Nairn Book & Arts Festival 2026 | 29 Aug-06 Sep 26

Nairn Book & Arts Festival | An annual celebration of literature, art, music, and drama in the Scottish Highlands

Extracted from the festival program & festival website:

“Mandy Haggith is the author of 15 books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. She lives in Assynt, one of the last refuges in mainland Britain for healthy elm trees; hundreds of millions have died of Dutch elm disease all around the world. Mandy’s latest book, The Lost Elms, tells the stark history but also offers hope for the future, exploring how ‘thinking like an elm tree’ can teach us resilience and help us heal from grief. The Lost Elms has been shortlisted for the Richard Jefferies prize for nature writing and longlisted for the Highland Book Prize. Mandy will read from its blend of science, folklore and memoir and discuss the inspiring community conservation project that has arisen alongside the book.”

Kristie De Garis | Drystone: A life rebuilt > Thu 03 @ 12.30pm | Nairn Community & Arts Centre | Kristie De Garis – Drystone at Nairn Community & Arts Centre event tickets from TicketSource

“Kristie De Garis spent years running – from places, people and parts of herself. But chaos always followed. When she moved to rural Scotland, in the space and silence, she was forced to confront everything she had tried to escape: racism, trauma, undiagnosed ADHD, addiction and the stark realities of motherhood. Then, in the land around her – and in the slow, stubborn craft of drystone walling – she began to see a different life. One that was quiet, deliberate, and her own. Drystone: A Life Rebuilt is unflinchingly honest and unexpectedly funny. A story about the weight of the past, resilience and the hard work of living on your own terms. Some things may never change. What matters is the life you build anyway.”

Neil Gunn Panel > Thu 03 @ 4pm | Nairn Community & Arts Centre | Neil Gunn Panel Discussion – David Graham, Alan Riach and Alan Taylor at Nairn Community & Arts Centre event tickets from TicketSource

“Neil Gunn was an internationally published and critically acclaimed novelist who was born and lived in the North of Scotland and whose work was deeply embedded in and celebrated this part of the world. This year marks the centenary of his debut novel, The Grey Coast, first published in 1926, and its republication – alongside two previously out of print works – The Serpent and Blood Hunt – marks an exciting moment for the Scottish literary scene, and the beginning of the restoration of the reputation of this once greatly celebrated writer. Come and join publisher David Graham, poet and academic Alan Riach, and author and journalist Alan Taylor for a fascinating panel discussion about Gunn, his writing and its connection to the people and landscape of this under-represented region.”

“A vivid account of a journey through the Scottish Highlands, The Bone Cave follows a series of folktales and myths to the places in which they’re set. Travelling mostly on foot, and camping along the way amid some of Scotland’s most beautiful and rugged landscapes, Dougie Strang encounters a depth of meaning to the tales he tracks – one that offers a unique perspective on place, culture, land ownership and ecological stewardship, as well as insights into his own entanglement with place. Dougie sets out on his walk at the beginning of October, which also marks the start of the red deer rut. The bellowing of stags forms the soundtrack to his journey and is a reminder that, as well as mapping invisible landscapes of story, he is also exploring the tangible, living landscape of the present.”

“Join Will Hall for an exciting woodland adventure. Learn how to use fire safely, how to navigate using the world around us, track animals and loads more! Please wear suitable clothing.”