Scotland's only community-run castle is hoping to break a world record by having the most people performing a choreographed Military Two-Step online ahead of a summer of events.
Braemar Castle in Aberdeenshire, the only Scottish castle currently under community management, is set to kick off a series of events in a bid to raise funds and secure its future.
And on July 24 at 6pm, Catriona Skene, the castle's events coordinator is hoping to use the accessibility of Zoom to bring those with ancestral links to the area, and those who enjoy Scottish heritage together with a band and dance callers online to perform the world record attempt.
Catriona said: "Whether based in LA (10am) or Tokyo (2am) dancers can join in the fun and support the community’s ambitions for the castle by paying £5 per person to take part.
"The previous record is 500, but the record for the world's largest Scottish country dance is 1,453 and the hope is to exceed both of these targets and go down in history with 2,000."
Other events lined up include lessons in the dying art of Drystane Dyking, the Braemar Castle Scramble golf tournament, and an ongoing series of coffee talks on the history of the Castle, Clan Farquharson, the Jacobites and the war among other fascinating topics.
On July 10 and 11, Alan Breck’s Jacobite and Redcoat armies undertake their training at Braemar Castle.
This year Breck’s highly anticipated book, by local historian, Maureen Kelly of the Braemar Local History group, on the Jacobites of Upper Deeside will be launched alongside the annual spectacle.
The final weekend in July sees the popular Highland Craft and Food Fair through Exclusively Highlands come to the grounds of Braemar Castle for the first time. 50 independent Scottish producers will be showcasing their finest foods and crafts with demonstrations and samples to enjoy.
Any money made through these activities will be put towards the community charity’s campaign Raising the Standard, which will fund the £1.6m conservation and re-development project planned for completion in 2023.
In future, the Castle team will welcome greater numbers to Braemar for a more diverse programme of activities. It will also look outwards and engage more broadly with communities and groups in Aberdeenshire.
The Castle, which sits proudly in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, has had a long and glorious past, it was the place where James VIII was declared King of Scotland and James III of England as part of a failed Jacobite rising.
It was then torched by the Black Colonel in 1689, and used as a garrison for Hanoverian soldiers after the rebel Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden.
The future of this incredible landmark now rests with the small community of Braemar, a village of just 500 residents.
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