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Wed 22 Jul
Magic Gareth: BALLOONATIC
14:00 - 15:00
Doors Open 13:30
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Wed 22 Jul
Magic Gareth: BALLOONATIC
14:00 - 15:00
Doors Open 13:30
Celebrate the 160th anniversary of Beatrix Potter's birth with the Beatrix Potter™ Perthshire Experience at Birnam Arts. Combining our permanent exhibition with the newly reimagined Garden Trail, this unique experience offers fresh insight into the places, people and wildlife of Highland Perthshire that inspired one of Britain's best-loved authors and illustrators. Wander through the gardens, discover beautifully carved animal sculptures, and uncover the remarkable local connections in our exhibition that helped shape Beatrix Potter's life and timeless stories.
Tickets for the Beatrix Potter™ Perthshire Experience are £5 per person (children aged 4 and under and carers go free) and include entry to both the exhibition and Garden Trail, plus a free activity book for children or a guidebook for adults. Tickets can be purchased online or from the Birnam Arts Gift Shop, with no advance booking required - simply arrive and enjoy a memorable family-friendly adventure at your own pace.
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Beatrix Potter's connection to Perthshire's Dunkeld and Birnam may come as a surprise, even to her most passionate fans.
Born into a wealthy London family in 1866, Beatrix had a privileged yet solitary upbringing. As a child of the Victorian age, she spent much of her time in the third floor nursery of the staid family Potter Family home in Kensington with only a Scottish nurse and her imagination to amuse her.
But the Potters left London behind in the summer, often taking three-month breaks in Scotland. An alternative to Europe, the Scottish Highlands was a common destination for wealthy city dwellers to retreat to. From the age of four to age 15, Beatrix and her family stayed in an estate on the River Tay in Dalguise, Perthshire. Later, as a young woman, Beatrix spent a few more summers with her parents in Dunkeld and Birnam.
The untamed childhood summers spent in Perthshire nurtured Beatrix's creativity. She and her little brother Bertram were free to explore the wild Scottish countryside, indulging their interest in the natural world. This time spent immersed in nature had an enduring influence on Beatrix's development as an artist, scientist, and writer.
Even after the family began to spend their summers in the Lake District, The Potters returned to Scotland. It was in 1892, while the family was at staying at Heath Park in Birnam, that Beatrix first met a local man of many talents named Charles MacIntosh. Beatrix's interest in natural history as well as her love of drawing and painting had turned to mycology, the study of fungi. MacIntosh, a self-taught naturalist and associate member of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, shared her interest and together they established a lasting collaborative correspondence. This friendship bolstered Beatrix's passion for science and revealed her remarkable artistic talent.
In 1893, while staying in Dunkeld's Eastwood House, Beatrix wrote a 'picture letter' to the young son of her former governess. The letter became the basis for her first book 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit'. A later book 'The Tale of Jeremy Fisher' also started life as a picture letter, with characters clearly based on her study and exploration on the banks of the River Tay. Additionally, The tale of Mrs Tiggy Winkle' is thought to be inspired by the Potters' washer woman at Dalguise, Kitty MacDonald of Inver.
Browse a wide selection of Beatrix Potter themed merchandise in our Gift Shop from pyjamas to plates.
Discover Beatrix Potter’s remarkable connection to Highland Perthshire and the landscapes and people that inspired her life and work in our charming exhibition at Birnam Arts
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Enter an enchanting natural world where Beatrix Potter’s stories come to life. Discover delightful character sculptures, crafted benches and hidden surprises - part of the Beatrix Potter™ Perthshire Experience at Birnam Arts.
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Such lovely memories of coming to Birnam as a wee one, visiting the garden and the exhibition then exploring the woods that inspired Beatrix Potter.
Graham Webster | Crowdfunder #savebirnamarts 2020
Beautiful space, lovely people, Beatrix Potter Gardens and a wonderful exhibition "Earthly Walks" by Grigorios Karastamatis until the 18th of July (2021)!
Stella Valvi | Google Reviews
There are two dedicated accessible car park spaces directly in front of the venue. There is a gentle slope from street level up to the accessible entrance.
Using the touch pad, enter via the large glass doors to the right of the main entrance.
There are two Accessible Toilets within the venue, one on each level.
There are ramps situated throughout the building to enable easy access from the Café to the Box Office and Shop, as well as on the first floor to go from the Gallery to the Meeting Room.
There is a lift between the ground level and first floor.
View our floorplan for more
detailed information.
Our Shop has a unique selection of gifts sourced both locally and from throughout Scotland. With a range of design, jewellery and craft items there’s a little something for everyone. We also stock the largest range of Beatrix Potter merchandise in the country.
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Located in the heart of Birnam Arts, our café is the meeting place and gathering space for everyone, from local friendly faces to new visitors from far and wide.
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Birnam Arts delivers a programme of monthly exhibitions showing work by artists at varying stages of their careers within both solo and group exhibitions.
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Box Office
Open periodically throughout the week | Book online 24/7
Cafe
Daily | 10 - 4
Welcome to Birnam Arts, a boutique multi-purpose arts, conferencing and entertainment venue.
Pop in to the Foyer Cafe for breakfast, grab a delicious coffee with a selection of our homemade baking or enjoy a light lunch whilst browsing on the free WiFi. Wander upstairs to view the latest of our monthly art exhibitions before visiting the world of Beatrix Potter, or the Gift Shop to purchase a special gift for your loved ones or yourself!
We had not planned to present a hybrid festival, however that changed when one of our main authors tested positive for Covid. I greatly appreciated how the team worked with us to pivot and present remotely in part, making full use of your enhanced video conferencing equipment. As a result, we were able to deliver quite complex events with several elements all showing on screen simultaneously. The audio-visual quality was excellent, and our audiences were delighted that these events could still go ahead, in spite of Covid. The author in question was really pleased that he could join us on screen and remarked that he had not been so well supported in this way at any other festival.
Fiona Ritchie | Birnam Book Festival 2022
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A lovely welcome. Keep on flourishing.
Alan Reid | Birnam Book Festival 2018
Entrance
Kinnaird
Cafe
Beatrix Potter
Shop
Gallery
Studio
