Stories to warm the heart ... or chill the blood

All three feature in this month’s Falkirk Storytelling Festival (September 21 to 24) - along with several other accomplished writers and also musicians (notably Brian McNeill).

Ian Scott is well known to Falkirk Herald readers as a columnist with a seemingly encylopaedic grip on the town’s rich history,

He’ll be reflecting on the 300 (or so) articles he has had published on everything from both battles of Falkirk to local landmarks past and present.

He is also the present chairman and past director of the Saltire Society and a founder member of Falkirk Local History Society.

In his Festival stint Ian will be telling some humorous anecdotes about the stories behind the headlines, and will also be happy to answer questions about Falkirk, its places and people of years gone by.

Chris Brookmyre, a regular at Stirling’s Bloody Scotland crime fiction festival, is one of the big names in “tartan noir” and won the inaugural McIlvanney Prize last year for his novel Black Widow - but has (so far) written 20 crime thrillers altogether.

By sharp contrast Alan Bisset will be bringing to Falkirk’s Behind the Wall venue hus hilarious sellout Fringe hit “More Moira Monologues” to the Festival - featuring “Falkirk’s hardest woman”.

These are just three highlights from a programme which also includes an exciting adventure quest for youngsters, all under the auspices of the the Howgate Shopping Centre, the Faw Kirk and Eden Consultancy Group.

There’s full programme information at http://falkirkstorytelling.com