Arcadia Scotland

Art and Culture

In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion: Throughout the Beginning of May, Queen's Gallery

The Tudors and Stuarts were among the best-dressed dynasties in British history, and this exhibition looks at the ways in which fashion conveyed important information about status, using paintings, drawings, miniatures and rare examples of surviving clothing from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Aa the Airts: Project Wish Tree: 10 May, Teviot, 7pm

A curated evening of new music, song, stories, poetry, film and visual art installations inspired by the nation’s colorful collective imagination. The Wish Tree is a project from National Collective, the open and non-party creative campaign for Scottish independence.

Playing for Scotland: The Making of Modern Sport: Throughout the Beginning of May, Scottish National Portrait Gallery

A major exhibition examining the way sport was transformed by wider social and infrastructural changes between the 19th and 20th centuries.

Tales from the North: Contemporary Jewellery: Throughout the Beginning of May, The Scottish Gallery

Contemporary jewellery from Scotland, Norway, Finland, Hungary and Holland.

Tickling Jock: Comedy Greats from Sir Harry Lauder to Billy Connolly: Throughout the Beginning of May, Scottish National Portrait Gallery

A major exhibition of portraits of Scotland's funny men and women. The subjects are a long and illustrious list, with music hall stars and TV comedy heroes from Sir Stanley Baxter, Rikki Fulton and Una Mclean to Ivor Cutler, Ronnie Corbett and the Big Yin himself. There are 'On Air' booths for you to listen to clips of them at work, and you can even record your own comedy performance, if you're not scared of potentially soul-crushing embarrassment.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition: Throughout the Beginning of May,  National Museum of Scotland

Outstanding exhibition of the best natural history photographs from all over the world, on loan from London's Natural History Museum.

A-Z: An Alphabetical Tour of Scottish Art: Throughout the Beginning of May, City Art Centre

A overview of Scottish art from the 17th century to the present day, featuring artists from William Allan to Aleksander Zyw, exploring the breadth and diversity of Scottish art.

Music, Comedy and Dance

Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Mozart and Strauss: 3 May, The Queen's Hall, 7.30pm

Clemens Schuldt conducts Mozart's Serenade in D KV203 and Symphony No 36, with Richard Strauss' Duet-Concertino and Horn Concerto No 1. The featured soloists are Maximiliano Martin (clarinet), Peter Whelan (bassoon) and Alec Frank-Gemmill (horn).

Edinburgh Academy Summer Concert: 4 May, The Queen's Hall, 7pm

A varied programme of all kinds of music, from chamber ensembles to bands and soloists.

St Giles at 6: 4 May, St Giles Cathedral

St Giles' Cathedral's regular 6pm concerts of rush hour music are always free.

The Edinburgh Quartet: 6 May, Summerhall, 9pm

Scotland's premier string quartet was founded in 1960 and maintains close relationships with composers all over the UK, as well as playing dozens of concerts a year in venues all over the country.

The Ballad and the Sang: The Spiers Family in Concert: 8 May, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 7.30pm

A folk feast of traditional ballads and sangs, many linked to the renowned Greig-Duncan Folksong Collection. A founder member of The Gaugers, Tom Spiers is heard here in the melodic company of his wife Maggie Spiers and daughter Emma Spiers. A superb ensemble sound from the heart of folk tradition.

Alastair Savage Trio: 9 May, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 7.30pm

Traditional and contemporary fiddle music from Savage and his collaborators Euan Drysdale (guitar/piano) and Iain Crawford (double bass).

The Agnew McAllister Duo: 15 May, Scottish National Gallery, 6pm

Guitarist Matthew McAllister and flautist Aisling Agnew make a welcome return to the National Galleries of Scotland to perform works from the Scottish and Irish baroque.

Lectures, Sports and Local Festivals

Allan Ramsay: Reviving Scots Song: 5 May, National Library of Scotland, 5pm

Before Burns and Robert Fergusson, Allan Ramsay was the genial agitator of Scots culture, reviving poetry, song and theater in Auld Reikie. Here distinguished musicologist Fred Freeman demonstrates Ramsay’s contribution to Scotland’s national music.

Tradfest: Through 11 May, Various Venues

A festival inspired by the traditional arts of Scotland. Expect music, song, story, dance and craft to coincide with the seasonal rites of Beltane and May Day given a contemporary spin. Highlights for 2014 include performances from trad ensemble Breabach, folkie Rachel Newton and Wounded Knee; the legit traditional and super strange Mummers Gathering and Ball; talks by Gerry Hasan and David Torrance; plus storytelling, including Tiny TradFest Tales for the wee'uns.