Organisers of The Scottish Garden Show, set to take place for the first time at Scone Palace from the 29th-31st May, have taken the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 event.
The inaugural event was set to attract many avid gardeners to Perthshire this spring and organisers had already begun to line up an exciting mix of horticulture experts to share their expertise with visitors, including Scone Palace’s Head Gardener and BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden presenter, Brian Cunningham.
In a statement posted on the event’s website, organisers explained the decision had been based on the “lack of clarity’ around the easing of restrictions by the Scottish Government, making it virtually impossible to plan for a large-scale event. In the statement, Brian Stevenson, Chief Executive of Scone Palace, said:
“Over the past several months we have been working hard to bring the Scottish Garden Show to fruition.
It is with a very heavy heart, we have taken the difficult decision to cancel the show’s inaugural 2021 event. Even with the most thorough planning to ensure that the event was Covid-19 secure, the lack of clarity surrounding the easing of Scottish Government restrictions for large-scale events and the uncertainty around peoples’ ability to travel and mix more freely has made it too much of an unknown for us to continue planning and investing in this year’s event.
We are hugely disappointed and sorry to not be able to support the array of gardening businesses who hoped to trade at the show, not to mention the many food and drink vendors and outdoor activity providers.
We have received tremendous support and encouragement from many people, both in the horticultural industry and the wider business community offering sponsorship opportunities – all for a brand-new event to Perthshire. It has all been hugely appreciated.
We will announce the date for next year’s event in due course and hope to be able to welcome the many gardening experts, traders, suppliers, contractors and sponsors back in 2022.
Even with today’s announcement, we look forward to the Scottish summer with optimism.”
Anyone who has already purchased a ticket for this year’s event will be given a full refund, minus any booking fees.
For more information about The Scottish Garden Show and to look out for updates on next year’s event, visit www.scottishgardenshow.com