If you long to feast your eyes on the finest in culinary delights and fulfil your appetite with the freshest and most delectable ingredients Dumfriesshire's larder has to offer, look no further than Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estate's Festival of Food and Drink.
Set amid the stunning grounds of the historical pink castle, the Festival of Food and Drink, which takes place on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 September, celebrates the very best in regional produce and will offer visitors the opportunity to sample, savour and purchase from an exquisite range of local produce.
With a full programme of appetizing cookery demonstrations, mouth watering tasting sessions, celebrity chef book signings, apple juice pressing demonstrations, BBQs, cupcake demonstrations as well as a vibrant array of local producers stalls at the truly traditional farmers market, foodie enthusiasts will be well catered for at this two-day festival.
Meanwhile, on Sunday 26 September, Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estate is calling upon members of the public to get involved in a campaign to help create the largest record of Britain's wildlife.
In a one day race against the clock, the aim is to record as many species of flora and fauna as possible. This challenge, otherwise known as a BioBlitz, is part of a nationwide campaign to create the largest ever record of UK wildlife.
Throughout the day, a programme of varied investigations will take place. These will include a bird race which entails teams of two or four participants following a designated route and recording bird species either by sight or by call; 'worm charming', a survey to see how many worms can be 'charmed' through vibration using a variety of different equipment; fungi foraging; a tree quiz and a conservation task to enhance the beauty of the country estate whilst simultaneously creating valuable habitats for native wildlife.
Also taking place on the 26 September is an evening concert from Emily Smith, an award winning singer recognised not only as one of Scotland's finest interpreters of traditional song but also as a talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
'Scots Singer of the Year 2008/9' Emily Smith has firmly established herself as a leading light in the Scottish folk scene. Taking place in the Dining Room at Drumlanrig Castle, Emily's concert will feature songs from her most recent album, "Adoon Winding Nith", featuring lesser known songs by Robert Burns to commemorate the 250th anniversary of his birth.
Prior to the event, a sumptuous two-course pre-concert menu will be offered in the Castle Tearoom before the concert.
Throughout the open season at Drumlanrig Castle, Kids Corner provides a series of exciting activities for children at weekends and during the school holidays including make your own candle workshops, Stableyard photo quizzes, woodland collage workshops, mini micro beast hunts and much, much more.
Also on offer throughout the month of September are the interesting and informative Drumlanrig's Rangers Activities. Visitors can join the Ranger on a variety of ranger-led walks on which to discover the wide diversity of flora and fauna found on the Estate. For those visitors looking to get further afield and get up close and personal with species and habitats, the Buccleuch Rangers' regular scheduled Landrover Tours are available throughout the season.
For further details on times and costs on all of the above please call 01848 331555 or visit www.drumlanrig.com
