Wickerman Festival welcomes early arrivals

Keen ticket-holders were already on-site at Dundrennan on Thursday evening for the two-day festival, which is set to include performances from an eclectic mix of performers including The Waterboys, Tom Odell, Example, The Sugar Hill Gang and Lulu.
And those arriving at the festival grounds got a chance to see the completed Wickerman wicker sculpture, which this year boasts the head of a bird and the body of a man, resembling Egyptian god Horus.
But while a weekend of great music and good fun is anticipated, festival-goers are being urged to stay safe.
Inspector Stuart Davidson, who is Police Scotland’s event planner for the festival, said: “From a policing perspective, events of this magnitude will bring their own set of challenges but it is a rewarding and enjoyable experience for those involved.
“Police officers will be operating within all areas of the venue and we want people to have fun and enjoy what is sure to be another excellent festival.
“At the same time we want them to look after themselves, have respect for others and be mindful that what is against the law in Scotland is also against the law within any festival venue in Scotland.”
Insp Davidson is also reminding music fans that drugs are illegal and will not be tolerated at the site, and specialist drugs dogs will be operating across the weekend.
In addition, legal highs are also not permitted at the festival.
Urging people to drink responsibly, he added: “It’s common for people to relax and have a drink, but too much alcohol combined with what we hope will be a sunny weekend can pose real difficulties.
“Excessive alcohol consumption is a factor in crimes of disorder and violence and it also poses real health risks and can result in what would have been a memorable day being hard to recall.
“Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids such as water to avoid getting dehydrated, eat regularly and slow your pace when drinking alcohol.”