Scotland’s colourful past bursts to life this October as Historic Environment Scotland (HES) returns with its popular Living History programme for the school holidays.
From Saturday 11 October to Sunday 19 October, costumed performers will animate castles and heritage sites throughout the country with storytelling, music and more - fun for all ages. A fresh lineup of characters will deliver lively, family-friendly experiences that make history unforgettable. At Edinburgh Castle, the programme will run daily until Sunday 26 October and at Urquhart Castle, it will run daily until Friday 24 October.
The programme features dynamic costumed performers who bring Scotland’s past vividly to life. Expect everything from knights and musicians to skilled craftspeople and colourful courtiers - with engaging encounters that spark imagination, deepen understanding and create lasting memories.
Gillian Urquhart, Events Manager at HES, said:
Autumn is a great time to visit our sites and this October we are offering visitors the opportunity to converse with a courtier, meet a medieval knight, speak to a royal King and Queen, and more. As an added extra to the visitor experience, our Living History programme is the perfect way to find out more about our sites and the people who lived and worked at them, and meet a range of historical characters along the way.”
Highlights include:
Aberdour Castle (Wednesday 15 and Saturday 18 October)
Step into the colourful world of the Renaissance at Aberdour Castle. Meet the talented ‘broidster’ to learn about intricate embroidery and life at court, including the often-overlooked stories of early Black Britons in the Stewart and Tudor periods, and enjoy the sounds of the past with a medieval musician, who’ll introduce you to period instruments and perform historic tunes.
Caerlaverock Castle (Monday 13 to Wednesday 15 October)
Characters from the past return to Caerlaverock Castle as engaging characters share what life was like in Scotland through the ages. Visitors can also meet the fletcher to learn about the craft of arrow-making and the fascinating - if slightly squeamish - methods of medieval surgical tools.
Dumbarton Castle (Saturday 11, Sunday 12 and Saturday 18 October)
Explore Dumbarton Castle’s rich heritage with costumed characters. The fletcher returns to demonstrate the skills of a medieval archer, explaining how arrows were designed and the vital role archery played in defence and survival, and on Sunday 12 October, visitors can meet a figure from the castle’s storied past.
Dunfermline Abbey (Wednesday 15 and Friday 17 October)
Visitors can meet King Malcolm III and Queen Margaret on Wednesday 15 October to find out more about how the Abbey played a part in their story, and on Friday 17 October, a medieval calligrapher will be on-site.
Edinburgh Castle (Daily from Saturday 11 to Sunday 26 October)
There is a jam-packed programme at Edinburgh Castle, with daily performances including characters such as the King’s master gunner (Saturday 11 - Monday 13 October) who will explain the extensive preparations that went into transporting Mons Meg to Northumberland in 1497, as well as an archer (Tuesday 14 - Thursday 16 October) who will tell visitors about his 15th century crossbow, protective clothing and archer’s shield.
From Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 October, the musician to both King James IV and King James V will be on-site to show visitors his collection of instruments. From Friday 17 to Sunday 19, Thursday 23 and Friday 24 October, visitors will get to meet a variety of characters to find out what life was like in Edinburgh Castle in the medieval period and the 16th century.
On Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 October, visitors will meet a range of characters from the Castle’s eerie past to celebrate Halloween.
Fort George (Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 October and Wednesday 15 to Sunday 19 October)
Explore Fort George’s military history. Discover what it was like to serve in the Seaforth Highlanders who were based at Fort George for over 80 years, learn about the life of a soldier from Sgt Hugh Fraser, the Power Sgt., and meet one of the barrack’s Military Police.
Linlithgow Palace (Monday 13 & Tuesday 14 October)
Historic music and craftsmanship bring Linlithgow Palace to life. Hear the stirring sounds of Renaissance music on Monday, performed on instruments like the lute, cittern and Renaissance guitar by the ‘Lauter’. Then on Tuesday, meet the ‘broidster’ and discover the art of courtly embroidery, along with stories of life in the royal court – including the presence of early Black Britons during the Stewart and Tudor eras.
Urquhart Castle (Saturday 11 to Friday 24 October)
Meet a medieval knight at Urquhart Castle during October. While he may not be clad in full shining armour, he’ll share what life was really like for a knight at this iconic stronghold - from daily routines to military duties. On weekends, return to hear different voices from the castle’s past, offering fresh perspectives on Urquhart’s dramatic history.
Travel back in time this summer and meet a cast of colourful characters as part of HES’s Living History programme. Included in the standard ticket price, the characters can be found at 15 sites across Scotland. View the full programme.
Entry is free for Historic Scotland Members and Explorer Pass holders. The Historic Scotland Explorer Pass allows visitors to explore 5,000 years of history over just 14 days.
About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
- We are the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. It is at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future, investigating and recording architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes across Scotland and caring for more than 300 properties of national importance. We are also the lead on delivering Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.
- Historic Scotland, trove.scot, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Stòr are sub-brands of HES.
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For further information, please contact:
Stacey Shaw
Historic Environment Scotland Media Office
07881 512 379
communications@hes.scot