The Saltire Society’s nationwide Roadshow celebrating Scotland’s creative talent is coming to Dumfries!

What’s happening in Dumfries?

Dumfries is the third stop on the Saltire Roadshow. We’ll be at Ellisland Farm on 12 September with our host Hugh McMillan (Dumfries poet), and performers Robyn Stapleton (singer & recording artist), Alasdair C Whyte (musician, performer & writer), and Pauline Mackay (Senior Lecturer in Robert Burns Studies).

This will be a great opportunity to learn more about this historic farm built by Robert Burns, as well as what’s happening culturally in Dumfries and Scotland as a whole. Find out more about our performers below:

Hugh McMillan (HOST) is a well published, anthologised and broadcast poet, writer and performer who lives in South West Scotland. His latest collection ‘Haphazardly in the Starless Night’ was published by Luath Press in 2021. In 2021 he was appointed editor of the Scottish Poetry Library’s anthology ‘Best Scottish Poems’ and also chosen to be a Saltire Society judge for Best Scottish Poetry Collection of the Year. His cult classic ‘McMillan’s Galloway’ was reprinted in paperback form in May 2023.

Robyn Stapleton is a multi-award-winning singer and recording artist, best known for her captivating performances of Scotland’s traditional music. As an arts leader, she specialises in singing for health and community wellbeing. Committed to improving accessibility to the arts, Robyn serves as a Trustee of the Dewar Arts Awards.

Dr Alasdair C. Whyte is a musician, performer and writer from Muile/Mull. His work includes: several albums of original and traditional Gaelic songs as a solo artist and with the bands WHYTE and Niteworks; a book of original prose/poetry in Gaelic/English (Maim-slè); lead writer/actor in the theatre production MAIM.

Pauline Mackay is Senior Lecturer in Robert Burns Studies and Co-Director of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies at the University of Glasgow. She has collaborated with Industry and Culture and Heritage partners to develop the first ever Burns Virtual Reality experience. She is the author of Burns for Every Day of the Year, published by Black & White Publishing.

We hope you’ll join us for a brilliant evening of culture in this historic venue.