Winter Words Festival

The 13^th annual literary festival returns to Pitlochry Festival Theatre with an inspiring mix of star authors, talks, events and workshops. Notorious politician Vince Cable, the BBC Coast host Nicholas Crane and award-winning author Christopher Brookmyre are just a few of the great minds in our eclectic line-up. 

Friday 10 February

Paul Diffley – How To Make An Adventure Film - 7.30pm – 9.00pm 

Spend an evening in the company of adventure film maker Paul Diffley, who will talk about his film making process. MORE >>>

Saturday 11 February

Banff Mountain Film Festival 

2.00pm – 5.00pm & 7.00pm – 10.00pm 

The world’s most prestigious mountain film festival returns to Winter Words with two different screenings of extraordinary short films. MORE >>>

Monday 13th to Friday 16th February

Playwriting Workshop - 10.00am – 4.30pm

A three day workshop with Lesley Wilson. MORE >>>

Thursday 16 February

Jamie Grant - 10.00am – 11.00am

Join Jamie for a fascinating account of a summer spent on the sub-Antarctic isle of South Georgia in images and words. MORE >>>

Alastair McIntosh - 11.30am – 12.30pm

Alastair – independent writer, broadcaster, speaker and activist – gives his story of his 12 day walk from the most southerly tip of Harris to the northerly Butt of Lewis. MORE >>>

Catherine Czerkawska - 12.45pm – 2.15pm

Catherine will talk about her book The Jewel. MORE >>>

12.45pm – 2.15pm

Play Reading - 1.15pm – 2.00pm

Enjoy new writing from budding playwrights. MORE >>>

Christopher Fleet and Charles Withers - 3.00pm – 4.00pm

Two of Scotland’s foremost mapping experts discuss the rich and diverse story of Scottish Islands. MORE >>>

Jamie Jauncey - 4.30 – 5.30pm

Perthshire writer and popular singer-songwriter. MORE >>>

Vince Cable - 7.30pm – 9.30pm

Vince will offer a carefully considered perspective on how the British economy should be managed over the next decade and beyond. MORE >>>

Friday 17 February

Alan Rowan - 10.00am – 11.00am

In this event, hear about Alan’s latest madcap adventure in The Corbetts mountains. MORE >>>

Paul MacAlindin - 11.30am – 12.30pm

Hear the uplifting and extraordinary story of how Scottish conductor Paul MacAlinden helped to create the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq. MORE >>>

Fiona Rintoul - 12.45pm – 2.15pm 

Fiona Rintoul, an award-winning novelist, translator, journalist and whisky enthusiast, tells us the fascinating history of the whiskies of Islay. MORE >>>

Poetry Please - 1.15pm – 1.45pm

Step beyond Burns to celebrate some other uniquely Scottish voices in verse over the years. MORE >>>

Kenneth Steven - 2.30pm – 3.30pm 

Firm festival favourite Kenneth Steven returns to read and discuss his new book of poetry, Letting In The Light. MORE >>>

John Hunter - 4.00pm – 5.00pm

With readings from his definitive new book, archaeologist John Hunter tells of his searches for the stories of the Small Isles. MORE >>>

Karl Sabbagh - 6.30pm – 7.30pm

In this fascinating event, Karl unveils an enthralling tale of rival scientists and fraudulent science. MORE >>>

Fearie Tales - 8.30pm – 9.30pm

An evening of spooky tales! MORE >>>

Lesley Riddoch, Alex Massie and Gerry Hassan - 8.00pm – 9.15pm

Chaired by Ruth Wishart. A topical, insightful discussion with three of Scotland’s most celebrated journalists. MORE >>>

Saturday 18th February

Christopher Whatley - 10.00am – 11.00am

a fascinating picture of the role Burns played long after his death in shaping multiple facets of Scottish society. MORE >>>

Bonjour Lapin! - 11.00am – 12.00pm

This stunning puppet show is performed by Edinburgh based puppet theatre company Le Petit Monde. MORE >>>

Madeleine Bunting - 11.30am – 12.30pm

Madeleine will delve with us into the meanings of home and belonging. MORE >>>

Clover Stroud - 12.45pm – 2.15pm

Clover’s idyllic childhood was shattered when a horrific riding accident left her mother permanently brain-damaged. MORE >>>

Poetry Please - 1.15pm – 1.45pm

Come along and hear your favourite pieces of poetry spoken aloud. MORE >>> 

Julia Stuart - 3.00pm – 4.00pm

Julia has spent most of her career as a journalist and joins Anna Day (programme director of Winter Words and Dundee Literary Festival) to discuss her novel The Last Pearl Fisher of Scotland. MORE >>>

The Magical Life of a Short Story - 2.30pm – 5.00pm

This interactive writing workshop will be insightful, inspiring and brimming with suggestions and ideas. MORE >>>

Fearie Tales - 8.30pm – 9.30pm

another instalment of spine-tingling supernatural spooky stories from winners of the annual Fearie Tales competition. MORE >>>

John Lewis-Stempel - 4.30pm – 5.30pm

One of the most respected nature and wildlife writers in the UK, winner of the Wainwright Prize and author of Meadowland. MORE >>>

Nicholas Crane - 7.30pm – 9.00pm

Nicholas Crane is a familiar face from the BBC’s Coast, who is also an award winning author, expert cartographer, international explorer, and the current President of the Royal Geographical Society. MORE >>>

Sunday 19th February

Clifton Bain - 10.00am – 11.00am

Returns following his successful event at PFT in 2014 with his book Ancient Pinewoods of Scotland. MORE >>>

John Beattie - 11.30am – 12.30pm

Well-known sports commentator, journalist and presenter. MORE >>>

Ian Stephen - 12.45pm – 2.15pm

Adventure memoir, storytelling and a celebration of all things maritime. MORE >>>

Kirsten Gilmour - 2.30pm – 3.30pm

The Mountain Cafe In Aviemore Cookbook Talk MORE >>>

Christopher Brookmyre - 4.00pm – 5.00pm

The winner of this year’s McIlvanney Prize for the Best Scottish Crime Novel of the year  MORE >>>

Malachy Tallack - 6.30pm – 7.30pm

Malachy returns with his book The Un-Discovered Islands. MORE >>>

Check Pitlochry Festival Website for More Details >>>

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Pitlochry Festival Theatre or the ‘Theatre in the Hills' has an international reputation for the high quality and scale of its productions, drawing over 100,000 visitors from through the UK and abroad every year to enjoy a unique repertoire system which allows visitors to see a different show every night of the week - two on matinée days!

Pitlochry Festival Theatre was established in 1951 and originally housed in a tent, it now occupies a beautiful building in a magnificent setting on the banks of the Tummel River, surrounded by the spectacular hills and mountains of Highland Perthshire.