Inverness Science Festival announces 2018 programme

Inverness Science Festival 2018 kicks off later this month - with a range of free events around the city. This year’s programme, which runs from Friday 27 April to Sunday 13 May, includes a family fun day, drop in sessions at venues around the Highland capital and an evening lecture series.

With over 30 stalls set out around Inverness Leisure, the free family day on Saturday 5 May promises to have something for everyone. Visitors can try their hand at constructing a Lego building, creating a dinosaur finger puppet and making giant bubbles. There will also be opportunities to learn about the stars, computer coding and whales and dolphins.
 
The evening lecture series will see a range of expert speakers give insights into topic such as the science of racing cars, astronomy, the geology of Lewis and the palaeontology of Skye. The talks will take place at Inverness College UHI and the University of the Highlands and Islands STEM Hub at the An Lòchran building on Inverness Campus.
 
A number of local businesses and organisations are also hosting free sessions during the festival. Science fans can learn about paper at Waterstones book shop, take part in a scavenger hunt at the Victorian Market, learn about fitness at Eden Court’s Etape Hub and find out if fruit and vegetables can be used to make a musical instrument at Simpsons Garden Centre.
 
A series of school events will run alongside the public programme. Pupils will have the opportunity to handle rocks and fossils, debate hot air balloons and learn about electronics.
 
Inverness Science Festival is organised by the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) team at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Speaking about the event, Dr Evelyn Gray said: “We have another packed festival programme this year, with events for kids, adults and families on everything from astronomy to aquaculture. The festival aims to inspire interest in science and show how it affects our everyday lives. We’re grateful to the local businesses and STEM professionals who share their time and expertise to support the festival and hope we help to encourage young people to consider careers in this fascinating area!”
 
To see the full programme of events, visit www.uhi.ac.uk/en/inverness-science-festival or follow Inverness Science Festival on Facebook.