The East Neuk Knits Festival kicks off with a social event at Dreel Halls on the evening of Thursday 27th November.

This will be a gentle knit night with a difference: inspired by the kvöldvaka tradition of knitting or mending as we listen to stories on a winter’s evening, East Neuk Knits will be showing two special films.

First up will be a short film, originally produced for the Venice Biennale, featuring Di Gilpin. The film is about making, whale song, memory and remembrance. This will be followed by a screening of Trad Treasures, a film about the life and work of Jimmy Hutchison, weaver and Gaelic singer. Jimmy, who will also feature in the Festival as the Handloom Weaver in the marketplace on Friday and Saturday, will introduce the film (and singing) on Thursday evening.

The AIA will provide hot drinks and cakes (by donation) and a warm welcome, with plenty of time to craft together and talk.

For more information please visit: eastneukknit.com

Tickets £9 (£8 + £1 booking fee) - book here 

The AIA’s AGM will be held at Dreel Halls on Wednesday 15th July at 7pm. The minutes of last year's AGM, the 2025 annual return and the 2026 AGM agenda are all available on the Downloads page of our website.

We will follow the AGM with a cheese and wine social for everyone who has attended.

AIA members have received an email or letter with these details. However, the AGM is open to non-members to attend. If you are interested in attending and need more information please get in touch.

Join us for the annual AIA Duck Race when we launch 1,000 yellae deuks into the Dreel Burn and cheer them on as they race to the finish line!

You will be able to sponsor a duck at shops in town (look out for a duck in the window) for £2 from March.

Brilliant prizes to be won - you'd have to be quackers to miss it 🙂

Weather permitting, prize giving will be from the terrace at the back of Dreel Halls.

And don’t forget to make an Easter bonnet and enter our bonnet competition (child and adult contest). This year the Easter bonnet competition will take place just before the duck race prizes are given out, on the Dreel Halls terrace.

All funds raised from the race go to the AIA for Anster Community Development Project and the upkeep of the halls.

Join Gaelic musician, Mairi McGillivray, for this combination of captivating Gaelic music interwoven with the stories behind the songs.

Come and immerse yourself in the language and songs that form a vital part of Scotland’s history. The Scottish Fisheries Museum and Anstruther Improvements Association are delighted to host Mairi McGillivray, BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Finalist 2023, at the Dreel Halls for a unique cultural experience.

The event is a lovely combination of captivating Gaelic music interwoven with the stories behind the songs. By sharing these stories, we want to ensure they are not lost or forgotten – making the lore truly ‘living’. This is a fantastic opportunity for all ages to connect with Gaelic culture right here in Anstruther.

Doors Open at 1:30pm and early arrivals will have the chance to explore objects and historic photographs from the Museum collection.

Performance runs from 2:00pm until 3:00pm.

Free event but book your tickets online here or contact Julia Branch on 01333 310628 or julia@scotfishmuseum.org for more information.

Live Music Now Scotland has arranged for the Artist to perform at this event.

Air a mhaoineachadh le Seachdain na Gàidhlig tro Mhaoin nan Tabhartas Beag, le taic bho Bhòrd na Gàidhlig // Funded by Seachdain na Gàidhlig’s Small Grants Fund with support from Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

This is one of a series of events in Anstruther celebrating Seachdain na Gàidhlig. 

Take a tour up the historic St Nicholas tower at Dreel Halls and, weather permitting, out on to the parapet for fantastic views over Anstruther and out to the Isle of May.

Children must be accompanied.

Home baking/refreshments by donation.

Last entry 4.30pm. 

Members of the local community and wider public are invited to visit the Beach of Dreams Silks installation in Anstruther from 4pm - 5pm on Thursday 22nd May.

Join us at Castle St Beach, Anstruther, to view the art installation and celebrate the involvement of six local Anstruther groups participating in the Beach of Dreams Silks: Anstruther Improvements Association, Dreel Burn Project, Cellardyke Tidal Pool, St Ayles Rowing Club, Footprint East Neuk/Dreelside Woods, and Dreel Crafters. The groups will each add their own unique pennant to the national artwork collection of silks at Castle St Beach and share their stories and the hopes and dreams the groups have for our local area. For more information please visit the AIA website: https://www.anstrutherimprovements.org/.../beach-of-dreams/

What3Words: ///composed.emailed.drifters

A national artwork by Kinetika: The Beach of Dreams Silks is a dynamic and travelling silk installation composed of hundreds of naturally-dyed pennants, each representing a personal story that reflects our relationship with the coast and sea. This evolving tapestry weaves together a rich narrative of hope and inspiration for our shared future. Visitors can view the installation as it journeys up and down the coastline, connecting communities and celebrating the diverse voices of those who have contributed. Over 800 pennants have been created, showcasing the profound connections people have with their coastal environments.

The Fife coastal walk will pass through Anstruther on 22nd May on its way between Ruby Bay and Crail. https://www.beachofdreams.org/.../fife-coastal-path-ruby...

The AIA’s AGM will be held at Dreel Halls on Wednesday 16th July at 7pm. The minutes of last year's AGM, the 2024 annual return and the 2025 AGM agenda will all be available on the Downloads page of our website approximately two weeks before the AGM.

We will follow the AGM with a cheese and wine social for everyone who has attended.

AIA members will receive an email or letter with these details. However, the AGM is open to non-members to attend. If you are interested in attending and need more information please get in touch

Join us for the annual AIA Duck Race when we launch 1,000 yellae deuks into the Dreel Burn and cheer them on as they race to the finish line!

You will be able to sponsor a duck at shops in town (look out for a duck in the window) for £2 from late March.

Brilliant prizes to be won - you'd have to be quackers to miss it 🙂

Weather permitting, prize giving will be from the terrace at the back of Dreel Halls.

And don’t forget to make an Easter bonnet and enter our bonnet competition (child and adult contest). This year the Easter bonnet competition will take place just before the duck race prizes are given out, on the Dreel Halls terrace.

All funds raised from the race go to the AIA for Anster Community Development Project and the upkeep of the halls.

Join Meg Hyland and hear about the Scottish women who worked as herring gutters and the Gaelic songs they sang as they worked. Learn about the linguistic and musical exchanges that happened between speakers of Gaelic, Scots and English in the fishing industry.

Tickets are FREE but must be booked in advance: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talk-gaelic-songs-in-fife-and-the-herring-gutters-tickets-1118804487339?aff=oddtdtcreator

Refreshments available by donation.

This event was organised in partnership with Fife Council and the Scottish Fisheries Museum for Seachdain na Gaidhlig www.seachdainnagaidhlig.scot
Celebrating Scottish Gaelic across the globe
24th February – 2nd March 2025

FREE event, no booking required, meet at Dreel Halls at 1:15pm.

Explore the Gaelic language with a guided walk around Anstruther Harbour. Refreshments available afterwards at Dreel Halls.

This event has been organised in partnership with Fife Council and the Scottish Fisheries Museum for Seachdain na Gaidhlig www.seachdainnagaidhlig.scot
Celebrating Scottish Gaelic across the globe
24th February – 2nd March 2025

#SeachdainNaGàidhlig2024
#FifeGaelic