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Today George Buchanan is best known as a political philosopher and historian. In his own day however, he was much more celebrated as a teacher and poet. This lecture, therefore, sets out to reconstruct Buchanan’s career as a pedagogue, from his earliest itinerant days across continental Europe through to his later role as James VI’s tutor, and will survey the range of pedagogical works that he wrote from textbooks on grammar and prosody through to didactic plays (both translations and original compositions). In parallel, it will also trace his career as sixteenth-century Scotland’s leading Neo-Latin poet.

With this two-fold approach, the lecture will reveal what it meant to be a ‘humanist’ in sixteenth-century Europe, what a ‘humanist’ education looked like in the early modern world, and how Buchanan by the end of the century had come to be the pre-eminent example of a ‘humanist’ poet and pedagogue not only in Scotland, but also in the whole of the British Isles.

This is a ticketed event (suggested donation £5) - booking via Stirling District Tourism's Eventbrite page.

A brilliant and fascinating speaker Jim Crumley will inspire and entertain you with stories of his encounters with wildlife in Scotland and beyond. 

Join us at Thomas Graham Library, Strathblane, where we will be chatting to author Jim Crumley about his books and life as a Scottish nature writer. He is the author of more than 40 books, mostly on the wildlife and landscapes of Scotland, many of them making the case for re-introduction, rewilding and conservation. He is a regular columnist for the Scots Magazine.

We’ll have all of Jim Crumley’s books on display at this event including his most recent book ‘Seasons of Storm and Wonder’, and we’ll be getting a preview of what’s coming soon…

This is a ticketed event. Full price £4.50 / Concession £2.50

Children's book illustrator will be visiting St Ninians Library. Come along and join our art workshop for children age 6-9. We'll be visiting our Secret Garden at the Mayfield Centre for inspiration for our drawing and creating a collaborative nature inspired piece of art for display in the library.

Kate McLelland is an illustrator, author and designer. She is the illustrator of bestselling picture book There Was A Wee Lassie Who Swallowed a Midgie. Kate has illustrated many successful book series, including Where's My ... for Little Tiger Press, Press Out and Decorate for Nosy Crow and RSPB Nature Guides for Bloomsbury Publishing.

Join Cass for a morning of creative bookbinding that will result in an A6 sized handbound leather or pleather covered journal, complete with decorative pages, handy pockets and exposed stitching. A colourful mix of decorative papers will be provided along with lots of papery ephemera from the library for you to incorporate into your book, including old maps, ex library books and copies of out of copyright publications from the library collection.

This is a great opportunity to learn the satisfying craft of bookbinding, get some nifty ideas on working with remnant materials and leave with a unique and usable journal for writing, sketching, to use as a memory book or give as a gift.

Following the workshop you will receive a handy kit list, videos and step-by-step instructions should you want to make more books at home.

This is a ticketed event. To book, visit, email or tel. Bannockburn Library:

T: 01786 812286
E: bannockburnlibrary@stirling.gov.uk

Admission: Full price £40 / Concession price £25

Join MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Theo Chana as he shares how to forage and cook using natural ingredients to support sustainable, healthy living. Enjoy a live demonstration featuring delicious recipes you can try at home. Whether you're a keen cook or a curious beginner, you'll leave inspired your create your own wild dishes!

Theo is a celebrated private chef based in Braco, with over twenty years’ experience in the culinary arts. He has worked alongside some of the world’s finest Michelin-starred chefs and has appeared on MasterChef: The Professionals, Bake Off: The Professionals, Amazon, Channel 4, and ITV.

This is a ticketed event - please book in advance to ensure your space, but some tickets still may be available on the door. Cash and card payments accepted.

General admission: £4.50 / Concession: £2.50

To book, visit, email or tel. Central Library:

Tel: 01786 237760
Email: centrallibrary@stirling.gov.uk