A cycling sportive and a festival of music and song are among 21 events across the country to receive backing from the latest round of awards from the EventScotland National Funding Programme, as part of VisitScotland’s work to deliver the national events strategy Scotland the Perfect Stage.
£10,000 is being awarded to the Quilter Cheviot Etape Royale & Royal Deeside Cycling Festival, which takes place in September for the second consecutive year. Based in Ballater, the weekend-long event includes a cycle sportive of 45, 65 or 100 miles on the September 18, as well as the Deeside Cycling Festival, which features a number of cycle-related activities across the weekend.
The 100-mile route of the Etape Royale sets off from Ballater and takes in many Moray Speyside locations, including Dufftown, Glenlivet and Tomintoul.
The family cycling festival includes a cycle skills circuit and time trials, portable climbing wall, an Adventure Aberdeen cycling roadshow and bike track, body zorbing and an off-road cycle challenge race for teenagers.
The weekend will also include a farmers market on the Sunday, family cycle ride on the Deeside Way to Dinnet and back, a family ceilidh on Saturday evening and a chance to see VisitScotland’s ‘Highland Coo’ information van on Sunday. There will be European-style street cafes alongside the route serving local food and drink and traditional music in the Deeside Inn. Record-breaking cyclist, adventurer and author Mark Beaumont will also make guest appearances.
A £10,000 funding boosts has also been given to True North, Aberdeen’s festival of music and song. This festival celebrating the North-east's singer-songwriter tradition and provides a platform for the very best music and song, from ballads to contemporary classics.
The event will feature gigs with a host of top names, upcoming talent along with panel discussions and workshops. Acts appearing this year include King Creosote, MOBO award winner Laura Mvula, former Pulp guitarist Richard Hawley and Scottish two-piece, Honeyblood.
These events - and 19 others across 13 of Scotland’s local authority areas - are receiving a combined total of £232,700 awarded from Round 32 of the National Funding Programme.
The National Funding Programme - which is administered by EventScotland, a team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate - was established to enable the strategic development of events taking place outwith Edinburgh and Glasgow, with the aim of driving domestic tourism and increasing economic impact for local communities throughout Scotland.
Thanks to the funding, and in keeping with the objectives of the National Funding Programme, the events will now be in a position to further develop by extending and enhancing their programmes in order to increase attendance figures and improve the overall spectator / visitor experience.
Ben Torrie, director of programming and creative projects at Aberdeen Performing Arts, said: “Aberdeen Performing Arts is really delighted to have received support from EventScotland towards the continued growth of True North, Aberdeen’s Festival of Music and Song.
“After a great opening event in 2015, this funding will allow us to grow the event in 2016 with the addition of new stages in the city and additional marketing activity across Scotland. This year’s festival will feature headline concerts from Laura Mvula and Richard Hawley, a star-studded tribute to the music of Kate Bush, a programme of top contemporary song writers from across the UK, and a fringe programme taking live music to people and places across Aberdeen.”
Jo Robinson, VisitScotland regional director, said: “I’m delighted that these fantastic events in Aberdeen City and Shire and Moray Speyside have been selected as funding recipients in the latest round of EventScotland’s National Funding Programme. I’m sure that the financial boost combined with the fantastic programme the organisers have planned will ensure they are a superb success.
“These funding awards for regional events provide invaluable support by helping them create an even more attractive proposition to attract increased attendance - not only from their local areas but also from much further afield. That promotes the venues as excellent visitor destinations and contributes greatly to the region’s economy - which is hugely important.”
The complete array of diverse events receiving funding through EventScotland National Funding Programme Round 32 is as follows:
- Stirling Highland Games, Stirling : August 20
- Groove Loch Ness, Clune Farm, Dores, Inverness: August 20
- Electric Fields Festival, Drumlanrig Castle Estate, Dumfries & Galloway : August 26 & 27
- The Scottish International Airshow, Ayr : September 2 & 3
- The Heb - Race On the Edge, Uist Island chain, The Hebrides : September 3 & 4
- Thunder in the Glens®, Aviemore and The Cairngorms : August 26 - 29
- Bo'ness Speed Hillclimb & Motoring Heritage Weekend, Kinneil Estate, Bo’ness : September 3 & 4
- Stirling Fringe Festival presents The Shindig!, The Old Town Jail, Stirling : September 9 - 11
- Commando Spirit - Survive The Yomp, Achnacarry, Spean Bridge : September 10 & 11
- Super Touring Car Championship, Knockhill, Fife : September 10 & 11
- Cake Fest Scotland, Cowane’s Hospital, Stirling: September 11
- Salomon Glen Coe Skyline, Kinlochleven : September 16 - 18
- The 2016 Camanachd Cup Final, Fort William : September 17
- Highland Military Tattoo, Fort George, Inverness : September 9 - 11
- Etape Royale & Royal Deeside Cycling Festival, Ballater, Royal Deeside : September 17 & 18
- True North, Aberdeen : September 23 - 25
- Dragon Matrix, Monikie Country Park, Broughty Ferry, Dundee : October 5 - 31
- Balmaha's Braw Weekend, Balmaha, Loch Lomond : October 1 & 2
- Scotland’s Boat Show, Kip Marina, Inverkip : October 14 - 16
- 33rd European Reversible Ploughing Championships, Saltcoats, Gullane : October 19 & 20 and
- 54th Scottish Ploughing Championships West Fenton, East Berwick : October 22 & 23