Mareel, Lerwick, Shetland 

Do arts venues come more spectacularly situated than Mareel? A slab of windows and slate grey walls built around the edges of Lerwick harbour, Mareel has the honour of being the UK’s most northerly music, cinema and creative arts venue. Their programme ranges from exhibitions featuring local artists to screenings of the latest blockbuster movies. When stand-up comedian Ross Noble performed there, he told the audience he had watched seals frolicking from his dressing room (definitely a step up from a basement with a bulb-framed mirror). 

An Lanntair, Stornoway, Lewis 

An Lanntair translates from Gaelic as ‘The Lantern’, and this warm, welcoming, multi-purpose venue thoroughly lives up to its name, lighting up long northern nights with a vibrant programme of art, workshops, theatre and dance.

Birnam Arts, Dunkeld

Located in the heart of Perthshire, Birnam Arts is a community hub dating back over 100 years. In 1880, stationmaster John Kinnaird set up a facility for ‘education and entertainment’, which, over the decades has transformed from a library to a World War II entertainment hall to its present incarnation, programming everything from pottery workshops to cutting-edge dance theatre. The centre also has links to Beatrix Potter who spent her childhood summers in the area and features a sculpture garden where the animals that inspired Potter’s work nestle among the foliage.  

The Barn, Banchory

The Barn has been welcoming artists, musicians and international performers to Aberdeenshire since the 1990s. It all started out when a derelict farm steading was transformed into a rehearsal studio for a local community play. These days The Barn places particular focus on work that has a connection to environmental issues. As well as a programme of film screenings, gigs and ceilidhs, the venue also nurtures visual artists at all stages of their careers, offering opportunities from micro-residencies through to a long-term associate artist scheme. 

CatStrand, Castle Douglas 

The Glenkens Community Arts Trust has grown into a thriving network over the past 20 or so years. At its heart is CatStrand in Castle Douglas, a multi-purpose venue that programmes plays, gigs, book launches and fitness classes among other events. More recently the Trust added The Smiddy to their portfolio, a former blacksmiths workshop that now operates as a community heritage hub.

An Tobar, Mull 

An Tobar found its home in a former Victorian school in the colourful port town of Tobermory. It plays host to around 50 performances, gigs, exhibitions and shows a year, including those by resident company, Mull Theatre. The gallery not only provides an exhibition space but undertakes regular commissions that engage with the surrounding landscapes, such as Emma Herman-Smith’s ‘The Fank’, a repurposed sheepfold deep in Mull’s Lettermore Forest, that has been transformed into an open-air community classroom and event space. 

Seall, Skye 

Pronounced ‘shàal’, Seall means ‘to look’ or ‘to show’ in Gaelic and is one of the Hebrides’ leading performing arts charities. Seall has no formal venue, but brings productions to small halls, distilleries and large venues around the Skye, Raasay and Lochalsh areas, including Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Skye’s National Centre For Gaelic Language And Culture. 

Taigh Chearsabhagh, North Uist 

Originally an 18th-century travellers’ inn, the Taigh Chearsabhagh museum and arts centre is one of the oldest buildings in North Uist’s Lochmaddy village, and fittingly spent over two centuries as another community institution; a post office. The postal service still operates six days a week from the centre, which also houses a print workshop and darkroom, an art school and a writers’ group. The Comann Eachdraidh Uibhist a Tuath (North Uist Historical Society) is also based in the building, maintaining over 1000 artefacts connected to the heritage of the island, curated into permanent and temporary displays. 

Lyth Arts Centre, Caithness 

The Lyth Arts Centre is Caithness’ cultural hub, celebrating creativity in all its forms, from live performance to gardening in the centre’s art garden. There are drama drop-in sessions for ages 9–17, and a young music makers programme where local Highland musicians lead sessions to pass on their skills and wisdom. It also hosts a range of professional artist residencies, covering all disciplines including dance, music and visual art. 

Byre Theatre, St Andrews

Set down a narrow vennel at the edge of St Andrews’ old town is the Byre Theatre, a venue that plays host to student, professional and community groups all year round. It’s owned by the university and offers two theatre spaces; an auditorium and a smaller studio. Touring plays, stand-up comedians, and classical and folk music are regular features on the bill, alongside a curated cinema programme. Plus there’s an airy lounge space on the lower floor in which to indulge in post-show chat.

