Every Scottish castle has a wealth of tales to tell.

The country’s great historic attractions offer a rich source of stories of their colourful past, of the events which took place in them and of the people who lived and died there.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland’s most famous stronghold, boasts more than its fair share of stories. As the setting for many of the defining events of our country’s history, it has through the centuries provided the backdrop for plot, intrigue, feud, and murder as well as ceremony and romance. Whether based on truth, myth or legend, the tales of this majestic, iconic castle never fail to inspire and fascinate both young and old.

These captivating narratives are to be celebrated in a special Scottish Storytelling Festival event on Saturday 27th October when Stuart McHardy, author of The Tales of Edinburgh Castle, hosts two storytelling sessions, at 1.30pm and 3.00pm. Stuart will be sharing some of the castle’s most intriguing secrets and recounting some of his favourite tales.

The Scottish Storytelling Festival is run by The Scottish Storytelling Centre, which Historic Scotland works in partnership with to bring to life the histories of the heritage properties in its care. The collaboration led to the establishment last year of the StoryExplorer joint project involving a series of lively storytelling sessions at Historic Scotland sites throughout the country. The 2007 StoryExplorer programme of events, which started in August and runs to the end of this month, has once again proved extremely popular with visitors.

Sheena Garden, Historic Scotland Interpretation Manager: ‘Storytelling is a wonderful, highly effective way of enabling visitors of all ages to gain a real insight into the history of a site and appreciate it more fully. Stories of the past capture the imagination and teach visitors so much about a historic property in a memorable and enjoyable way.

Our Edinburgh Castle Scottish Storytelling Festival event on Saturday 27th October, which is suitable for adults and children, should be a real treat. Stuart McHardy is a very talented and experienced storyteller and his enthusiasm for and knowledge of Edinburgh Castle’s wealth of fascinating tales are truly inspirational.’

The storytelling sessions are included in the admission price, and include a tour of Edinburgh Castle.

• Admission to Edinburgh Castle costs: adult £11, concessions £9 and free entry for children throughout October. The storytelling event is free after Edinburgh Castle admission.
• Children are free for the whole month of October at all Historic Scotland properties including Edinburgh Castle. Families can also take part in the Cartoon Caper, searching for 10 historical cartoon characters hidden around each attraction.
• Scottish Storytelling Festival events will also take place on 27 October at Stirling and Urquhart Castles.
• Historic Scotland’s 2007 StoryExplorer programme, run in conjunction with the Scottish Storytelling Centre, has featured events at Dunstaffnage Castle, near Oban, Balvenie Castle, Dufftown, Smailholm Tower near Kelso, Corgarff Castle near Strathdon, Dun Carloway Broch on Lewis, Scotstarvit Tower in Fife and Corrimony Cairns.
• Information on The Scottish Storytelling Centre can be found at www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk