Game Fair preview

Lovers of the great outdoors are gearing up for another GWCT Scottish Game Fair, which comes to Scone Palace Parklands on July 5, 6 and 7 for 2019.

Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to converge on the beautiful palace grounds for the 31st fair, which will once again celebrate conservation and the countryside with an impressive line-up of exhibitions and retailers.

Competitions and a revamped main ring programme will provide ample opportunity for participation and entertainment.

Other activities on offer will cover a huge range of country sports with expert coaching and demonstrations to suit every taste.

Look out for everything from off-road driving to the opportunity to try your hand at bushcraft and countryside skills to clay shooting, air rifle shooting and archery.

Falconry displays, fishing, gundogs, terrier racing and ferreting will all attract large audiences.

With the focus on food sustainability, the 2019 Game Fair organisers aim to make the event a “true celebration of the land” especially in the Food Hall.

This venue will be a haven for food lovers and will feature 50 traders this year including seafood treats from Loch Fyne, Oban and the Outer Hebrides and honey from the Lothians.

The Cookery Theatre will feature demonstrations from top Scottish chefs such as Tom Lewis of Monachyle Mhor and Richard Dalgleish from Gleneagles who will be showing off their culinary skills and green credentials.

Christopher Trotter, who is the organiser of the Food Hall and Cookery Theatre, said “We are particularly proud of the sheer variety and quality of the people we have assembled in the Food Hall this year.

“Many vendors are from the surrounding region helping us with our local and sustainable message.

“There is everything here for you to create a great meal, or simply to buy for supper to have on your return home.

“Many of the stallholders are the business owners themselves, so it’s a great opportunity to ask questions and engage with possibly the finest selection of food producers at any show in Scotland.”

With an amazing 500 traders already signed up for the event, chairman Hugo Straker is excited about what this year’s

Game Fair could bring.

He said: “We are delighted with the staggering response we’re getting from traders this year, all of whom share our excitement about this year’s Scottish Game Fair.

“I’m proud this event improves its offering year on year, creating something that tens of thousands of visitors can enjoy.”

Some 35,000 people attended the fair last year, with all the signs pointing to another record-breaking crowd for 2019.

The Scottish Game Fair is sponsored by NFU Mutual and owned and managed by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, an independent wildlife charity which carries out scientific research into Britain’s games and wildlife and advises farmers and landowners on improving wildlife habitats.

For more details and to buy tickets, visit scottishfair.com

Pictures: Steven Brown. Events at this year’s Game Fair include pipe bands, foxhounds, gun dogs, birds of prey, tug o’ war and terrier racing, to name but a few.