Buckhaven Community Centre, Buckhaven

The most cherished arts centres aren’t always the shiniest or trendiest ones. This small gem of a theatre in Fife with its accompanying rehearsal and meeting space, in the former weaving and fishing village of Buckhaven, has been serving the local community ever since it started life as a Miners Welfare Institute in 1925. Here you’ll find pipe band practices, arts groups, pottery classes and the Buckhind Players, who regularly tread the boards with their annual classic pantos. 

The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen 

If you’re looking for a more intimate music and theatre space in Aberdeen than the well-kent His Majesty’s Theatre or Music Hall, head to The Lemon Tree. Founded in 1992 as the city’s alternative venue, it has a 550-capacity theatre and a 160-seater studio, meaning even emerging acts with more cult appeal can find a place on the bill. The programme leans towards music but there’s also a strong stand-up presence.

Moray Art Centre, Findhorn 

Findhorn and its surrounds have long held a reputation as a beacon for artists and alternative communities. The Moray Art Centre is set a few minutes’ walk from Findhorn’s famous dunes and beaches, close enough to greet the local passing bottlenose dolphin population. With a focus on visual arts, the centre hosts exhibitions all year round, featuring both solo artists and collectives, as well as day workshops, taster workshops and summer schools teaching different disciplines. 

Eastgate Theatre, Peebles 

Talks, screenings, music and storytelling all feature on October’s eclectic bill at Peebles’ Eastgate Theatre. The venue lies at the entrance to the town centre and is well served by local bus links. As well as being a place to take in art and performance, it’s also a destination for those looking to hone their own creativity; it runs classes targeted at all ages, from tots to older people, featuring disciplines from acting to painting to seated dance for those with Parkinson’s.  

Biggar Puppet Theatre, Biggar 

Home of the iconic Purves Puppets, (a family-run Scottish institution famous for their neon, ultraviolet-lit bunraku-style puppetry), the Biggar Puppet Theatre is a custom-built, traditional velvet-curtained proscenium theatre, perfectly proportioned for the slightly smaller-than-life puppets that are Purves’ trademark. It’s an absolute must-visit for families, a magnificent introduction to theatre for children, and a unique piece of Scottish 20th-century theatrical heritage.  

Eyemouth Hippodrome, Eyemouth 

On the Berwickshire coast, in the harbour town of Eyemouth, a former 1830s granary was repurposed in 2013 to serve as a cultural space for locals and visitors. Interestingly here the name ‘Hippodrome’ wasn’t given because of any relation to horse-racing and circus (as was the case with other theatres such as London’s Hippodrome) but from the building’s role as a fishing hub, after Great Yarmouth’s Hippodrome where the herring fleet once gathered. The programme balances art inspired by coastal living with experimental theatre and new writing and has even featured pop-up restaurants. 

MacArts, Galashiels 

The picturesque town of Galashiels lays claim to literary heritage by way of being across the River Tweed from Walter Scott’s Abbotsford House. In the town centre a former church is now the cultural heart of the community. MacArts has a varied programme, mainly comprised of touring shows.

Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore

The Highland Folk Museum is an open-air collection of over 35 historical buildings and 12,000 items relating to rural and domestic life in the Highlands and Islands. It covers two and a half centuries of Highland living, from the 1700s to the 1950s, and is free to visit. Even if you can’t make it along in person, there’s a brilliant online tour that allows you to explore some of its sites, from a traditional blackhouse to a reconstructed shinty pavilion. 

Letham Nights, Letham 

In the tiny village of Letham, west of Cupar in Fife, Letham Nights harnesses together a team of volunteers, bar staff and promoters to bring world-class music to the local village hall. Their aim is to create a zero-carbon venue, and widen access to live music, including offering free entry for under 12s. Their roster of past artists covers everything from folk to rock to traditional-influenced groups, and features names such as Breabach, King Creosote and Rachel Sermanni. 

Church, Dundee

As its name suggests, this Dundee-based venue has made its home in a former gothic Victorian Methodist church. It has been a music, comedy and club venue since 2012 and is particularly beloved for its commitment to being an LGBT+ friendly space. Regular Bingo Wigs evenings combine drag, bingo, games and prizes.