The Dinner on Friday gave the event a memorable start with 270 guests entertained by the North east author Jack Webster, Edinburgh 's artist and art promoter Richard Demarco, Deeside fiddler and composer Paul Anderson, Huntly born singer Shona Donaldson and Geordie Murison, Netherley's peerless Bothy Ballad King.

Emily Smith, Scot's Singer of the Year 2009, and New Zealand fiddler Jamie Mclennan gave a rousing performance on Saturday in the Mearnsong Concert.

Since winning the award Emily has produced three acclaimed albums and toured on the international folk circuit and the audience quickly realised her unique talent as she mesmerised them with Burns's and her own songs on an array of instruments.

The rogueish Jamie Mclennan was the perfect foil to Emily with fine fiddling and spontaneous humour.

Thanks to generous support from the Fatherland Burns Club, the famous Glasgow actor John Cairney visited Arbuthnott to bring the event to a close with a vintage one hour performance on Sunday afternoon.

The format was simple. Cairney, as Burns, opened by announcing to the audience that he was to give a history of himself and proceeded to do just that using as far as possible, Burns's own words.

It had everything a theatre show needs - fun and laughter, moments of thought, a chance to sing, high passion and all bound by Burns's humanity. The veteran actor was splendidly thanked by a spontaneous standing ovation.

Throughout the weekend supporting events included fine performances from the Grassic Gibbon Song Writing Group, Tangleha' Ceilidh Band and the Mearns based Burns Quoir.

Andy Hall and Francis Boag attracted a large audience for the launch of their book " The Mearns Distilled" and both gave a revealing and at times hilarious audience with event Chairman Jim Brown.

Eariler in the weekend Andy was well supported in his illustrated talk on his previous book "Touched by Robert Burns."

"The Father of the Bard " which is a local project charting the life and times of William Burness was shown in DVD form on Sunday and whetted the audience's appetite for the next episode which will be based on his life after leaving Clochnahill.

Excerpts from the BBC's production of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's Sunset Song were shown throughout the weekend and many locals who were involved as extras in the Seventies came along to view. A copy can be obtained from the Centre.

Lively workshops for poetry, song writing, drumming and painting were conducted by the doric poet Sheena Blackhall, the Mearns landscape artist David Johnston, musician Rob Knight artist Jacqueline Niven and drummer Steve Haden.

Jim Brown commented that the weekend had been a huge success and hoped that it would become an annual festival -perhaps on a smaller scale. He expressed his thanks to the hardworking committee, the wonderful helpers, the funding bodies, the generous sponsors and to all the guest and visitors who had loyally supported the first Mearns Connections Festival.