On Thursday 16th October, 1pm – 3pm and Thursday 23rd October, 1pm – 3pm we’ll be running some family workshops here at Làmhan. As the nights have been drawing in and the smell of woodsmoke drifts through the air when we are outside, I find myself thinking again about Samhain — the old Gaelic festival marking the turn of the year, when the veil between worlds grows thin. Here in Callander, beneath the shadow of Ben Ledi, those ancient rhythms still feel close. The hill has long been associated with both Beltane and Samhain, the twin fire festivals of the Celtic year.
I’ve often thought that this association — Ben Ledi as a site of pre-Christian fire rituals — is why Reverend James Robertson, Callander’s minister in the late eighteenth century, tried to Christianise its name. He reinterpreted Beinn Leathaid as Beinn Le Dia, “Hill of God.” It was a neat act of rebranding, but it reveals something deeper: that the older spiritual life of the landscape still shimmered beneath the surface. That same spirit of renewal and creativity is what we’re celebrating with Làmhan’s Samhain Costume Workshop this October — two afternoons of storytelling, laughter, and making, right here in Callander.
In Gaelic tradition, Samhain wasn’t simply the end of harvest; it was the time when the sìthichean — the fair folk — could move freely between their world and ours. People lit fires, shared food, and disguised themselves not to frighten, but to belong. One of my favourite glimpses of these old disguises comes from Margaret Fay Shaw’s photographs in South Uist, taken in 1932. Her images show island children wrapped in rags, seaweed, and old coats — resourceful, funny, and full of life. That’s the spirit we’ll be reviving: creativity, community, and a little well-placed mischief.
We’ve shaped the workshop around a family of Highland spirits so everyone has a role to play. The Ban-Sìth (Banshee) as the mother, calm and luminous, draped in soft off-white fabric. The Brownie (Brùnaidh) as the father, the steady hearth spirit in worn wool and a hint of tartan. The Ghillie Dubh as the sons, shy forest keepers in green and mossy tones. The Sìthiche, the mischievous daughters, full of energy and colour. And the Each-Uisge as the family pet, inspired by the kelpie of Loch Venachar. Local lore tells of that creature and of the northern woodland once known as Coille na Bròin — the Wood of Sorrow — where laughter and warning walked side by side.
We’ll begin with a few stories about Samhain and the sìthichean, then spend the afternoon making our costumes together. We’ll provide pre-cut felt and fabric pieces ready to stitch or glue, along with basic sewing supplies — thread, scissors, needles, elastic and glue — and of course, juice and biscuits for everyone. Please bring along some old clothes or fabric scraps from home: shirts, scarves, jumpers, pillowcases, anything that can be reimagined into something magical. Each family will leave with at least one finished costume and, hopefully, a few new stories to share.
This isn’t about perfect stitches; it’s about shared making — cutting, pinning, laughing, and creating something together. If your fairy wings or moss capes turn out a little uneven, all the better. The sìthichean were never known for symmetry.
The Làmhan Samhain Costume Workshop takes place during October half term at our studio in Callander, beneath the gaze of Ben Ledi. We’ll provide the stories, materials, guidance, felt, and refreshments — you bring your family, your imagination, and a bundle of old clothes ready for a new story.
Together, we’ll celebrate local Gaelic culture, the turning season, and the small everyday magic of making something by hand — just as our ancestors did when the fires of Samhain burned bright on the hills above Loch Venachar and its Wood of Sorrow (the wood at Loch Venachar is called Coille na Bhròin – the Gaelic for Wood of Sorrow).
finally, did you know that Loch Venachar had a kelpie? Come along to one of our two costume making sessions to find out more!
Price: £25 for one adult and one child, plus £5 for each additional child. All materials (But please bring along some more old fabrics we can use and share), wool felt, sewing needles, threads and of course tea, juice, and biscuits are included. Places are limited to keep things relaxed and hands-on. Booking is open now via our Events Page.
Edited to add: I created these Cartoonlike images in Canva using the AI image creator function.