What's On Melrose

Join the Bowhill Ranger for a guided walk around the estate. Each session will focus on a different topic ranging from biodiversity in the woodlands to wildlife watching.

Meet Nancy – widow, with three husbands who all died in mysterious circumstances, and Howard, playing the lead role of Rob Roy MacGregor. Neither to be meddled with in this evening of two separate Victorian Entertainments. Conspiracies and lies abound. Is anyone telling the truth? Will secrets come to light?

When a mysterious object lands in the garden shed, Oscar the mouse investigates. Join Oscar and his new friend, Zimmy, as they blast off through the solar system in search of Quagroon rocks.

Come along and try archery with Barons Folly Archers. Whether you are an expert or more of a Robin Hood wannabe, the club will ensure you have a great experience. And if you want to take up a new hobby, tuition is available. Prices from £3, suitable for ages 6+.

Join us as we try to recreate a Victorian themed family friendly fayre. With hook a duck, tin can alley, skittles and don’t forget Punch and Judy! You can also discover a real Victorian love story in our exhibition and take a tour of Bowhill to see how a Georgian mansion was transformed in the Victorian era.

The early bird catches the worm. Join the Bowhill ranger for an early morning wildlife watch followed by a delicious home cooked breakfast in our Minstrel Tearoom.

Ruff Dugger is trail / mud / obstacle runs you can take part in with or without your dog. This will test your fitness and team working skills to the max. Come and take part in Scotland’s leading obstacle, mud trail run for runners with their dogs.

Big Kid Circus returns with an all new show, in the year we celebrate 250 years since the creation of the modern circus. To mark this event we introduce great new ground and aerial artists from England, Ukraine, Cuba and an hilarious new Clown Papeluxo. A perfect show for all the family to enjoy!

Create a quirky cactus prop! This sweet needle felted design features in my new title Boho Felt Crafts (CICO Books). Made from 100% merino wool, it would make a lovely prop for your living room mantle or kitchen shelves!

Our fabulous Ranger Julia is hosting a gentle stroll through Dalkeith Country Park’s beautiful woodlands for Stress Awareness Month. Research shows that spending time in a wooded area is good for your mind, body and spirit so take some time out and enjoy an outdoor cuppa on your walk.

A day of guided trail blazing in the heart of Kielder and Wark Forests in Northumberland. you will get to drive a variety of tracks not usually open to the public throughout the heart of the forest well away from the road and other forest users. For drivers of road legal 4x4 vehicles with route choices to suit all.

A regular event held for over 30 years and well known far and wide for its interesting mix of second-hand items from practical to precious. Genuine antiques, small items of furniture, collectables, vintage clothes, bric-a-brac and more.

Our final comedy night before the summer break is here, and it is a belter! Starring the legendary...

Join us to observe the beautiful Kielder ospreys. You can see all the action close up through a live camera feed and even spot the birds on their nest using high powered telescopes with trained volunteers.

Get the family together and discover your wild side at Kielder for a two-day event of exploration in nature! We’re getting ‘Wild at Kielder’ once again on Sunday 6th and Monday 7th May with a bank holiday weekend full of wildlife themed activities all over Kielder Water and Forest Park.

A varied double bill: First up - A contemporary one-act version of Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, presenting the tragic Greek story of the man who killed his father, married his mother and suffered the consequences of his self-inflicted punishment.

From social and energetic dances from Brittany or joyful group dances from the Basque country, to warm, exuberant Southern Italian dances or smooth couple dances from France, this series will take you on a folkdance tour of Europe!

TradFest’s Opening Concert celebrates the tradition of handing down a tune, song, story or dance to the next generation through performances and social occasions.

You see, that’s what you get! Come and hear tales about things that should have been left alone, and what happened when they were not! Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling night returns to its spiritual home at The Waverley Bar. With guest storyteller Ron Fairweather.

Singing makes you feel better, so come along to explore Scots song with two skilled enthusiasts, Scott Murray and Ruth Kirkpatrick.

The personal story of Cellardyke skipper Daniel Henderson and the fishing tragedy which struck numerous coastal communities in 1900. Richard Wemyss leads the audience through this moving tale set to his compositions (played by a six-piece traditional band), poignantly illustrating the real price of fish.

A unique, bilingual storytelling creation between Finnish Rune singer and storyteller, Anna-Maria Toivonen and Highland Perthshire storyteller, Claire Hewitt.

We know it as John Knox House, but who did the property really belong to? Join Mariotta Arries, the true owner of the house, to hear the story of a wealthy burgess in 16th century Edinburgh.

Led by musical director Corrina Hewat and featuring traditional singer Scott Gardiner, Sangstream folk choir observes Scotland’s Year of Young People.

A Cultural Journey in the Heart of Edinburgh. A celebration of Scotland, South Africa, India and Brazil in the heart of Edinburgh. Join BE United for a day of dance, music, storytelling workshops, stalls and talks.

