Hebridean Baker Coinneach MacLeod announced for Alan Cumming’s Out in the Hills festival
Tickets for his talk sold out within 48 hours of going on sale, prompting organisers to move the event to the theatre’s main auditorium
By Callum Wells
Coinneach MacLeod, best known as the Hebridean Baker, has joined Sir Ian McKellen, Graham Norton and Russell T Davies on the line-up for Out in the Hills, a major new LGBTQ+ arts festival launching in the Scottish Highlands next year.
The three-day event, curated by Scots actor Alan Cumming, will take place at Pitlochry Festival Theatre and promises what Cumming describes as “a weekend of queer joy”, bringing together theatre, conversation, performance and community-focused events.
MacLeod’s appearance has already proved hugely popular. Tickets for his talk sold out within 48 hours of going on sale, prompting organisers to move the event to the theatre’s main auditorium, with additional tickets now released.
“This talk is about finding your voice, owning your story, and realising that queer lives from rural places matter” – Coinneach MacLeod
A BBC TV presenter as well as a bestselling author and baker, MacLeod will use the event to explore representation and identity as a gay man growing up in the Highlands of Scotland. His talk will trace his journey from island life to coming out while living and working in Russia, navigating male-dominated environments through a career in international sport, and ultimately finding confidence in unexpected places – including singing at the Eurovision Song Contest.
As one of the most visible gay figures in Scotland, MacLeod’s story offers a powerful counterpoint to the often urban-focused narratives of LGBTQ+ life, highlighting the importance of seeing queer lives reflected across rural and remote communities.
“Growing up gay on a small island, I didn’t see people like me reflected back at me,” MacLeod said. “For a long time, I believed that being myself meant leaving home behind. This talk is about finding your voice, owning your story, and realising that queer lives from rural places matter.”
Out in the Hills marks Cumming’s first major new programming initiative in 2026 since becoming artistic director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre. He said the festival reflects the ethos he wants to bring to the venue.
“Out in the Hills is a celebration of the amazing contributions the LGBTQ+ community has made to all our lives” – Alan Cumming
“Out in the Hills is my first piece of new programming in 2026 as artistic director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre and I think it perfectly demonstrates the ethos I want to infuse all my work with here,” Cumming said. “We have a combination of big names as well as new faces and ideas, and I’m inviting the public to take a chance on new experiences as well as revel in those they already love.
“Also, I love a party. Out in the Hills is a celebration of the amazing contributions the LGBTQ+ community has made to all our lives.”
The festival’s wider programme includes a new one-man play performed by McKellen, an in-conversation event with Norton, talks from Davies, discussions on LGBTQ+ voices in sport, late-night disco events, and free exhibitions celebrating queer lives and history.
Tickets and full programme details are available now via pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com.
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