Highland Homecoming - 19th to 31st October 2009

City Highlights

Eastgate Centre Highland Homecoming festival

Eastgate Centre, Inverness

Eastgate Centre in Inverness is getting involved in the Highland Homecoming celebrations with gusto! A three-day carnival from Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th October will feature a different Homecoming theme each day. Toes will be tapping on Thursday with a day of Scottish dancing, the ears will be pleasured on Friday with a showcase of local traditional music talent and on Saturday taste buds will be tickled by an array of Highland foods. The party will start at 10am and finish at 3pm each day. All you need to get in is a smile…but as Eastgate will be specially dressed for the event you could don a Scottish outfit too.

22nd October/ 22mh Dàmhair - Dance

10 am     Mini CEILIDH –  Opening ceremony with Music and Dance
                              to get shoppers dancing or at least feet tapping!
11 am     Local Dance Troup – modern Scottish dance
12 am     Fraser School of Dance – Highland Dancing Display -
                                        by well know, long established local dance school
1.30       Homecoming Dance – commissioned by the Royal Scottish Country
                                    Dancing Society to celebrate the Year Of Homecoming
2pm       Fraser School of Dance – Highland Dancing - (Preschool to Championship)
3pm       Children 1ST – Kilts for Kids Day – Performing to promote
                            their Tartan Event on the 27th of November
                            (http://www.children1st.org.uk/index.php?page=136 – for more information)

Location/ Àite:
Eastgate Centre, Inverness

Ticket Price/ Tiogaidean:
FREE/An-asgaidh

Contact/ticket information:
http://www.eastgate-centre.co.uk

Also joining the festivities with the voluntary and third sector from all over the Highlands.  On the 22nd of October Eastgate will also host a Celebration of Volunteering Event.  Come along to meet these important organisations, have fun and learn about what it means to volunteer. There will be displays showing the work of youth projects, cultural projects and community services.

23nd October/ 23mh Dàmhair - Music

10am Fèis Rois Ceilidh Trail
A group of five outstanding young musicians who have recently taken part in Fèis Rois’s flagship summer project. Between them, this group play fiddle, piano, accordion, bagpipes, whistle and sing. They have recently played at Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and several village halls across Ross-Shire.
11am Fèis Rois Reunion
This is a group of Fèis Rois participants past and present – some of whom are not teaching for the Fèis. Lively jigs and reels, Gaelic song and step dance. Not to be missed!

12pm The Kiltearn Fiddlers
Under the guidance of Alpha Munro, The Kiltearn Fiddlers from Evanton have had an industrious year, performing at The International Eisteddfod Llangollen in Wales and The Blas Festival. They are a rare treat with Fiddle, Guitar, Dancing and more.

1pm Feis a bhaile
This traditional music group has been established for 2 years, they have played in Eden Court supporting Dougie Maclean with a mixture of fiddle, guitar, whistle, djembe and clarsach.

2pm The Duplets - Scottish Harp and Song Duo.
With two Scottish harps intertwined, The Duplets are hailed as “leading
lights of Scottish music”. Gillian Fleetwood and Fraya Thomsen “sing and
play old and new music with imagination.”– Norman Chalmers. In the title
track on their debut album ‘Tree of Strings’ they “entrance with their
poise and beauty.”- Delyth Jenkins.

Ears will be pleasured on Friday with a showcase of Highland and Islands traditional music
Fantastic young talent to entertain you while you shop.

Location/ Àite:
Eastgate Centre, Inverness

Ticket Price/ Tiogaidean:
FREE/An-asgaidh

Contact/ticket information:
http://www.eastgate-centre.co.uk

24th October/ 24mh Dàmhair - Food and Drink

Highland Produce Market – Inside and outside Eastgate

Taste the Highlands in our Homecoming Marquee on Falcon Square and visit our ‘Street Market’ on the West Bridge inside Eastgate Shopping Centre.

Work your way around the local producers, and tickle your taste buds with an array of Highland foods to sample and have the opportunity to buy a treat to take home.

Highland distillery Balblair (http://www.balblair.com/ ) will offer a taste of their famous whisky and available all day to answer your whisky questions will be the Loch Ness Side Whisky guru – Jon Beach from the award winning Fiddlers Whisky Bar (http://www.maltwhiskybar.com/ )– winner of the SLTN Malt Whisky Bar of the Year two years running.

Stall holders will come from the near and far – Locally -, Connage Highland Diary (http://www.connage.co.uk/) and Real Food (http://www.real-ihs.blogspot.com/)  will offer a taste of their local produce. Macdougall Hastie based in Inverness will tempt you with their award winning pies.

From Moray - Baxters Food Group (http://www.baxters.com/ ) famous for their soups, chutneys and conserves, and Deans Shortbread (http://www.deans.co.uk/)  and from the North –Cocoa Mountain (http://www.cocoamountain.co.uk/ ) for those with a sweet tooth and Balblair Distillery.

These are just a few of the producers joining us for this tasty day please check the Homecoming website -          http://www.homecomingscotland2009.com
for an updated list of events.

Location/ Àite:
Eastgate Centre, Inverness

Ticket Price/ Tiogaidean:
FREE/An-asgaidh

Contact/ticket information:
http://www.eastgate-centre.co.uk

22-24 October 2009 - Highland Crafts

Throughout the three days of our Homecoming Event, Eastgate will also be showing off our local crafts – with our ‘Street Market’ turning into a craft fair on Friday the 23rd. Come along and be impressed with the range of local crafts available and start you Christmas shopping!