Inveraray Castle Best of the West Festival 14th & 15th September 2013 Sat:11:00-19:30 Sun:11:00-17:30

Music Tent

The Condition • Talk Show Hosts • Abigail Pryde • Cara & Holly Skerryvore Brand New Enemy • Dr Hip & the Blues Operation

Skipinnish • The Camans • Acoustic Butterfly Red Hot Chilli Pipers Young Local Talent from Argyll

Food Tent

Featuring Food from Argyll & Friends Loch Fyne Oyster Bar • Fyne Ales • George Hotel Inverawe Smokehouse • Stronmagachan Stovies • Homeground Coffee

Whisky Tent

20 Distilleries The following distilleries and products will be represented in spirit at least in the Loch Fyne Whisky Bar. Abhainn Dearg, Adelphi (new) Distillery, Arran Auchentoshan, Ben Nevis, Bowmore Bruichladdich Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila Glen Scotia, Glengoyne, Glengyle / KilkerranIsle of Mull Blended Whisky Jura Kilchoman, Lagavulin, Laphroaig Littlemill, Loch Fyne Whiskies, Loch Lomond Oban, Springbank, Talisker, Tobermory

Crafts & Arts

The popular arts & crafts tent will house over 30 local artists and crafters displaying their wares which will range from comptemporary art to traditional craftworks

Free Childrens Activities

Childrens Tent • Face Painting • Sand Pit • Toys • Story Tellers Bouncy Castle • Laser Blast Arena Climbing Wall • Bungee Trampolines • Geo Caching

Other Activities

Food Foraging • Chain Saw Carving • Coopering Cooking Demonstrations • Guided Forest Walks

Accommodation

The vast majority of festival-goers spend their weekend in local accommodation throughout Inveraray and Argyll. But others choose to bring their campervan/caravan to stay in the Argyll Caravan Park a few miles from the festival site. Unfortunately there is no camping on site. Please note that no sleeping, camping or fires are allowed in any of the local car parks. A full list of accommodation providers is available here and we recommend booking early as the area is normally full during the festival weekend.

Wherever you choose to sleep, we are sure you will find your stay in the southern highlands comfortable and welcoming. And as part of our Leave No Trace campaign we'd definitely encourage you to only bring things which you can take home. In fact, we'd be very grateful if you could leave as little behind as possible. Thanks.

Toilets

The portable toilets – are self-contained flushing toilets. We also have disabled toilets with baby changing facilities. Portable toilets become blocked quickly when they are not flushed. Please flush before and after each use. The flush systems is a lever located the next to the seat. Each toilet block has handwashing facilities and have hand sanitiser dispensers - please use them.

Please leave all toilets as you'd wish to find them, and consider others. Toilet rolls are available free of charge from the ticket station. The Festival employs on-site loo cleaners who ensure the toilets are cleaned and emptied at least once a day. Please do not pee in the hedges, ditches or streams on the Festival site. The urine runs-off into the waterways and causes terrible pollution which endangers not only the local wildlife, but also the future of the Best of the West Festival.

Food & Drink

Please do not bring your own food or drink into the event, our license restrictions do not permit this. There will be a wide variety of bars and food suppliers on site. You may bring a sealed plastic bottle of water into the event with you, no other types of drink or unsealed bottles will be allowed.

Disabled

There is no covered viewing platform at Best of the West, but there is a small area near the front of the stage which can be reserved for disabled guests. However, if disabled guests find that there are specific problems resulting from their disability, please contact one of the stewards who will be happy to do everything possible to help you.

Disabled Carparking

We have a free shuttle bus running from the car parks so their is no special consideration for disabled parking as the bus will ferry you from and to your car. Please park in the designated car parks.

Parking

Festival tickets are needed to gain access to the festival car parks. Car parking onsite is free but the carpark size is limited. There is further car parking in the public carpark in Inveraray a few minutes walk away. The top part of the carpark is free parking whilst the bottom of the car park has a charge via the self service ticket machines. the choice of where to park in the public carpark is yours. Always follow the directional signs, variable message signs and park where directed by festival stewards or police.

Where you park

Most people want to park as near as possible to the festival. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. The stewards will fill the car parks in arrival order. There is a free shuttle bus service between the carpark and festival site which is only a short walk away.

Leaving and returning to the car park during the Festival

It is possible to leave the car park and return during the Festival providing there is space avalaible. The cars are parked in rows with decent turning space in between the rows.

Leaving the Festival

Ensure you are OK to drive. Drink driving is not safe. When did you last have a drink? You will see more police around Inveraray than you do for the rest of the year. Do not risk it! Wait until you are below the limit – you know it makes sense.

Disabled Parking

People with mobility difficulties should use the main car parks and use the free shuttle bus to the festival. The distance between the carpark and festival is only a few hundred meters. If you have further enquiries regarding disabled access and transport please refer to the Disabled Information.

Car-share

If you fancy car-sharing to the Festival, websites like Lift Share and goCarShare can help you get in touch with others either offering a ride or needing one.

Media

Radio

The official on-site radio station for Best of the West Festival is Oban FM on 103.3FM. If you couldn't get a ticket this year then Oban FM will bring the Best of the West Festival direct to you each day. They will, of course, be playing you the best music from the Festival as well as talking to Festival performers and workers alike, profiling every aspect of the Festival.

Press / Photography

Best of the West Festival welcomes media interest in our unique event and we try to accommodate coverage wherever possible. However, the Festival does have a media access policy and this extends to photography. If you wish to take photographs at Best of the West for anything other than private personal use you will need to have permission.

All enquiries about press, photographic or film coverage of the Festival for news purposes should be made to the Press Office (press@bowfest.co.uk).

Traders

Applications to trade at Best of the West are accepted between October and May. Offers to trade will be made to applicants by mid-March. If you are interested in trading at the Best of the West Festival, please drop us an email.

Performers

If you have a West Coast connection, we usually book performers and bands at least 9 months in advance so please let us know about yourself in good time.

Volunteers / Jobs

If there’s anything you can do to help like security, car parking, first aider, general setup or just displaying a poster, then please get in touch!

Security

Searches may be conducted at the entrance of the festival by event security for items deemed to be illegal or antisocial. One of the conditions of entry is that you consent to searches of yourself and your belongings by police or event security when on event premises. Please don’t affect your likelihood of enjoying and participating in the event by trying to bring illegal items and / or substances onto the site as you may be removed. Please do not bring the following onto site:

Drugs
Alcohol
Animals, excluding guide dogs
Offensive weapons or anything likely to be considered an offensive weapon including glass bottles
Laser pens etc / fireworks / flares
Legal highs