The Largs Viking Festival is set to be featured on BBC Radio Scotland this week.

Festival chairman Douglas Blair will appear on the The Stephen Jardine Show on Friday morning at approximately 10.20am, with the show itself beginning at 9am.

The interview and show will also be available to listen to live later on the BBC Sounds app.

This is the 44th year of the nine-day Norse extravaganza which, in another BBC connection, was originally opened by former Mastermind presenter Magnus Magnusson who was the original patron of the festival in 1980.

Magnus is pictured outside the Vikingar in 2001 with Lord Glasgow, Council Convener Sam Taylor, Cllr Elizabethe Marshall and Viking guards. Magnus Magnusson officially declared the festival open on Wednesday, September 3, 1980, having just presented a documentary on the Vikings for the BBCMagnus is pictured outside the Vikingar in 2001 with Lord Glasgow, Council Convener Sam Taylor, Cllr Elizabethe Marshall and Viking guards.  (Image: Newsquest)

Magnus Magnusson officially declared the festival open on Wednesday, September 3, 1980, having just presented a documentary on the Vikings for the BBC.

He also gave the first Haakon Haakonsson lecture, which was, appropriately, held in The Nordic Suite of the Royal Hotel.

This year's full Viking Festival schedule  includes a larger Viking Village, the return of the Håkon Håkonsson lecture, and the spectacular Festival of Fire.