Scotland’s biggest highland games, Cowal Highland Gathering, will be broadcasted live this year via the internet thanks to a local community radio station.
Dunoon Community Radio will report live from Dunoon Stadium, the event venue, across the three days. The annual event will take place Thursday 26th to Saturday 28th August. The station’s presenters and production team are planning to broadcast a string of features and interviews with several competitors who are travelling from all over Scotland and the world to compete. Online listeners will be able to follow the action as it unfolds.
The station is run completely by volunteers and has a rich mixture of programmes to suit all tastes. It is managed, operated and maintained by people from the community. Its programmes are dedicated to promoting matters of local interest and concern, local activities & events and the Gaelic language and culture.
Those all around the world are invited to listen online by visiting the station’s sponsor website www.dunoon-observer.co.uk, also the area’s local newspaper website.
Malcolm Barclay, Event Manager for Cowal Highland Gathering said: “No matter where you are this year, everyone can be a part of Cowal Highland Gathering. This is particularly a fantastic opportunity for those overseas, who have had to miss out this year or have friends and family competing, to tune in and listen to the action live from the event. Our thanks go to Dunoon Community Radio for bringing this opportunity to Cowal Highland Gathering and our friends across the world.”
Victor Thomas, Programme Controller at Dunoon Community Radio said: “”Dunoon Community Radio is delighted and proud to be involved with this year’s Cowal Highland Gathering and with the assistance of the Dunoon Observer and Celtic Music Radio will be broadcasting live over the three days. Together we hope to take this opportunity to give listeners not only locally but across the world an instant insight to what is happening at Scotland’s biggest highland games.”
Cowal Highland Gathering, which hosts a string of family entertainment, attracts up to 23,000 visitors every year. Heavy athletes and more than 500 highland dancers and 3000 pipers travel from all over the world to compete to win championship titles. Saturday welcomes back the very best of the region’s local food & drink producers (Food from Argyll) and live music in the Ceilidh Tent, whose headline act this year is the award winning Skerryvore. There is also a Children’s Tent on the Saturday along with fairground rides, a range of local market stalls and a spectacular finale with the March Past, the massing of 3000 pipers and drummers, the march down Argyll Street and a display of fireworks in the town. This year the event welcomes former Dr Who star Sylvester McCoy as its honorary Chieftain.
For more information on Dunoon Community Radio 97.4fm visit www.dunooncommunityradio.org.
