BBC ALBA tonight (15th December 2017) kicks off a Christmas schedule packed with entertainment for all the family!
During the festive season viewers will be treated to new documentaries, chat shows and delightful children’s programmes, as well as the return of the unmissable Hogmanay cèilidh and a Christmas Eve celebration service from Invergordon Church of Scotland.
Highlights from the upcoming BBC ALBA festive schedule include…
The King’s Head (Ceann an Rìgh)
Thursday 15th December at 8.30pm
Ceann an Rìgh is an exclusive documentary about the very first reconstruction of the face of Robert the Bruce. Bruce has been depicted for centuries in paintings, sculptures and films without anybody ever knowing what he looked like. Professor Caroline Wilkinson, the UK’s leading expert in craniofacial reconstruction, has used cutting edge technology to create a 3D portrait of Bruce, which will be revealed in the programme.
Scotstar: Scotland’s Flying Doctors (Teasairginn Èiginneach)
Thursday 15th December at 9pm
Thursday 22nd December at 9pm
Thursday 29th December at 9pm
This series offers unprecedented access into the work of the Specialist Transport and Retrieval Team, known as Scotstar. A team of doctors, nurses and paramedics are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to ensure Scotland’s most critically ill patients have access to life saving care no matter where they are. By air or by road, the team must keep critically ill patients alive while transporting them to hospital from Scotland’s most remote rural areas.
Aviemore (Trusadh: An Aghaidh Mhòr)
Monday 19th December at 9pm
Aviemore has had its share of ups and downs over the years, from Santa Claus Land to Shabbymore. But it is still a very special place for many Scots. Through personal reminiscences and anecdotes, tales of those who live and work there, as well as archive film and photographs, this documentary is the story of a much-loved Scottish mountain town.
Torcuil Lamont – Christmas (Taigh Thorcuil – Nollaig)
First episode on Christmas Eve at 10pm
Torcuil Lamont finally gets his own chat show and this week he’s celebrating Christmas with Donnie Dotaman, Bannan stars Debbie Mackay and Dòl Eoin Mackinnon and Mòd medallist Joy Dunlop. There’s music from Gàidhlig choir Atomic Piseag and Tide Lines, as well as party games, Torcuil-style!
BBC ALBA’s Christmas Eve celebration (Ciùin an Oidhche) (Christmas Eve at 11pm) comes from Invergordon Church of Scotland in Ross-shire. Featuring music from Dingwall Gaelic choir, the Invergordon Singers, Ellen MacDonald and Ross-shire Junior Gaelic Choir the ecumenical celebration will be led by Rev Kenneth MacLeod and Rev Duncan MacLeod. The programme will also focus on some of the different communities that enrich this area, with features on the Polish Community’s annual Remembrance Service, the church’s support of Invergordon’s maritime community, the spirit of Christmas in the classroom, and the chaplain’s role at Ross County Football Club.
Highlights of the Trads (An Dara Teud: Na Trads)
Wednesday 28th December at 9pm
Highlights and music from the Trad Awards 2016, from the Caird Hall, Dundee. Presenters Mary Ann Kennedy, Tony Kearney and Linda MacLeod meet the musicians, winners and stars of the event, both onstage and behind-the-scenes.
A Little Drop of Harris (Druthag na Hearadh)
First episode on Hogmanay at 8.30pm
After seven years in the planning and two years of construction, Harris is about to get a distillery. This three-part series follows the story of its creation and first year of operation. The distillery staff have all been recruited locally and are collectively known as the ‘Tarbert Ten’. They are all new to the business, but are keen to prove they are capable of making history in Harris.
Gladys
Hogmanay at 9pm
Heartwarming story of Gladys Johnston, a mother, grandmother and great grandmother from Acharacle on the West Coast of Scotland and her remarkable journey of discovery. Cathy MacDonald helps Irish-born Gladys uncover her true family history and to discover much about her early years. This is a story which has been filed away in a drawer for nearly thirty years and is only now seeing the light of day.
Hogmanay Cèilidh 2016 (Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Ùire 2016)
Hogmanay at 11.30pm
BBC ALBA brings in the New Year at the iconic Stirling Castle. Cathy MacDonald and Tony Kearney host the celebration cèilidh with one of Scotland’s best-loved singers, the multi award-winning Julie Fowlis, accompanied by acclaimed musicians, Éamon Doorley, Duncan Chisholm, Calum Stewart and Tony Byrne. A cast of singers including the internationally renowned singer Fiona Kennedy, ‘one woman cèilidh’, Rona Lightfoot and the celebrated Sìneag MacIntyre will ensure that 2017 will receive a musical welcome against a spectacular backdrop in the heart of Scotland.
For children, new programmes include The Saboteurs (Na Saboteurs) a hilarious new drama about children disrupting their dad’s forays into the world of dating (Christmas Day at 6.30pm) and Revolting Rhymes (Rannan Rapach), a new spin on the classic series of poems by Roald Dahl – this time it’s the wolf telling the stories – goes out on Tuesday 27th December at 5.15pm.
For sports fans, there will be the Sports Review 2016 (Spòrs na Bliadhna) (Tuesday 27th December at 8pm) presented by Calum MacDonald. Covering the Olympic Games in Rio, Scotland’s women’s football team qualifying for the European Championships in 2017 and the Euro 2016 championships held in France. There will also be shinty, rugby, tennis, and many other sporting highlights from a memorable sporting year.