Kirkcudbright Development Trust and Kirkcudbright Summer Festivities are together pioneering a new Woodland Festival to celebrate all things wood-related in the beautiful Barhill Woods on the 10th to 12th September.
There will be an amazing line-up of drop-in and bookable events available over the long weekend, with something for everyone. There will be children’s art and story-telling stations, guided tours about the history and wildlife of the woods, hands-on whittling stations, spoon-carving classes, a poetry exhibition and more. Some Vikings are taking time out from their preparations for the Galloway Hoard arriving in Kirkcudbright in October to come and demonstrate their heritage skills, and there’s even rumours of a unicorn attending! There will be evening barbeques and a lightshow to round off each evening of the Festival.
Full details of the weekend’s timetable of events will be published shortly on www.kirkcudbright.town and www.gallowayglens.org. Most activities are free to attend, although there will be a small charge for some workshops and classes.
The all-outdoor event has been put together by a dedicated team of volunteers, including Rob Asbridge, a long-term supporter of Barhill Woods, and Gavin Philips of Shed Therapy. This inaugural Festival has been created in partnership with the Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme (using funds from the National Lottery Heritage Fund), with additional funding from the Dumfries and Galloway Council Community Events Fund – a new fund designed to encourage grass-roots events to be put on to support their communities in the aftermath of COVID-19. Thanks are due to Forestry and Land Scotland for their support of all community activities in this important woodland.
Helen Keron, Education and Community Engagement Officer for the Galloway Glens, said:
“The Galloway Glens have been so pleased to support Barhill Woods since 2018, when Rob and his amazing team of volunteers carried out a project to create an Outdoor Classroom in the Woods, upgrade the red squirrel hide and make the path network more accessible to wheelchair users. The Woods are now a stunning backdrop to Kirkcudbright town – diverse in wildlife and planting, and accessible for use by all members of the community. Recently we’ve been really excited to work with Rob and the team on this new Festival – it’s going to be great. Come along on the 10th – 12th September to see what all the fuss is about!”
Kirkcudbright Development Trust (KDT) is a community run and managed registered charity. It has been formed as an umbrella organisation to help a wide range of local groups secure funding to develop new and improved community projects for the Kirkcudbright and DG6 area. www.kdt.org.
The Kirkcudbright Summer Festivities team provide a variety of entertainment in the town and surrounding area throughout the year. Over 40 years, they have supported or created the Galloway Children’s Festival, Kirkcudbright Country Fair, The Kirkcudbright Art and Crafts Trail and Kirkcudbright’s Famous Food Festival, plus monthly markets and the spectacular Tattoo in August.
The Galloway Glens is a 5-year project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, based in the Stewartry region of Dumfries and Galloway. Its remit is to connect people to their heritage and to support modern rural communities. www.gallowayglens.org
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