The Beer and Music Festival at Balmakewan farm, near Marykirk, is in its second year, with ambitions to grow on the back of last year’s success.
The three-day festival, which kicks off tomorrow, is bigger and better than before and features 25 real ales from around Scotland, four ciders, a punch and three wines, as well as live music all weekend. A shuttle bus will pick up and return people from Laurencekirk train station – a new addition to the event which has been put in place to try to address the difficulty of getting to a rural location.
The festival opens at 5pm tomorrow, running until midnight – strictly for over-18s. On Saturday, activities run from 3pm until midnight – again, strictly for over-18s.
Sunday’s activities, however, are wide open for people of all ages to enjoy. In a new addition to the festival programme, Sunday will be a family day, with activities for the kids running from 3pm until 7pm.
“The festival was launched last year as a way to raise the profile of Balmakewan,” explained one of the festival’s organisers, Phil Swire.
“We thought of various ways to do this and decided that there was a place for a beer festival in the Mearns. We have added more music this year and have tried to make it a more rounded beer and music festival.”
A huge selection of beers will be on offer throughout the festival, including from:
The Inveralmond Brewery, The Burnside Brewery, 6 Degrees North, The Cairngorm Brewery, The Orkney Brewery, Stewart Brewing, Fyne Ales, Speyside Craft Brewery, Harvestoun Brewery and Deeside Brewery.
For those who are not beer enthusiasts, there will be plenty other options, such as four Scottish ciders from Thistly Cross Cider – traditional, strawberry, whisky and Elderflower flavoured – and three wines from the Cairn O Mohr winery – strawberry, raspberry and bramble flavoured. And as a perfect complement, a hog roast will be served up each day to provide sustenance.
And what is a little tipple without some live music? There will be 12 bands playing over the weekend, including Emerald Sunday, Amber Road, Brothers Reid, Sonnet 65, Gleadhraich, Alastair Robbie, Colin Clyne, Georgia Crawl, Daniel Mutch, Lizabett Russo, Alan Hunt, and Craig Mather.
“We hope people will enjoy the event in the manner intended, and hope to provide a wide and varying selection of beer and music for local consumption,” said Phil.
Balmakewan farm is located close to Marykirk in south Aberdeenshire AB30 1QX. It has diversified to incorporate a traditional arable farming enterprise, holiday cottages, farm shop and tearoom. Balmakewan is also a venue for events, such as the beer festival as well as for weddings and corporate events.
“We are looking to run an event that will bring the community together and provide a quality local event,” said Phil of the main aim behind the festival.
“We are hoping to grow the festival each year and are excited about its future.”
Balmakewan Beer and Music Festival runs from tomorrow from 5pm until midnight (strictly over-18s); Saturday from 3pm until midnight (strictly over-18s) and on Sunday from 3pm until 7pm. Sunday is a family day, with activities for the kids. A hog roast will be on offer each day.
The event will be held at Balmakewan farm, close to Marykirk in south Aberdeenshire AB30 1QX. A shuttle bus will pick up and return people to Laurencekirk train station.
The festival is a ticketed event, with a one-day ticket costing £12, and a three-day weekend ticket £20. These prices include a commemorative beer glass and one beer token.
Tickets are available from Balmakewan Tearooms, Laurencekirk AB30 1QX (01674 840488); Ink Minx Tattoos, 5 Lower Hall Street, Montrose DD10 8JW (01674 678989), and the Drovers Inn, Memus, Forfar, Angus DD8 3TY (01307 860322).
For further information, visit www.facebook.com/balmakewan