Hansard

Inevitably, the motion concentrates on the iconic Edinburgh festivals, and probably rightly so, as they are known throughout the world in a way that others are not and they produce important benefits for Edinburgh and for Scotland more widely. It is estimated that, together, the Edinburgh festivals contribute about £184 million to the Scottish economy. They sell more than 4 million tickets, with 40,000 individual performances in more than 300 venues involving more than 25,000 artists. Some of us who attend fringe events might get a bit cynical and think that most of the 4 million tickets are being sold to those 25,000 artists. Nonetheless, the festivals make a major contribution. The money that local venues get from hosting fringe events is probably crucial to their survival throughout the year. Those events therefore play a vital role for the local communities.

I enjoy attending events at the fringe. As I am a canny Scot, I usually go along to the two-for-one fringe Sunday, where I can see everything from world-class comedians to breathtaking contemporary dance and, sadly, some of the world's worst drama performances, although there are some of the best, too. The fireworks concert that brings the festivals to a close is perhaps the only time of the year when many people listen to classical music. That is a great free event, for those who do not pay to go into Princes Street gardens.

Scotland has a wide range of festivals. Some of the rock festivals have been mentioned. We have RockNess and the award-winning T in the Park, which is at Balado just outside my constituency and which is seen as one of the best rock festivals in the United Kingdom. There is also the Wickerman festival in Dumfriesshire. We have traditional music festivals throughout the country, the most famous of which is the Mod. The Aberdeen international youth festival, which is often forgotten about because it happens at around the same time as the Edinburgh festivals, is an important event in its own right. We also have events such as Glasgay.

We have many other festivals throughout Scotland that play key roles in their local communities and which make major contributions to our overall community. Ted Brocklebank was right to say that all members will hope to promote some of the events in our constituencies, and I will be no different. In my constituency, there are several events throughout the year. The minister and Ted Brocklebank have already mentioned the StAnza international poetry festival. This weekend sees the start of the Falkland festival and its fourth traditional music festival. We have the East Neuk festival from 1 to 5 July, which includes international musicians playing in everything from churches to scout huts and even a cave. We have the Crail festival, which includes community events, string quartets, jazz, buskers, junior drama workshops, a history of Scotland in 60 minutes or less and even beach volleyball. I do not know whether the minister might take me on at beach volleyball—perhaps we are both more suited to being beached whales.

The Big Tent festival in Falkland, Scotland's largest ecofestival, is a family event packed with great debates, activities, music and food. The Pittenweem arts festival from 1 to 9 August, which was mentioned by the minister and Ted Brocklebank, has 100 exhibitions in a variety of venues, including people's homes—it is a great opportunity to have a nose round. Halls, galleries and the harbour itself make an excellent background for a great exhibition of the visual arts.

Ted Brocklebank mentioned the Auchtermuchty festival, which is a major part of the Scottish traditional music scene. It is a 10-day music and community event, which is in its 29th year this year; I was at the first one, and have been at several since. There is the Lammas market in St Andrews, which is the oldest surviving medieval street fair in Scotland, featuring market stalls, food, drink, concerts, dances, public functions and shows. The Anstruther muster attracts 100 visiting yachts and has something for everyone, including art exhibitions, stalls, music, dancing, singing, eating and—most important—sailing.

St Monans community arts festival in September crams into a weekend music, song, dance, poetry, workshops, exhibitions, displays, arts and crafts. In October, there is the Cupar arts festival, which is in its second year; there is visual and public art throughout the town, including music, performance, poetry, film and workshops. We finish off with the St Andrews festival week, which is a unique week of festivities celebrating the nation's patron saint, including the première of a spectacular son et lumière depicting the nation's historic journey projected on to the walls of the town.

That does not include all the individual gala days, Highland games and so on that contribute to our communities and to the festival atmosphere throughout Scotland all year long, but particularly during the summer months. Festivals play an important part in attracting visitors to return to Scotland. People come to Scotland thinking that there might not be much to do, and discover that such a wide range of different events is going on that they come back year after year.