Black Isle looks forward to 'a Grand Day Out'

13 September 2011

THE fourth biennial Black Isle Gathering (BIG) which attracts audiences from well beyond the Black Isle, will take place on Saturday 24th September between 11am and 4pm.

For the first time ever it will fill the entire ground floor of Fortrose Academy, with stalls stretching right the way from the old front door near the canteen through the school and into the community theatre and library areas.

This free, fun, community fair for all which brings clubs, societies, small businesses, churches and community groups together under one roof, has a special focus on the needs of older Black Isle residents this year. The Community Theatre, Library and surrounding corridors will house the ‘Grand Day Out’ area which will be crammed with stalls offering a morning and afternoon programme of advice, demonstrations and activities from organisations based in the Black Isle and beyond. The Black Isle Leisure Centre will also be pressed into service in the afternoon to host ‘come and try’ workshops. This element of BIG is being funded by Highland Council’s Black Isle Ward Discretionary Fund and LEADER.

Elsewhere entertainments for all ages will include a demonstration from Avoch Sea Scouts, Nick Martin’s colourful collection of rescued reptiles, plus music, dance, crafts and sports activities, and wonderful home-cooked food from Caroline Macleman’s Avoch-based Buffets4U. Caroline’s lovely light baking has already attracted a strong following at Rosemarkie Beach Café, and for BIG, rumours of hot stovies to keep hungry stallholders and visitors going are already afoot.

Mary Bowers, the BIG team volunteer who masterminds how to fit over 50 stallholders and displays under one roof, said:  “It always makes me tear my hair out, but I get there! It’s good to see so many new stallholders booked for 2011, and there’s a notable increase in locally-made arts and crafts for people to buy. The best thing of all about BIG is that unlike so many community fair events which have been dismally wet this summer, it is dry, warm and under cover. It’s a huge task to set things up on our part (not to mention a heroic effort from the school janitor team) but when the doors open and people pour in and start to blether, it makes it all worthwhile!”

Donald Macleod, organiser of the ‘Grand Day Out’ area of BIG said: “We warmly invite older people throughout the Black Isle to come to this event to learn about the exciting activities and services available to them already and to tell us what other community based activities they would like to see developed.”