Activities & Events

Scottish Traditional Boat Festival

At the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival in Portsoy, which is normally held in July, every member of the family can discover, enjoy and participate in the maritime and cultural heritage of the North East of Scotland. This includes sailing, fishing, history, crafts, theatre, literature and language, music, dance, food and drink.

The Portsoy Boat Festival is the biggest gathering of traditional boats in Scotland and makes for an excellent and entertaining day out.

Turriff Show

The Turriff Show in Turriff is recognised as one of the largest two-day agricultural events in Scotland and is a venue not to be missed for top livestock producers and horse and pony exhibitors.

In addition there are over 250 trade stands, including a renowned Food Fayre, an area specifically designated to the Forest Industry and an excellent Craft and Fun Fair. There are competitive sections for horticulture, home based crafts, open and companion dog shows.

Speyfest

This is an annual festival held in early August in picturesque Fochabers and offers some of the best in traditional and contemporary celtic music. Evening concerts are performed and followed by energetic late-night stomps. There is also an all day Survivors Ceilidh and Speyfest Craft Fair.

North Sea Yacht Race

The North Sea Yacht Race is one of the longest and perhaps most challenging ocean races in Northern Europe - across the North Sea between Stavanger in Norway and Macduff in Scotland. The race distance is approximately 280 nautical miles, and normally takes about 2 days.

The main objective is to organise a true offshore race, and at the same time give experienced Fjord and coastal sailors the opportunity to cross the North Sea between Norway and Scotland under organised conditions.

Bird Watching and Nature Reserve

The RSPB Starnafin Visitor Centre is located at The Loch of Strathbeg near Crimond and is recognised as an internationally important wetland encompassing a range of habitats, including the UK's largest dune loch and its adjacent wetland habitats, superb coastal sand dunes, wet and dry grassland and woodland.

Troup Head which is less than 5 miles from Gamrie Lodge is one of only two mainland gannet colonies in the UK and features dramatic, expansive panoramic views along the Moray Firth and beyond.

This important seabird colony contains significant populations of fulmars, gannets, shags, kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills and there are even some puffins. Over 150,000 breeding seabirds are present here in the summer months.

Highland Games

From June until September and throughout Scotland, Highland Games & Gathering take place and those within the Grampian region include City of Aberdeen Highland Games, Kenmore Highland Games, Forres Highland Games, Braemar Highland Gathering, Lonach Highland Gathering & Games, Aboyne Highland Games, Dufftown Highland Games, Stonehaven Highland Games, Tomintoul Highland Games, Drumtochty Highland Games, Oldmeldrum Sports & Highland Games and Cornhill Highland Games.