The inaugural Millport Victorian Festival will take place on 27 and 28 April - and will also be honoured with a visit from Glasgow poet laureate Jim Carruth.

The festival promises an exciting line-up of entertainment, including shows, historic talks, and themed session on costumes and customs from the period, as well as music and food and drink provided by sellers in full period dress.

Mr Carruth's talk will take place on Saturday April 27 at noon in the Tavern and is open to all visitors.

Mr Carruth will join festival visitors and members of the Cumbrae Contemporary Poetry Society with readings about life in a farming community and the struggles of the farmer from Victorian times to the present day.

A Victorian melodrama, 'Ha'penny Dreadful' by George Whitestone will be staged in The Tavern, Millport on Saturday, April 27 at 2.30pm.

The one act play featuring members of Largs Players and Skelmorlie Attic Players will make its debut as part of the new festival, organised by Frances Melling and Suki McGregor.

Magic, inventing, science, discovery workshops and much more will be based near Millport Pier at 12.30pm to 5pm on Saturday.

Fantastic magic & escapology shows with Laria & Lilly will take place at 2pm and 4pm on Saturday.

Traditional fare will include a Punch and Judy performance in the Garrison grounds on Sunday from 11am till 3.30pm and there will also be a children's art workshop, a pirate show, a craft event, golf and croquet.

The Millport Gallery have a pop-in-&-paint workshop of a William Morris textile and wallpaper design.

Adults and accompanied children are welcome to participate in painting one giant wall hanging.

Millport's Victorian Festival will have a range of guest speakers on Sunday 28 April at Breath of Heaven.

The premises at 11 Guildford Street will host the following speakers: At 2.45pm: ‘Conversations with Flowers’ by Susan Hunter - Floriography became all the rage in Victorian times as a means of sending coded communication through flowers.

At 3.30pm: -‘Millport – the Victorian Boom Town’ by Alistair Chisholm of Cumbrae Historical Society will look back at when Victorian Millport was a boom town.

At 4.45pm: ‘A History of Millport Field Studies Centre’ by Marnie Sweeney, In this look at the rich history of Millport’s famous marine biological station, Marnie will introduce you to some of the Victorian scientists and explorers who worked from Cumbrae, along with their expeditions and discoveries.

The Victorian era was a time of invention and discovery. David Robertson, a Scottish naturalist and geologist founded the Marine Biological Station in Millport, opened in 1897.

There is also tarot reading at the Garrison grounds from 10am till 5pm on 27 April.

Search for Millport Victorian Festival on Facebook for more details.

Millport Royal George Hotel events to be added