Preparations are underway at Glamis Castle for their inaugural Autumn Festival showcasing an array of Scottish food, drink and craft vendors in the grounds of the historic castle this weekend.
The event, which takes place over two days on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th October from 10.00am-4.00pm, follows a series of seasonal food festivals at the visitor attraction this year which have proved hugely popular with visitors and fruitful for the many vendors who have sold their products at the events.
Hosted on the lawn in front of the castle, the Autumn Festival will have a variety of food and drink vendors from across the lawn offering a taste of Angus including Tay Spirits from Tayport Distillery and Arbroath based Wild Rose Bakery.
There will also be a selection of food and drink vendors for those looking for a bite to eat al fresco including Daisy Donuts, wild venison and peacock burger specialists Screaming Peacock and mobile café and bar, Tipsy Puddleduck.
Professional chef, cookery book author and presenter, Christopher Trotter will be hosting cookery demonstrations during the weekend. Having run a Michelin-starred kitchen during his career, the Fife-based chef will be preparing dishes using produce from the stall-holders and recipes from his latest book, ‘Coasts & Waters: The British Seafood Cookbook. Christopher will also be on-hand to answer any culinary questions visitors have.
Expanding on the success of the food and drink focused festivals earlier in the year, organisers are looking forward to welcoming a number of other vendors from jewellery and candle makers to dog accessories.
Amongst the businesses joining the festival is traditional hand-woven textile business Feather & Hay. Run by hand weaver Georgina Clackworthy, she is looking forward to chatting to visitors and demonstrating weaving techniques at her stall. Georgina said:
“My studio is local to Glamis Castle, so I am well aware of how beautiful this castle and its grounds are. The fact that there is so much history and beauty throughout the place feels like a wonderful setting to bring Feather & Hay’s hand-woven traditional textiles. Autumn is the perfect time to snuggle up with a new scarf or shawl, so being at the Glamis Autumn Festival seemed like the perfect mix!”
There’s also many businesses returning after success at Glamis’ Spring and Summer food festivals including The Littlest Herb Company from Carnoustie and Fife butchers Woodmill Game.
Lynda Stevenson from Starfish Cakes & Bakes is returning after having a stall at Glamis Castle’s Summer Festival. She said:
“I’m really excited to be back at Glamis after an amazing summer festival! It’s so nice to be selling my cakes and brownies in such a stunning location. Feel free to pop over to the purple gazebo for a free sample!”
Organisers are delighted to be welcoming a wider range of vendors to the event, after a successful spring and summer festival. Helen Buchanan, General Manager at Glamis Castle, said:
“We are proud to have been able to host a series of festival events at Glamis Castle this year and are delighted to welcome e a greater variety of local businesses to our Autumn Festival. We are looking forward to seeing many visitors explore our gardens and experience the very best of Scottish produce all while supporting local businesses.”
As well as outdoor food operators, the Castle Kitchen will be open for visitors to enjoy offering a freshly prepared table d’hote menu and a choice of Afternoon Tea options. All the menus at Glamis Castle use locally sourced ingredients with some even coming from their own Estate farm and gardens.
Please note, all castle visits must be pre-booked to allow Glamis to monitor visitor numbers while Covid-19 safety measures are in place.
For the Autumn Festival, parking is free and a ticket grants visitors access to the Castle’s gardens including the Italian Garden, Walled Garden, Nature Trail and Macbeth Trail. A ticket also gives access to the children’s play area and free wi-fi.
To pre-book and to see the list of stall-holders, visit https://bit.ly/3F1ThP0
To find out more about Glamis Castle and for the full event calendar visit www.glamis-castle.co.uk
Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle has been the ancestral seat to the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne since 1372, inspiration for Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the childhood home of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and birthplace of HRH The Princess Margaret.