Two giant storytellers tell the tales of the gargantuan race of beings who once populated the earth. Mapping their rise and demise through myth and folktale, Alice Fernbank and Svend-Erik Engh take a loving look at the lives of the giants and their gradual departure from the earth.

Bringing a piece of Perthshire to Edinburgh, co-authors Lindsey Gibb & C.A. Hope launch their ’Perthshire Folktales’ book, the latest in the folktales series from History Press.

Come with family and friends to dance well-known Scottish dances and sing well-known songs. All the dances will be called and there will be easier circles for the littler ones. A fun introduction to sociable dancing with live music and some stories too.

A circle dance-story celebrating the full moon of Beltane and the cosmic bull, an ancient rite of passage to summer. Featuring traditional ballads from Scotland, moon stories from Japan and the most beautiful ‘Buffalo Woman’ from the Great Plains. With Linda Williamson and Mio Shapley.

Fresh as today’s headlines, a contemporary story of murder, treachery and revenge based on a tale from the annals of Highland clan history.

Winner of the 2016 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, and 2017 Scots Trad Music Awards ‘Up and Coming’ nominee, Skye musician and piper Brighde Chaimbeul is one of Scotland’s fastest rising stars.

Join friends from the Scots Music Group for an afternoon session of traditional songs, music, poems and stories, held in the relaxed setting of the Storytelling Court. All are welcome to listen or bring a tune for a turn!

Fred Freeman shares his knowledge on the renowned father of the Scottish Folk revival, highlighting his contributions as song maker and poet, birthing a new wave in the carrying stream of culture.

Named after a small Robert Louis Stevenson poem, ’Young Night Thought’ is a new album of original contemporary folk from Kirsty Law.

Wanted! Performers on all instruments suited for street parties - Brass, Reeds, Pipes (A, D, C), Accordions, Shawms, Drums, Percussion - and people who like costuming, dancing and acting out.

Paisley’s Robert Tannahill continues to be celebrated as one of Scotland’s finest songmakers. With his beautifully delicate pastoral songs and an empathy for minority communities which sets him apart from many of his eighteenth-century contemporaries, Tannahill remains hugely influential.

One of the most popular old-time roots acts in North America. Noted for their highly original presentation, the band have created a sonic and visual language that is very much their own, utilising instruments they’ve created, like the Sepia-phonic Monophone and the Contrabass HarmoniPhoneum.

The result of a collaboration forged at a residency in Mumbai in March 2018 which brings together two young artists from Scotland and two from India, combining music and storytelling to reflect on the connections, differences and influences that link the two countries.

The Rymour Club was formed in 1903 in tribute to the poetic inspiration of Scottish Song and Folklore. Regional songs and children’s lore abound in this celebration of the preservation and study of Scottish song.

Forget lazy pastiche; this collective live and breathe their own North-Eastern style, combining western swing, country blues and ragtime hokum. What began as four friends studying traditional music now sees them play throughout the UK and Europe.

All are welcome to Scots Music Group sing-a-long event, singing favourite Scots songs in chorus to celebrate SMG’s launch of a brand-new songbook, ‘50 Mair Favourite Traditional Scots Songs’. All singers welcome – novices and seasoned sangsters – the more the merrier! Hosted by SMG’s weekly singing groups.

Fierce loyalty, camaraderie and inherited blessings flirt with devilish deeds, treachery and dark ancestral secrets in this intimate exploration of those we cannot choose – our nearest and dearest families.

This delightful Beltane Fire Society tradition allows parents to share in the magic of the Beltane story with their little ones through storytelling, face painting and arts & crafts.

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE! An evening of anarchic tales from around the world, celebrating Robin Hood’s role in Scotland’s May Day traditions.

Artie Trezise returns to TradFest with a brand new show, featuring songs from ’The Singing Kettle’ days and fresh adaptations of traditional stories. All the songs have a chorus so expect plenty of participation!

Timothy Neat returns to the Folk Film Gathering to present his powerful, award-winning documentary ’Hallaig’, exploring the life and work of the celebrated Gaelic poet Sorley Maclean.

A hands-on, practical introduction to live storytelling and the associated skills. Storyteller and educator Kate Walker leads this participatory session for anyone curious about discovering and developing their own storytelling talent. Let out your inner storyteller and learn to craft your skills.

New England’s Quartet will blow you away. Windborne shifts genres, slipping from English folk to Corsican improvised couplets and 3rd century Georgian hymns to old time tunes.

An internationally acclaimed group of vocal chameleons who specialise in close harmony singing, shifting effortlessly between drastically different styles of traditional music within the same concert.

In his breathtaking and original show, this internationally acclaimed magician will take you on a journey towards the essence of the accomplished conjurer, demonstrating a range of advanced magical abilities along the way.