THE Beyond Borders Scotland Festival will take place later this month.

International and Scottish writers, thinkers, diplomats and politicians will head to Traquair House on August 28/29.

The Main Tent programme will feature talks with Lady Anne Glenconner, who will recount her time as Lady in waiting to Princess Margaret; as well as William Dalrymple, Alex Renton and Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, who will explore Scots in the Empire.

It will also host British-Turkish author Elif Shafak and journalist Sarah Helm, who speak to Allan Little about divided societies.

Looking more globally, Stephen Gethins and Juliet Kaarbo will also talk to Allan Little about Scotland’s foreign policy footprint.

Johnathan Powell will share his thoughts and experiences on peace-making around the world; while former head of the Metropolitan Police, Bernard Hogan-Howe, and intelligence specialist, John Taylor, will discuss the state of play in domestic and international security with Magnus Linklater.

And a star-studded panel of journalists and authors including the BBC’s Jim Naughtie and Razia Iqbal, Oscar Guardiola-Rivera, Aminatta Forna, and Tim Phillips will discuss ‘American Exceptionalism’.

There will be musical performances from Barbara Dickson and Rab Noakes, The Micro Band, and Nigel Osborne, who will explore music, ecology and the environment with the Syrian oud, violin, and gongs.

Visitors will start their day with some meditation or a foraging walk and listen to Alasdair Allan MSP as he explores the history and language and literature of the Scottish Borders and reads from his book Tweed Rins to the Ocean.

In the house and grounds, there will be several art exhibitions, including the New York Times exhibition, Carbon’s Casualties and Scottish Women Can Paint – highlighting how a group of dedicated female painters have managed to create some of the best artwork produced in Scotland during the last half of the 20th century.

The Walled Garden will also be the hub of the Youth Climate Summit – a youth-led initiative in which local climate activists have curated a series of events and workshops.

This will include a Main Tent session focussing on the role of nature and business in tackling the climate crisis and what to expect at COP26 with president of the CBI, Lord Karan Bilimoria, and New York Times president international Stephen Dunbar-Johnson.

Attendees will also be able to take part in a climate-focussed poetry workshops, screen-printing workshops.

And they can make their own smoothies, as well as learn more about sustainable fashion and sustainable diet and lifestyle.

The full Beyond Borders Scotland Festival Programme and box office is available online at www.beyondbordersscotland.com