Archive for September, 2023

The Riding of the Marches through Edinburgh is a cavalcade of almost 300 horses accompanied by pipe bands making their way to the Royal Mile where up to 20,000 people will line the streets to see them.

However, for a better view and close-up experience, make you way to Duddingston Village where you can see the procession as they make their way through King’s Park to the Royal Mile. They should be in the village around 3pm. 

Why not come and make an afternoon of it by visiting Dr Neil’s Garden where you can enjoy these special attractions to mark the occasion:

• Music from the wonderful The Tubby Horse Company (in the Garden)
• Art Exhibition by Kenny Macalister and Helen Orr (in Thomson’s Tower)
• Plants and Bric-a-brac sale
• Delicious home baking and refreshments in the The Garden Café (open from 1pm)

Kenny Macallister and Helen Orr both hail from the West of Scotland.

They have led parallel lives but now come together to exhibit art that reflects their interpretation of life, travelling and working in South India and Scotland.

Their art describes the chaos and colour of street life in India as well as the remote and wild landscapes of Scotland.

Kenny Macallister spent his formative years on the west of Scotland and spent his career as an exploration geologist living for several years in south India and Egypt. A self-taught artist working with acrylic and experimenting with oils, ink and charcoal, he describes the chaos and colour of street life in India in this exhibition and introduces some literary inspiration from Robert Burns and others.

Helen Orr is a self-taught contemporary Scottish artist who has a distinctive abstract style which captures the mood of a place. Helen’s art evokes a sense of escape: the smell of the wind, the rolling of the sea, the threat of the storm, the escape of the water and the warmth of the sand. Helen paints mainly in oils on canvas or board and sometimes in mixed media using acrylics, oils and ink. Her recent work, inspired by time spent living in California, explores the human form in water, floating, diving and swimming with strong aquamarines and dancing reflections on water.