month in Annan, Jedburgh, Duns and Langholm. The towns host ceremonies and associated events, picnics, parades and festivities to celebrate this time-honoured tradition. It is a spectacle not to be missed if you’re visiting. For more info see our Common Ridings page.

Live Concerts

Where: Floors Castle, Kelso

Global superstars Michael Bublé, Bryan Adams, Tears for Fears and Alison Moyet will all be belting it out at separate outdoor concerts over several nights at Floors Castle.  Take your picnic and enjoy the grounds of the castle while soaking up the hits of these megastars.

Outdoor Theatre

Where: Various

There is plenty of wonderful theatre on offer in the great outdoors across the South this month. See Twelfth Night at Abbotsford in Melrose, or escape to Neverland with Peter Pan at the Crichton in Dumfries. Or perhaps you’d prefer the Shakespearean comedy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Be swept up by the ill-fated romance of Romeo and Juliet at Floors Castle, Kelso. And for something musical, head to the wonderfully bijou Swallow Theatre, near Whithorn where the Great American Songbook is being showcased in an afternoon entitled Remember.

Canine Fun

Where: Traquair House; The Haining, Selkirk

Head over to the oldest inhabited house in Scotland for some fun with your four-legged friend. Traquair House is hosting a day for the dogs and their owners with events, competitions, displays and demos. Or check out Scotland’s historic breed, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier in Selkirk and see where Old Ginger, the breeds’ founding father was born at The Haining in Selkirk.

Adventures in Storyland

Where: Dumfries

This is Scotland’s Year of Stories and at Moat Brae, Scotland’s National Centre for Children’s Literature and Storytelling, a brand-new exhibition of beloved children’s stories featuring the award-winning art from the MinaLima Classics book series will open this month.  The interactive exhibition, Enchanted Journeys: Adventures in Storytelling, created by MinaLima, the graphic designers of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, takes some of literature’s best-loved tales for children and brings them uniquely to life.