][1]St Andrew’s Day may not actually take place until Tuesday but large swathes of Scotland are starting the celebrations early and having a hoolie at the weekend.
Edinburgh is having a series of family oriented events in St Andrews Square. They start on Saturday and end with a ceilidh on Tuesday night.
In Dumfries, they are celebrating with the Dumfries Fling which begins on Friday and Glasgow is throwing a shindig which will culminate with a ceilidh on George Square.
You can read up on them all at the Winter Festival site.
However, the biggest bash is taking place, appropriately enough, in St Andrews itself. Kicking off on Friday and running through until Tuesday, there are hundreds of events taking place at the seaside town under the umbrella of the St Andrews Festival.
There’s loads of live bands, classical concerts, a fireworks display at the harbour, a torchlight procession and the massive Nae4Whimps street ceilidh.
Of more interest for the scoffers among us, the festivities include an Ale and Malt Whisky festival; a winter BBQ and the Taste of Scotland Festival Food Fair.
On the Friday night, Master of Wine and all round good egg Rose Murray Brown will be hosting a wine tasting evening at the Fairmont Hotel.
Alongside wines from Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Australia and New Zealand, guest can feast on Salar’s flaky smoked salmon, Loch Fyne organic smoked salmon, Inverawe smoked trout, Rannoch’s smoked venison, Anster cheese, Highland Fine Strathdon blue cheese, Cromarty cheese, Fisher & Donaldson pastries and chocolates.
Rose will be joined by speakers including cheesemaker Jane Stewart of Anster cheese, Lesley Robertson of Salar salmon and Sandy Milne of patisserie Fisher & Donaldson. Tickets are £25 a head.