A weekend of storytelling gets under way

The Orkney Storytelling Festival kicks off today, Thursday, welcoming storytellers from Scotland, Ireland and Norway who are joining Orkney’s Tom Muir, Fran Flett Hollinrake, Lynn Barbour and Marita Lück in a celebration of folk and fairy tales for both old and young alike.

The visiting storytellers this year, are regular contributors to the Scottish International Storytelling Festival in Edinburgh, as well as performing in festivals overseas.

Tomorrow, Friday, is national ‘Tell-a-Story-Day’, which will be marked by storytelling events at Balfour Mains in Shapinsay and St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. There will be other events in Stromness Town Hall, St Ninian’s Kirk in Deerness, the Folk Art Studio at Via House in Sandwick and the Lynnfield Hotel in Kirkwall.

Free children’s workshops, run by Lynne Barbour of the Folk Art Studio at Via House in Sandwick, will be held in Kirkwall, Stromness and Sandwick, and there will be talks and tours on Orkney folklore and stories in Kirkwall.

The festival runs until Sunday, October 28.

For more details, including the full programme, click here.