Highland 2007

Announced by Scotland's First Minister in March 2003, Highland 2007 is a year dedicated to the celebration of Highland culture with the aim of promoting the Highlands as a great place to live and to visit. Highland 2007 is supported by three funding partners: The Scottish Executive, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Highland Council. Add to that the backing of over 30 national agencies through their role as Concordat Partners, and contributions from partners, sponsors and suppliers from the private sector, and the full potential of the year becomes apparent.

Highland 2007 will showcase traditional and contemporary Highland culture at its best through a year-long programme of events and projects. Culture past, present and future is defined through the following strands:

Arts, Heritage, Language, Sport, Science, Environment.

With the year just beginning, around 400 events are already confirmed and it is expected that this number will almost double as we move further into the year. Through these events, Highland 2007 will attract attention to the region from the rest of Scotland and the UK, as well as overseas.

Working in collaboration with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Hi-Arts, a robust database of events will be provided on the Highland 2007 website – see www.highland2007.com. This will provide online access to the latest event details at all times. In addition, event information will be available as a printed programme throughout the year ahead.

Fiona Hampton, director of Highland 2007, said: "The Highland 2007 programme offers a huge variety of events taking place throughout the year, with wide appeal – whether you are a sports fan, interested in heritage, enjoy music or simply want a reason to celebrate in 2007, there really is something for everyone in the Highland 2007 events listing.

"Hundreds of events showcasing the best of Highland culture will attract international attention to the area, bringing a significant boost in both social and economic terms."

Support from the private sector includes Lifescan Scotland (Principal Partner); Tulloch Homes, Scottish Co-op and BBC Scotland (Major Partners); Caledonian MacBrayne, Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd, Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort and First ScotRail (In-kind Partners) and PPD Ltd, EAE Distribution and Fionnar Springs (Official Suppliers).

The Highland 2007 Community Programme has enabled communities throughout the Highlands and Islands to decide how their local area celebrates the year of Highland culture. In this way, each community has been able to bring their own unique flavour to the celebrations, encouraging as many people as possible to take part.

Young people have their say too! The Highland Promise (An Gealladh Ṃr) is a cultural pledge to young people in the Highlands that they will have an opportunity to participate in a range of cultural activities in 2007. These include theatre skills, dance, craft workshops, music tuition, oral history, genealogy, animation workshops, writing and storytelling. And selected schools in The Highland Council area will have a team of reporters trained by BBC Radio Scotland to provide material for a one hour programme to be broadcast each week, reviewing and previewing the events taking place as part of Highland 2007.

The effect of Highland 2007 is not restricted to the Highland and Islands however – other national organisations and local authorities have joined the celebrations to ensure that this is a year for the whole of Scotland with opportunities for everyone to join the celebration! Already cultural organisations and agencies including Celtic Connections, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Screen and the National Theatre of Scotland have pledged their involvement.

All in all this year-long celebration gives all of us an opportunity to showcase what a fantastic place we live in and some of the unique culture we have on offer!

Here's a flavour of the year ahead . . .

Fonn's Duthchas (Land and Legacy) exhibition, at Inverness Art Gallery and Museum – and later touring to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stornoway focuses on the history, myths, metaphors and reality which have shaped Highland life past and present.

Experience the excitement of a World Qualifying Series international surf event, The O'Neill Highland Open, right here on Scotland's stunning northern coastline in April. Following a period of restoration, the re-dedication of Culloden Battlefield near Inverness will be marked with a programme of events on and around 16 April, the anniversary of the Battle of Culloden.

Located in the Rothiemurchus forest near Aviemore, The Outsider is a ground breaking environmental festival taking place over midsummer weekend in June. Offering a superb range of outdoor opportunities and activities, as well as world-class live entertainment, The Outsider is a must for all those who love the outdoors and life! The Moray Firth Flotilla features a fleet of traditional fishing boats, each with its unique history, skimming on the wind from Wick in June to the sandy beaches of Moray in July.

InvernessFest is a new ten-day festival taking place in July appealing to all, with the Tulloch Inverness Highland Games including the World Highland Games Championships, a military Tattoo, the European Pipe Band Championships and lots more traditional and contemporary entertainment. Check out the Nairn International Jazz Festival in August for world-class international jazz musicians performing right here in the heart of the Highlands! Also in August the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival near Beauly is an eclectic, family-friendly celebration of music and the performing arts!

The single biggest event in the world mountain biking calendar, the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships, attracts over 700 competitors from more than 45 nations worldwide to Fort William in September. The re-opening of Eden Court, the Highlands' arts centre in Inverness, features a month-long programme of music, dance, drama and a sprinkling of comedy.

In October, Fort William hosts Am Ṃd Nàiseanta Ŕoghail (The Royal National Mod), Scotland's premier festival of the Gaelic language, arts and culture, celebrated through music, dance, drama, arts and literature. And make sure you see the year out in the traditional way with a Highland Hogmanay on 31 December 2007!

For more information on Highland 2007 visit the website at www.highland2007.com or call Highland 2007 on 01463 702007