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Episode 5

Showcasing events in Scotland. Fred MacAulay celebrates 100 years since the birth of Gavin Maxwell and Martel Maxwell meets people whose homes are being turned into art galleries.

Fred MacAulay celebrates 100 years since the birth of Gavin Maxwell, writer of Ring of Bright Water, the story of two otters and life on the island of Eilean Ban. Martel Maxwell meets the residents of Pittenweem in East Neuk as living rooms, garages and garden sheds get turned into art galleries for nine days. Plus, chef Tony Singh heads to Logie House in Angus to take inspiration from 'Scotland's Gardens', an event taking place across the summer when the public are invited into 500 private gardens.

30 minutes

Last on

Mon 14 Jul 2014 19:30

Scotland’s National Airshow

Scotland’s National Airshow

Fred MacAulay visits East Fortune Airfield near North Berwick to discover the exciting plans for Scotland’s National Air Show on Saturday 26 July.


This year a show stopping display from the Red Arrows is on offer, as they celebrate their 50th year of flying. Fred also meets the plane enthusiasts building an historic replica of a 1915 Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter aircraft, something air show visitors can see first hand, plus meet the mechanics themselves as they work.  Fred also gets to ‘barrel roll’ and ‘loop the loop’ in a 1941 Tiger Moth; another plane flying stunts at the air show.

Perch

Journalist Cat Cubie gets up close and personal with the team behind a momentous Festival 2014 event called Perch and finds out how this performance piece will straddle two hemispheres.


Cat meets the event’s director who explains how Perch will create a carnival to celebrate our dreams and fears of flying and falling. With over 200 performers, including Scotland’s leading street, circus and aerial artists, community performers and a live video link-up to Brazil, where the same performance is happening at exactly the same time. This event is not to be missed.


Cat also gets an opportunity to learn some of the intricacies of the dance and physical theatre pieces themselves. Perch will be performed on 19 & 20 July up on the rooftops and in the gardens of Rotten Row, Glasgow.

Live at Edinburgh Castle

On Saturday 19 July, Edinburgh Castle is staging a star-studded concert featuring everyone from Motown hero Smokey Robinson and comedian Bill Bailey to the Kaiser Chiefs, Katherine Jenkins, Jessie J and Alfie Boe. Plus On the Road’s very own Fred MacAulay will be performing there too. Martel Maxwell meets the man masterminding this live spectacle to find out what’s required to make an event like this pitch perfect.


Musical Director Mike Stevens was the man behind the Diamond Jubilee Concert. He’s also worked with Take That, Annie Lennox and Will Young. It’s up to him to make Live at Edinburgh Castle a night to remember. Mike gives Martel the scoop on the challenges he faces over a two week rehearsal period to get his 12 piece house band up to speed, and co-ordinate the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra — all charged with accompanying the stars at different points on the night.


Mike also reveals one of the concert’s toughest moments, how to co-ordinate the music when the Queen’s Baton Relay arrives at the Castle to make a baton exchange live on stage. Tickets are still available for the concert itself, but it will also be shown live on BBC One and on HD on 19 July at 8:30pm.

Gavin Maxwell

Gavin Maxwell

Gavin Maxwell: Adventurer, naturalist, racing driver, painter and author, was born 100 years ago this July.


Maxwell fell in love with the west coast of Scotland and it is also where he wrote his most famous book, ‘Ring of Bright Water’, based on his life there living with otters. Fred MacAulay travels almost over the sea to Skye to visit Maxwell’s former home on the island of Eilean Bàn and learns more about this fascinating man. Naturalist and broadcaster, Simon King, also joins Fred to teach him about how to spot and photograph the local wildlife, especially the elusive otter. Eilean Bàn is open to visitors across the summer until October.

Tony Singh and Scotland’s Gardens

Award winning chef Tony Singh travels to a very special private garden, opening to the public this summer. Here he creates a new summer salad using flora fresh from the garden.


Every year the charity Scotland’s Gardens opens over 500 gardens of horticultural interest to the public. Tony Singh shows us his pick of the bunch: the herbaceous walled garden at Logie in Kirriemuir, Angus. Tony meets the owner who helps him put together a tasty healthy salad — something everyone can enjoy.

Pittenweem Arts Festival

Every August, the small fishing village of Pittenweem on the East Neuk of Fife plays host to some 25,000 visitors for an extravaganza of art and exhibitions at the Pittenweem Arts Festival.


Pittenweem literally opens its doors to the public, from living rooms to garages to the school playground. Every nook and cranny is transformed into exhibition spaces. Martel pays the village a visit to find out how it all started, and to learn about what it takes to host such a big festival, taking place from the 02–10 of August.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Martel Maxwell
Presenter Fred MacAulay
Participant Tony Singh
Series Producer Dani Carlaw
Executive Producer Eileen Herlihy

Broadcast

  • Mon 14 Jul 2014 19:30

Live at Edinburgh Castle

Live at Edinburgh Castle

British and international artists perform their hits against a magnificent backdrop.