New festival to shine a light on Wick harbour and Caithness coast

WICK harbour will be lit up in what is being described as a visually stunning projection show as part of the nationwide celebration of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020.

The week-long Northern Lights Festival, in September, will be a large-scale outdoor light and arts event celebrating the historic harbour and the Caithness coastline.

Produced and created by Lyth Arts Centre (LAC), the festival will be an "immersive visual perspective" exploring the heritage and history of Scotland's far north while honouring those who live and work in the area today.

With daytime activities, nightly pop-up performances, coastal culinary treats and a closing procession, Northern Lights Festival aims to shine a light on this corner of Scotland. It will be held from September 12-19, 2020, with activity taking place throughout the year in the lead-up.

It’s great that Caithness will be represented throughout the Year of Coasts and Waters.

Harbour master Malcolm Bremner said: “Wick Harbour Authority is looking forward to working collaboratively with Lyth Arts Centre on the Northern Lights Festival in 2020. This exciting project brings together the harbour and the community and is something to look forward to in Scotland's Year of Coasts and Waters."

LAC co-director Charlotte Mountford said: "We’re really excited to have received support from EventScotland and SSE Caithness Beatrice Community Fund to deliver our first off-site festival. It’s great that Caithness will be represented throughout the Year of Coasts and Waters – firstly with the surf championships [at Thurso] in April then again with Northern Lights Festival.

"We look forward to collaborating with the community and new partners to make this a really fantastic event."

Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 will begin on January 1 and run until December 31. Go here for more information.

Thurso and Wick events in Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 programme

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