Published: Thursday, 25th June, 2009 9:12am

All set for Scottish-themed Dunfermline gala

by Siew Peng Lee

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THE skirl of the pipes will never be more at home than at this year"s Dunfermline Children"s Gala as the event celebrates the theme of 'Scotland'.

Now in its 106th year, the gala is West Fife"s biggest summer event and will be opened by its new patron, Lady Elgin, at 11am on Saturday.

She will then ride in an open-top car with Wellwood pupil Sean Nicol, winner of this year"s gala brochure design competition, and kick off a parade featuring Robert the Bruce and his pal, Sid the 50 foot spider, pipe and brass bands, West Fife primary schools, plus a host of traditional and not so traditional Scottish acts.

They"ll be joined by the Scottish folklore stilt-walkers and gala stalwarts the Scottish Rockettes, Spartan gymnastics team, Kingdom Bikers and Fife Fire and Rescue.

Visitors are asked to be on the lookout for the Daft Scotsman, the Laird and Shuggie, as well as the 'paparazzi' – guys in old hats and trenchcoats taking photos.

Local businesses are also getting in on the act with a "best dressed shop competition".

The fun continues at Pittencrieff Park from 1pm, where traditional musicians The Lions Rampant, and Sambayabamba, who create samba music with a Scottish twist, will keep crowds entertained at the South Lawn.

They will be joined by Clanranald and the Celtic Warriors, who will put on some true Scottish-themed action with their re-enactment of a battle scene, complete with horses and hunting dogs.

Fire performers will put on a dazzling display of poi-spinning, while Inverkeithing High School pipe band and the Fiona Ferguson Highland Dancers will also be entertaining the crowds.

More music is in store at the Glen Pavilion band stand, where three young local bands from the Tower House; Lewis, Skylight Falls and Fire In Effect, will have feet tapping.

Down at the kids" play park and Carnegie statue, there will be a children"s fun fair, bouncy castles, an army mobile assault course, charity stalls and an Active Schools games area. Dunfermline United will also have a 'Beat the Goalie' game.

Gala chair Liane Horder said, 'It"s going to be exciting and we have got a lot of new and different acts coming in for the gala.

'It"s fantastic that we will have all the primary schools in the parade this year. Wellwood Primary are back in the gala after four years and it"s an added bonus that one of their boys has won the brochure competition.

'We just hope that it will be a success and that we have good weather.

'A big thank you to FMC, our main sponsors, who have been very supportive not only in terms of funding but throughout the year. It"s been brilliant working with them.'