A surprising wee venue in the heart of Caithness 

Lyth Arts Centre (LAC) is the UK’s most northerly mainland arts centre in the heart of Caithness, Scotland. Every year from March to December, we present a programme of live performances from touring companies and visual arts – from Scotland, the UK and the world. This includes theatre, dance, family events, jazz, folk, classical and world music, comedy, circus, and much more. LAC also presents performances in around 12 village halls and community centres across Caithness and North Sutherland.

LAC is housed in a beautiful old building surrounded by trees and aged stone walls. From the outside it retains the character of a Victorian village school but the interior has been imaginatively converted to a dynamic multi-purpose arts centre. This includes a fully- equipped 60-seat black-box studio theatre which converts into an exhibition space, back- stage facilities, a public café/bar and purpose-built accommodation for visiting performers and artists. The whole premises is disability accessible.

LAC was established by the visionary William Wilson, an accomplished artist and musician who worked in film and television in London before returning to his native Caithness in what began as a gallery grew in an intimate venue which regularly over-spilled into William’s home in the adjacent schoolhouse. Over 40 years, LAC has become the cultural hub for Caithness and North Sutherland. In April 2017 LAC become a registered charity and appointed Charlotte Mountford and Tom Barnes as it’s Co-Directors to lead the organisation into a new era.