Multiple sell-outs and packed houses were enjoyed by audiences and participants at this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival (22 October to 1 November), which is supported by Multi-Year funding from Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund.
The festival’s programme, themed under ‘Lights of the North’, included live storytelling, music, art, and song. Across the core festival programme, which included 39 live performances and workshops at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, over 93% of all available tickets were sold, and an incredible 77% of all events were completely sold out (30 total). Ticket income increased by 70%, and the number of festival passes bought doubled from 2024.
Highlights included international guest storytellers from the world’s northern arc, sharing tales of Huldufólk (or the hidden people from Iceland), trolls, and the dark northern winters. Plus, there were tales from Scotland’s Travellers; stories about Vikings and selkies; and as the festival nudged closer to Halloween, there were plenty of dark tales inspired by the Brothers Grimm’s original collection of fairytales, tales of Corpse Roads, spooky stories, and mystic legends to be enjoyed.
Even though the main festival has ended, throughout November the festival’s Go Local programme continues in village halls, churches, castles, and venues across Scotland.
Plus, at the University of Edinburgh, on Saturday 8 November, Festival Director Donald Smith and playwright Linda McLean, will join Randall Stevenson and Greg Walker the editors of the Oxford Handbook of Scottish theatre, for Religion and Scottish Drama, at the New College Festival of Books and Belief. And, also on Saturday 8 and 22 November, Stephen McCabe, who is a storytelling therapist, will be running Folktales for New Scots: Connected with Nature, which are nature-connection walks aimed at migrants and the local community. These walks, starting from outside the Scottish Parliament also include a printing from nature art workshop with Beetroots Collective’s artists Marta Adamowicz and Robert Motyka.
Online audiences can still continue to enjoy more stories by listening to the festival’s podcast series Another Story, hosted by Daniel Abercrombie, Associate Director, Scottish International Storytelling Festival, available on all podcast platforms via: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/another-story
Plus, there are Recorded Performances of some of this year’s events available to watch on Youtube:
- The Alan Bruford Lecture ‘A Curious Episode at Balquhidder: Placenames in the North and the Nackens’ with Dr Robert Fell and special guest Shamus McPhee.
- Storyteller: Martyn Bennett and the Travellers’ Stories with James MacDonald Reid, Gauri Raja, Jess Smith and Gary West.
- Open Hearth storytelling session with storytellers Grace Banks, Johan Sandberg McGuinne, Jackie Ross and musician Tom Oakes.
Donald Smith, Director, Scottish International Storytelling Festival said:
“The storytellers and musicians excelled; packed audiences loved it; workshops were full of fresh talent. We all made new friends. I’ve worked in a lot of festivals over fifty years, but this one will resonate for years to come – it was the pure drop.”
Catriona Hawksworth, Traditional Arts Officer at Creative Scotland said: “The Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s resounding success is a testament to the richness and diversity of storytelling it brings to audiences – from the heart of Scotland to voices around the globe.
“With vital support from the Scottish Government’s EXPO funding, the festival has flourished as a beacon of international collaboration and socially engaged storytelling. By celebrating intangible cultural heritage, it’s inspiring communities and setting a vibrant example of how traditions can be shared, honoured, and reimagined across Scotland.”
The dates of next year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival are 21 to 31 October 2026.
