Braemar Castle is calling for more than 1,000 people to “dance their socks off” in a world record attempt.
The 17th century landmark in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park has “played witness to 400 years of turbulent Scottish history” and now hopes to take on an “ambitious re-imagined” role in the community.
The team are attempting to break the world record for the most people performing a choreographed dance online simultaneously, which currently sits at 630, to raise funds for the future of the castle.
An online event, Steps in Time, will take place at 6pm on July 24 via Zoom and people from all across the world are being encouraged to take part.
They hope to bring together both those with ancestral links to the area and those who enjoy Scottish heritage to perform a Military Two Step with a band and dance callers.
Catriona Skene, events coordinator at Braemar Castle, said: “We are very excited about this record attempt through Zoom, but we need more people to sign up through Eventbrite to help us achieve this world record attempt.
“As a thank you to everyone, we will be continuing with ceilidh music after the record attempt. The castle will also be adding a new webpage to their website with never before seen historical videos, musical performances, tours, storytelling and much more.”
An ambitious future
Braemar Community Limited has announced a series of events throughout summer which celebrate traditional aspects of the local culture.
Braemar is the only castle in the UK which is under community management and the village has been preparing it to be a five star visitor attraction for the past 14 years.
The money raised through the event will be put towards the community charity’s campaign Raising the Standard to fund the castle’s £1.6million conservation and re-development project.
The team has already raised £600,000 in gifts from individuals, trusts and companies and received support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Raising the Standard will help Braemar Castle to further develop its vision for community engagement and learning by offering more diverse activities and engaging with more groups across Aberdeenshire.
Anyone who wishes to take part in Steps in Time can book tickets online.