Leugh ann an Gàidhlig / Read in Gaelic
17 February 2024
The Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival is returning this summer, and registration for events for this year’s festival is now open.
The Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival (OHWF) is an annual community-led celebration of the incredible wildlife of the Outer Hebrides. This year the main festival will run from the 21st to the 28th of June, with events continuing through July as part of the OHWF Fringe Festival.
Local groups, business and individuals are now being invited to register their events for this year’s festival. Those interested in running an event or offering a venue can register via the festival’s website: www.outerhebrideswildlifefestival.co.uk/host-an-event.
The festival takes place across the length of the archipelago, with a diverse programme of events providing festival-goers the opportunity to explore, experience and (re)connect with the incredible wildlife of the Outer Hebrides. Past festivals have included guided walks, boat tours, snorkelling and surfing safaris, shorewatches, nature writing workshops, marine mammal survey training, Gaelic workshops, art exhibitions, wildlife photography workshops, sunset bat walks, and more.
The festival is coordinated by Species on the Edge, a multi-partner conservation programme working with communities across Scotland to raise awareness of and secure a future for our rarest and most threatened coastal and island species.
The Festival Coordinator, Mairi Carrey, said: “We’re excited to welcome everyone to be part of this year’s Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival! Whether it’s through guided walks, interactive workshops, or getting creative, our goal is to provide an unforgettable experience that leaves everyone inspired to care for our environment.
Anyone in the Outer Hebrides can host an event; individuals, groups, businesses, or organisations. We’re looking for a mix of events – if it celebrates or deepens our connection to nature, it belongs here!
We’re also inviting those with a space, indoor or outdoor, who are willing to offer it for use during the festival to let us know. We’d love to pair you with someone wanting to host an event who doesn’t have the space. You can register your interest in offering a venue on the event host registration form on our website.”
Sam Gare is a visual artist who hosted an event at last year’s festival. At this year’s festival, Sam will be sharing a new art project commemorating the devastating mass stranding of 55 pilot whales at North Tolsta in 2023. She said: “We are thrilled to be sharing ‘Keening, Song of the Stranding’ as part of the Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival. It feels deeply fitting to present this work in a space that values connection—to nature, to each other, and to shared experiences.”
The deadline for event registrations is midnight on the 31st of March.
