Use: Immediate                                                                             Issue Date: Monday 14 March 2005

The Strathpeffer Pavilion will be a hive of activity on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 March, where the first ever Ross & Cromarty Heritage Fair will be held. Free and open to the general public of all ages and interests, there will be something for everybody, including medieval and Viking living history re-enactments, traditional craft demonstrations, a programme of music and dance, Victorian story walks around Strathpeffer itself, free drop-in craft workshops for the younger ones, as well as fascinating historic cookery demonstrations and tasters.

Schools have been invited to come along to the Fair on Friday 18^th and have been offered the opportunity to take part in pre-arranged workshops. Whilst these are now fully booked there will still be a wide range of activities available for school groups to take part in and enjoy, whether they spend the whole day or just want to drop in for an hour or two.

During both days the Pavilion will be packed with exhibitors from all over Ross and Cromarty enabling everyone to learn how they can find out more about their local cultural and natural heritage or ways in which they themselves can become actively involved in their local organisations and groups.

A wide variety of museums, historical societies, national and local organisations and groups will all be exhibiting, including amongst many others Ullapool Museum, Cromarty Courthouse, Groam House Museum, Alness Heritage Centre, Historic Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage. There will also be displays by the Highland Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers, the Black Isle Lapidary Club, Woodland Treasures and Ardival Harps who will all be offering fascinating demonstrations and opportunities to have a go yourself. There will even be the opportunity to make your own bird-box to take away for your garden.

The Heritage Fair and the activities associated will all be free for everyone and will be open between 10.30am and 4pm at the newly restored Strathpeffer Pavilion. Organised by The Highland Council, this event and the community projects leading up to it have been made possible through the support of Ross and Cromarty Enterprise, the Heritage Lottery Fund and has been part-financed by the European Union under the North Highland LEADER+ 2000-2006 Programme.

For further information and a full programme for both days please contact The Highland Council’s Community Learning and Leisure team on 01349 868435.