Festival 2025
The To Absent Friends festival takes place across Scotland from 1-7 November 2025.
It is an opportunity to remember, to tell stories, to celebrate and to reminisce about people we love who have died. To Absent Friends, a People’s Festival of Storytelling and Remembrance is an opportunity to revive lost traditions and create new ones.
Below is a list of the events taking place around Scotland and online.
Mid-Argyll Death Cafe
Organised by the Mid-Argyll Death Cafe
Dochas Centre, Campbell Street, Lochgilphead, Argyll
Monday 3 November, 5:30pm
This activity is open to the public.
Get creative by starting a journal page. Bring along a photo, song lyric, poem, any sort of memorabilia that is meaningful to you. Or just bring yourself to a safe place to talk about death.
The Cafe is a place where people meet, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea, and discuss death.
Everyone is welcome to come and share their views or just listen, in a safe and non-judgmental environment.
Reminiscence Café; A Space to remember
Organised by The Junction - Young People, Health and Wellbeing
The Junction, 82–86 Great Junction Street, Edinburgh, EH6 5LL
Monday 3 November, 5.00pm – 6.30pm
This activity is for young people aged 12-21. Please register in advance.
Grief can feel different for everyone, sometimes heavy, sometimes quiet, sometimes hard to put into words. The Reminiscence Café is a calm, caring space for young people aged 12–21 to come together and gently remember people or pets who have died.
There will be time to share memories, take part in creative remembrance activities, and connect with others who understand what it’s like to miss someone. You don’t have to talk about your loss if you don’t want to, just being there is enough.
Staff will be on hand to offer support, and there’ll be warm drinks, snacks, gentle conversation, and space to breathe.
Places are limited, so please get in touch to book your spot: aprilwendy@the-junction.org
Remembrance Campfires on Portobello Beach
Organised by Action Porty in collaboration with celebrant Loretta Dunn
1 Promenade, Portobello Beach
Sunday 2 November, 2-4pm
This activity is open to the public. Please register in advance.
Join us for our annual festival of storytelling and reminiscence celebrating the lives of our loved ones who have died.
This powerful event is now in its sixth year. Like in previous years, where participants shared photos and stories of loved ones round mini-campfires, this year there will be a central campfire, which all are welcome to join us at.
The event remains free to attend as it is subsidised by Action Porty, in recognition of the important compassionate role this festival plays in the community.
The event is free to attend but ticketed to allow us to prepare for numbers attending.
If you are attending alone you will be very welcome to sit yourself or to mingle with others.
There will be a creative station where participants will be offered the opportunity to decorate a stone with their loved one’s name which will later be placed in the sea around 4pm, drawing the event to a natural close.
No matter where you are on your grief journey, you are welcome.
Please remember to be prepared for all weather conditions and bring along something to sit on for your own comfort. This is an outdoor event in November in Scotland so please come dressed warmly and for the weather whatever it might be. The intention is for fires to be on the sand on the beach but if accessibility is a concern, please let us know and we’ll work something out.
While all precautions will be taken and fire wardens will be present, these are real fires and attendees are asked to be fire sensible and come along at their own risk.
Children are welcome in this outdoor space under the same terms and there will be creative opportunities for them to express themselves too.
Toilets will be available at Bellfield.
Register your place on Eventbrite.
Photo credit: Jon Davey Photography
The Silent Run
Organised by Run Forever SCIO
In the community: Heathryburn School, Northfield, Aberdeen
Saturday 1 November
This activity is open to the public.
In prison: HMPG Peterhead
Thursday 6 November
This activity is for HMPG Peterhead prisoners and staff.
Join us and dedicate your run (or walk) to someone you love, or to remember and celebrate absent friends, family members or loved ones who died in prison or elsewhere. The event will be prepared with creative sessions including running, Feldenkrais, art practices (stories, poems, messages to be written on T-shirts or onto memorial objects) and singing choir.
Everyone is welcome and it’s free to take part!
Journal Through Time
Organised by North Berwick Coastal Community Connections
The North Berwick Library
Saturday 1 November, 10:30am-12:30pm
This activity is open to the public. Please register in advance.
Critically-acclaimed author Catherine Simpson is to host a creative writing workshop focussing on remembrance and loss.
Her workshops are credited for their honest and welcoming atmosphere, so offer an ideal opportunity for complete beginners to seasoned writers.
The workshop runs from 10.30am to 12.30pm at North Berwick Library on Saturday.
Events are free to attend, although booking is advised.
Please book your place by emailing admin@nbc-communityconnections.org.
Image credit: Catherine Simpson
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