Echoes of the Glen Festival: Duror 28th/29th/30th August 2026

What’s it all about?

In 1951, the West Highland Festival was held in Duror, to coincide with the Festival of Britain.  The hugely ambitious plan was the idea of the local Station Master, Bob Fraser, with the aim of raising funds to build a much needed gathering place for the communities of Duror and Kentallen.

The Festival ran for a week and was centred around a 500 seat auditorium which was created on the fields behind Cuil Bay.  The programme included the staging of two specially produced plays by Compton Mackenzie and Angus MacVicar – both hugely successful writers of their time.  The themes were the Jacobite uprising of 1745 and the trial of James of the Glen – in many ways, the Outlanders of their day.  There were also displays of local arts, crafts, as well as Highland dancing and local music performances.  10,000 flyers and 5,000 programmes were printed to publicise the festival at home and abroad.  Professional actors and performers from all over the country took to the stage alongside members of the local community.

The Echoes of the Glen Festival from August 29th-30th – with events in various venues across the village – is being held to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the event.

Ticketed Events:

The Opening Night: Friday 28th August, 7pm Kentallen & Duror Community Centre

Sponsored by Appin Historical Society

"Bob's Big Idea" – A fun dramatisation telling the story of the original 1951 festival followed by:

An evening in conversation with James Hunter – a native of Duror and well-known author and historian.  James's latest book – Working People, A Family Through Three Centuries – will be published this Autumn and is an account of his own and his wife's family history, including an account of his own and his parent's time in Duror from the 1920s to the 1950s.  Come along and hear him talk about this, the Appin Murder and other interests.

Entry £3 payable at the door – booking essential

Organ Recital: Saturday 29th August, 11am, St Adamnan's Church, Duror

A recital on the historic 17th century organ by Kerr Jamieson, interspersed with comments on it and the music played.

Entry Free but booking essential

A visit to Keil Chapel and Burial Gound: Sunday 30th August.  

Meet at Kentallen & Duror Community Centre at 2.45pm

A follow on to last year's successful visit to this historic site, led by Neill Malcolm.

Entry Free but booking essential.

(Please note a community café will be open in the Community Centre from 11am-3pm should you wish to visit that before hand.)

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To book a place on any of these events, please email Becky Coope: echoesoftheglen26@gmail.com

Details of other events are shown below.

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