This year’s fourth annual festival (9-16 June) will have something for everybody. It will open with a carnival parade from the High Street to the links with bands and performers and much more excitement besides.

Writers will include Iain Banks, Liz Lochhead, Alan Spence, William Dalrymple, A.L. Kennedy, Andrew Greig, Nicola Morgan, Mary Contini, Beverley Naidoo, Remzije Sherifi and storyteller Jess Smith.

There will be performances by international cellist, Raphael Wallfisch – hosted by Clifton House: daily shows at the Newton Conference Centre: traditional Gaelic musicians Margaret Stewart, Christine Primrose, Fiona MacInnes, Griogair McLeod and Iain MacDonald; A’ Chraobh (The Tree) with Fiona and Katie MacKenzie and Fiona Sellar; Town and Country a concert by Coronach and Dance Ecosse; as well as International jazz stars Scott Hamilton, Brian Kellick, Nikki King and Marcus Ford and concerts by Mellow Yellow and other local artists.

St Ninians will host an opera night with rising young graduates of RSMAD. You will be able to see The Witch of Auldearn performed in Auldearn, Beauty and the Beast by the Edinburgh Puppet Lab, a version of A Midsummer Nights Dream by Out of the Darkness Theatre in Viewfield Park; Shirleyanne Cumberlege will lecture on the Scottish Colourists and Ursula Buchan will talk about gardening; Cordon Bleu chef Charles Lockley will give a demonstration followed by lunch at Boath House.

There will als be guided tours of the Fishertown and Nairn’s Arts and Craft Architecture, exhibitions of contemporary Highland artists, craft, drama, printing, bookbinding and belly dancing workshops. We hope that you will catch the festival habit and join us again and again throughout the week.

Tickets and programmes will be available from 30th April.

www.nairnfestival.co.uk