Heavy hearts as Crieff gathering is cancelled
Crieff Highland Gathering became the latest high profile event to be cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The board of directors behind the Market Park showpiece was initially hopeful the event would be able to go ahead as planned on August 22.
But the decision to call off the traditional crowd-pleaser – due to be held for the 150th time in 2020 – for the second year in a row was taken following a meeting last week.
The music festival, which was due to take place the day before the games, has also been cancelled.
Crieff Highland Gathering chair Anna McLean explained current Scottish Government restrictions imposed as part of efforts to tackle the global COVID-19 outbreak made it “impossible”to plan an event on the necessary scale.
She said:“Following the recently published guidance from the Scottish Government, it has become clear that planning an event on the scale of the Crieff Games is impossible and we can’t continue with planning for August this year with any confidence.
“We have held off our decision for as long as possible as we have watched many other Highland Games cancel in the hope that the success of the UK and Scotland’s vaccination programme, and falling infection rates, would allow us to hold some type of event that would provide a welcome boost to the local Crieff economy.
“However, we have no clear date as to when the restrictions will be lifted and there is also very little guidance on what restrictions will be in place in August.”