Belladrum Festival is set to give families even more to discover this summer as the Highland Futures Zone returns with three days of free hands on activities designed to inspire the next generation.
Running in the Walled Garden from Thursday 30 July to Saturday 1 August between 11am and 6pm each day, the Highland Futures Zone is being presented by Skills Development Scotland and will bring together employers and organisations from across the Highlands and Islands.
The interactive area will give children, young people and families the chance to explore careers through games, demonstrations and practical activities covering science, engineering, healthcare, technology, farming and renewable energy.
Visitors will be able to meet careers advisers, try engineering challenges, fly drone simulators, build marble runs, discover farming technology, explore coding and robotics, and even spot the National Robotarium’s robotic dog as it makes appearances around the festival.
NHS Highland will be encouraging visitors to learn more about the human body through creative activities including DIY DNA bracelets and origami hearts, while engineering companies, renewable energy organisations and employers from across the region will be showcasing the opportunities available close to home.
Festival organisers say the Highland Futures Zone reflects Belladrum’s long standing reputation as one of Scotland’s leading family festivals by combining entertainment with learning in a way that is engaging for all ages.
The initiative also supports Belladrum’s ambition to strengthen its environmental credentials by building closer links with the renewable energy sector as the Highlands continues to grow as a centre for green industry.
The timing coincides with major investment planned through the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, which is expected to create thousands of long term jobs across the Highlands over the coming decades.
Dougie Brown, Belladrum Festival Producer, said:
“We’re really proud of what we already do on site to keep Belladrum as green as we can and to involve and encourage STEM discovery from our recycling operation to how we run the site day to day.
“But we know there’s more we can do, and we’re excited to be building closer links with the renewables and energy sector.
“It’s early days, but we’d love to see things like battery power play a role on one of our stages one day.
“With everything happening on our doorstep through the Green Freeport, it feels like the right time to be having these conversations.”
Susan MacRae, Head of Operations for the North at Skills Development Scotland, said:
“The Highland Futures Zone aims to light a spark of inspiration in the Belladrum audience.
“We live in one of the UK’s most exciting regions and there’s so many opportunities right here on our doorstep.
“All of the activities in this Zone have been designed by SDS and our partners to demonstrate what’s possible here in the Highlands, come and join in the fun, try out our workshops and activities, and you never know what ideas you might come away with!”
