BBC Scotland Landward presenter Dougie Vipond delighted to be at Gordon Castle Highland Games and Country Fair
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THE Gordon Castle Highland Games and Country Fair will feature on the BBC Scotland Landward programme.
Presenter Dougie Vipond and a crew were there today to film the return of the event for the first time since 2019.
A post-pandemic crowd of thousands flocked to the Fochabers venue to celebrate the best of Scottish country life.
Dougie said: “I was here at Gordon Castle about 18 months ago because I have a Gordon Setter Jessie which I love and we brought her here to find out a bit about the heritage of the breed.
“To come here 18 months later post-pandemic feels absolutely fantastic. It is a celebration of the countryside and all the good stuff that is going on.
“I love this part of the country and it is a delight to be here."
The BBC Scotland presenter joined other Gordon Setter owners for a parade in the main ring.
They included Lorna Calder from Ballindalloch who was there with her three-year-old Cooper.
She said: "It is an amazing place to come to show off such an amazing breed. I have always had Gordon Setters.
"I took my old dog Corrie here the last time it was on three years ago.
"It is an amazing day and it is fantastic that Gordon Castle do this for the owners. It makes you very proud.
"It is lovely to see everybout out and about enjoyig themselves with their dogs."
Dougie added it was great to see people together again in such a wonderful setting following the pandemic.
“The fact this is an outdoor event and people are still able to keep some degree of social distancing helps because there is still a nervousness but there is also an optimism and you can feel it in the air.
“The Gordon event is one of the first in the countryside calendar, so it’s nice to be here and get a sense of how the other shows are going to be. This gives you a sense of if people are going to turn out, because they have missed this.”
The games will feature on BBC Scotland on Thursday, May 26.
