TARBERT CELEBRATES SEAFOOD FESTIVAL WEEKEND

Tarbert celebrates seafood festival weekend. Locals and visitors turned out in force for a two-day community festival celebrating the wealth of seafood from the waters of Scotland’s longest loch, Loch Fyne.

Leading salmon producer Bakkafrost Scotland was once again a proud sponsor of the Tarbert Seafood Festival, held in the village on the shores of Loch Fyne on July 4 and 5. The loch is home to the company’s largest area of operations, employing 160 people across Argyll and Bute. Each year, the festival attracts hundreds of visitors, bringing families, locals and tourists together along Tarbert’s waterfront. The seafood festival sits at the heart of harbour village life, celebrating the fishing heritage, fresh local produce and Highland hospitality that define the community.

Although the sun failed to shine, the festival spirit remained bright, with some events moved under cover.

This year’s Seafood Queen, Ella MacNab, sailed across the harbour with her princesses, Rhayn Laing and Skye Brailsford, before being piped along the main street ahead of the crowning ceremony. The royal party joined the crew of Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Biter and the Loch Fyne Pipe Band to lead a parade of floats through the village, decorated in this year’s theme of celebrating the emergency services.

Food stalls lined the harbourside at Tarbert on Saturday, with cookery demonstrations from celebrated chefs featuring Native Hebridean cold smoked salmon and Bakkafrost salmon held indoors. Craft stalls and Super Silly Scientists Scotland, who create interactive science experiments featuring explosions and slime, were also moved under cover. Sunday’s Beer on the Pier was renamed Beer in the Marquee, with a host of bands entertaining the crowds.

Younger visitors were well catered for, with a children’s disco on Saturday night, including a bouncy castle, Nerf guns, popcorn and candyfloss, followed by family-friendly entertainment with a licensed bar.

Margaret MacNeill, Tarbert Seafood Festival organising committee member, said:

“This is a major weekend for the Loch Fyne area, letting us celebrate the fantastic variety of seafood we have here. Everything went really well. We had to rejig some things because of the weather but, as a committee, we’re delighted with the support we got from the village. There were lots of visitors as well, some returning and others here for the first time. We’re really happy with how it all went. Bakkafrost’s sponsorship has been a godsend. It’s allowed us to do things we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise, including putting on the kids’ disco.”

Donnie Sinclair, Bakkafrost Scotland’s head of marine operations, said:

“Being born and raised in Tarbert, a small fishing village on Scotland’s west coast, has shaped my life. Living and working beside the sea isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life, and it’s the people who make it special. That’s why the Tarbert Seafood Festival means so much. It brings families, locals and visitors together to celebrate our seafood, our heritage and the community spirit that keeps places like Tarbert thriving. Bakkafrost Scotland is committed to creating shared value across the communities where we live and work.”

Image: Seafood Queen Ella MacNab and her princesses Rhayn Laing and Skye Brailsford. Credit Janet at Pure West Media