ORGANISERS of Scott’s Selkirk, which takes place next Saturday (October 8), have lined up an exciting and diverse programme of events for the Royal and Ancient Burgh’s annual celebration of the life and times of Sir Walter Scott.

For the second successive year the festival, which began in 2000, will coincide with the Selkirk Sessions musical extravaganza.

And that combination is reflected in the array of talent lined up for performances throughout the day on the High Street and Market Street stages.

Artistes will include Selkirk Silver Band, Selkirk Pipe Band, Selkirk Flute Band, Gael Force, Carlenjig, Immigrant Wagon, the Bob Burgess Skiffle Band, the Podlies, the Bannerfield Buskers, Riddell Fiddles, Carly Blain & Graeme Armstrong and the High Line Fiddlers.

There will also be special open mic sessions, at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, for the many visiting musicians in town for the Sessions.Also on High Street, there will be traditional children’s games, bird of prey demonstrations, miniature ponies and donkeys from the Borders Donkey Sanctuary and Boots the Performing Goat from Les Amis Ono.

There will be craft stalls in the Market Place and a charities bazaar, run by Selkirk Rotary Club, in the Victoria Halls.

Elsewhere, actor John Nichol will assume the role of sheriff in Sir Walter Scott’s courtroom to re-enact the hearing of two cases – The Magnificent Laird (at 11.30am and 2.15pm) and The Strange Encounter (12.30 and 3.15pm).

Children’s activities will take place in Halliwell’s House Museum from 11am till 12.30pm and from 1.30 till 3.30pm while the Selkirk Country Dancers will perform at O’Malleys Sports Bar at 2pm.

Coffees and teas will be on sale in the Parish Church and at St Joseph’s Catholic Church Halls and the day will climax with a musical concert, compered by John Nichol, in the County Hotel at 7.30pm.

Tickets for the concert are available from the Scott’s Selkirk shop at 18 Market Place, from where costumes can be hired until this Saturday.

The weekend will conclude on Sunday with a Valleys Car Treasure Hunt from the Waterwheel Café at 11am (details from the Scott’s Selkirk shop) and a performance by musical/theatre group Smeddum of James Hogg’s epic poem The Witch of Fife in the Boston Hall, Ettrick at 3pm.