Raise a #Dram4Sam and support #NFYT2026!

Our fabulous long-term supporters Heughan’s Heughligans have kicked off their annual fundraising drive for Youth Theatre Arts Scotland in style, as they mark the 46th birthday of our YTAS Patron, Outlander star Sam Heughan.

This is now the 13th annual #Dram4Sam arranged by our friends the Heughligans. The idea is to donate the cost of a dram of whisky to toast Sam Heughan’s birthday, and over the years, they’ve raised in excess of a whopping $70,000 to support YTAS’s work. We are so grateful to them for their enthusiasm and generosity!

This year, the Heughligans are doing things a little differently – raising funds all the way through to the Outlander series finale on 15 May. Every donation is going straight to YTAS to support the National Festival of Youth Theatre in Inverness this July. That means real impact – helping young people access workshops, performances, and a safe space to be themselves, because every young person deserves the chance to step on stage, find their voice, and build something lasting.

Why NFYT?

Youth theatre is a safe, inclusive, and supportive place where young people from all backgrounds can come together, share their passion for drama and rehearse their skills for life. While some might go on to become actors like Sam, most will simply come to cherish their youth theatre as the special place where they challenged themselves with new ideas and opportunities, and where they made lasting friendships and memories.

This is the true impact and value of youth theatre: whatever today’s young participants go on to accomplish, Youth Theatre Arts Scotland passionately believe that they will have had a better start, and will live more full and successful lives, simply because of their involvement in youth theatre.

This is especially true for YTAS’s flagship event, the National Festival of Youth Theatre (NFYT). Every two years, the festival creates an explosion of young creative talent, offering around 200 young people the opportunity to develop as artists, take part in artistic workshops, perform on the festival stage and see their peers’ shows, as well as make friends from across Scotland and further afield. Who knows… the next Sam Heughan could be amongst them!

In July 2026, the YTAS team are looking forward to welcoming participants to Inverness for the first time, and with public funding ever decreasing, we’ll be putting all of this year’s #Dram4Sam donations towards supporting their journey. It takes a lot of money to make NFYT happen.

How can I donate?

In the ‘spirit’ of #Dram4Sam, YTAS have curated a menu of tasty tipples, their rough price per virtual dram, and an idea of what your generous gift will help to fund in real life. So, which one will you be raising to toast Sam’s birthday this year?

The Rocks | £1 – £19 | Pays for the tea, coffee, and hot chocolate supplies for the campsite

Mini Pewter Quaich | £20 | Pays for half an hour of a BSL interpreter’s time to interpret for Deaf participants

Dram of Bunnahabhain, 30 Years Old | £50 | Pays for one young person’s meals at the National Festival of Youth Theatre

Dram of Laphroaig, 32 Years Old | £80 | Funds one young volunteer to help deliver NFYT activities

Dram of Rosebank, 30 Years Old | £100 | Funds the delivery of one artistic workshop

Dram of Speyside, 55 Years Old | £250 | Provides a bursary, removing financial or accessibility barriers to a participant

Dram of Fettercairn, 50 Years Old | £500 | Helps fund a full leadership development programme for six young producers

Dram of Dalmore, 45 Years Old | £1,500 | Delivers the entire weekend social programme for 200 participants

Dram of The Macallan, 70 Years Old | £4,000 | Enables YTAS to provide campsite facilities for 200 young people for three nights

Dram of Glenlivet 1940, 85 Years Old | £5,000 | Supports the performance programme and technical production

Now, obviously YTAS aren’t going to be sending you any actual whisky, quaichs, or ice in the post… some of these bottles cost more than the annual turnover of a small arts charity. We do hope though, that your donation will leave you with the warm glow that can only come from supporting the arts through #NFYT2026. Thank you so much, and happy birthday to YTAS’s patron, Sam Heughan!

Slàinte mhath, a Sam! Mealaibh ur naidheachd agus mòran dhiubh 🥃