Up the Middle Road - Crichton Stories of Recovery and Resilience

Discover an asylum’s hidden history: Dumfries’ Crichton Royal. Patients’ and staff’s first-hand stories are shared, in words and songs, as you tour the landscaped estate. ‘Up the Middle Road’ is the local name for the former Crichton Royal Asylum, founded 1838 in Dumfries. This event shares its lived experiences of mental health – until recently, buried in a culture of silence. Through words and music, the voices of former patients, nurses, support staff and those who grew up on site will be heard, where they happened: powerful and authentic, reflecting life from the 1930s to 1990s. Recorded by the event director, Dr Valentina Bold, as part of an oral history project, these powerful, authentic accounts are compassionate and inspiring: stories of resilience and recovery. The event brings together storyteller Amanda Edmiston, who specialises in healing tales, award-winning tour guide Kathleen Cronie and internationally-renowned singers and musicians, Emily Smith and Jamie Maclennan.