scottish bushcraft show

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treetop57

Forager
Sep 1, 2012
124
0
dumfrieshire
hi
does anyone know why there isn't a Scottish bush craft show or am i missing it what if Scotland gets independence will we have our own show then
anyone on site who can get one off and running it would save us all going down to derby england :pirate:
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
The biggest issue is that it needs to be a secure site.....by that I mean that it is in some way 'closed' enough that children are safe to wander as though they were in their own gardens, 24/7.
That does rather mean exclusive use of the site, which isn't really a Scottish thing, iimmc.
There was a very short lived problem years ago at the Welsh Moot when a drunken local slipped into the company, and his behaviour became offensive to one of the girls....he was swiftly moved on, and if it had gone further then the police would have been called since technically it's a private site and he was trespassing.....we can't do that, we can only have him or his like removed if the police decide he's trouble.

A suitable 'bushcraft' site, with decent toilet and shower provision, potable water, etc., and on site parking (folks come with massive amounts of kit; a lot of it's comfort, but a lot of it is for workshops and show and tell, etc.,) and trees for hammock and parachute hanging as well as clear ground for tents/tipees. Fires, either on the ground (Merthyr Mawr is excellent for this, it's on sand) or if folks are told they must use fire pits or drums, or alter fires, that's fine, just so long as they know beforehand.

Since an event like this is a major thing, it needs to be insured, the site needs to be paid for, etc., first aid provisioned and so on, and organised, and that takes time and money. It needs to make enough from fees to pay for all of those, but not be so expensive that it discourages people coming.

So far, we haven't managed to sort it all out. The Bushcraft Show down south is a huge thing, but it's not a 'family' thing in the way our Moots are. They're quite commercial really.
That's not a criticism, it's great to have all the stall holders in one site, to see what's out there, to actually see the stock for many of the on line shops that we buy from, demos, etc., and there are thousands of people around.

The Moot is more in the hundreds, and one day for small traders (usually members here) and a daily 'shop' where things are sold with a small percentage going to the folks who do the work of organising it. The majority of people at the Moot will know of each other in some way. It's a social thing. It's a great learning opportunity, but it's mostly laid back learning :) Think of it as a holiday among like minded people who do stuff :D with the potential to soak up knowledge and information and make friendships; to chill out and enjoy the company more than to spend money, iimmc.

If you're up for it, then I'll happily ask the Boss to have a conversation with you and see where it goes :D

atb,
Mary
 

treetop57

Forager
Sep 1, 2012
124
0
dumfrieshire
up date on the Scottish bush craft show i'v been in touch with the events manager and she's very keen on the idea she's going to put it to the committee may been some thing small to show at this years country fair to get a feel for the idea ill keep in touch with you all
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Have a look at Tree in the Park for some really good ideas of the kinds of things that are worth having along :D

Nicely done to get in touch with her though :D

cheers,
M
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
Aberfoyle? Used to have a massive Scout camp every year and would be ideal. Queen Elizabeth Forest Park? Both fairly central and with good facilities and access! Just some thoughts.
 

treetop57

Forager
Sep 1, 2012
124
0
dumfrieshire
Aberfoyle? Used to have a massive Scout camp every year and would be ideal. Queen Elizabeth Forest Park? Both fairly central and with good facilities and access! Just some thoughts.
i was thinking it might be good to get northwest and northeast england bush craft folk south west scotland being a good catchment area
not to far for Glasgow and Edinburgh also
 

BillyBlade

Settler
Jul 27, 2011
748
3
Lanarkshire
i was thinking it might be to get northwest and northeast england bush craft folk south west scotland being a good catchment area
not to far for Glasgow and Edinburgh also

Long drag for the Dundee and Aberdeen crowd though. I'd agree on the QE park idea. Fairer for all in Scotland, which respectfully, is the whole idea of it.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
There are three things here though;
firstly, the Bushcraft Show is a huge commercial venture. It needs massive outlay to bring in folks, and it needs masses of people visiting it to be a success.
secondly, the Moot, and we have long talked about a Scottish Moot, isn't a public thing; it's a private group.
thirdly, Countryside and National Parks are by their very nature not about massive commercialism or about privacy.

We had given serious consideration to pestering the folks at Comriecroft again, and it is slap bang in the middle for Scotland. It's still a long drive from the North or South though. Even from here it's an hour and a half, but it's not the near eight hours it takes to drive down to Merthyr Mawr.
The other site that I had thought of was Wiston Lodge; it's less than ten minutes off the main motorway network and there are both train and bus services really near by.

Neither of those two sites could possibly host a full on bushcraft show like the one in England. They simply don't have the space for parking/camping/exhibitors.
For our Moot though; maybe ?

cheers,
M
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
I'm with Toddy in that if you wanted a Bushcraft Show you'd have to have a venue like Scone where the Gamefair has it's home to make it fiscally viable.
 

treetop57

Forager
Sep 1, 2012
124
0
dumfrieshire
Long drag for the Dundee and Aberdeen crowd though. I'd agree on the QE park idea. Fairer for all in Scotland, which respectfully, is the whole idea of it.
the idea of having a scottish show wasn't just to get scottish bush crafts it has to make money or it won't happen at all Drumlanrig castle has only been doing the country show for i think three years and it's so orgainised they just do events well //and it's got to be better then going all the way down to derby
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
I don't think you'd get the numbers tbh.

It's near an hour and a half from here, and I'm slap bang in the middle of the central belt. It's nearly two hours from the other border towns, it's over an hour from Ayr, it's over 2 from Edinburgh, and you can add on hours more for anywhere else.

The show succeeds because it not only offers on site camping, but it draws in huge numbers of day visitors.

I work a lot of events and Park days....you need thousands of paying punters to make a commercial event work. Otherwise it's not worth the traders while coming down.

I'm not naysaying so much as saying that it's maybe not the site for a bushcraft show. It's a beautiful site, I know it's now the site of the Galloway country fair so they must have a good idea of numbers, but bushcraft doesn't pull them in anywhere near as widely as a country show.

M
 

treetop57

Forager
Sep 1, 2012
124
0
dumfrieshire
I don't think you'd get the numbers tbh.

It's near an hour and a half from here, and I'm slap bang in the middle of the central belt. It's nearly two hours from the other border towns, it's over an hour from Ayr, it's over 2 from Edinburgh, and you can add on hours more for anywhere else.

The show succeeds because it not only offers on site camping, but it draws in huge numbers of day visitors.

I work a lot of events and Park days....you need thousands of paying punters to make a commercial event work. Otherwise it's not worth the traders while coming down.

I'm not naysaying so much as saying that it's maybe not the site for a bushcraft show. It's a beautiful site, I know it's now the site of the Galloway country fair so they must have a good idea of numbers, but bushcraft doesn't pull them in anywhere near as widely as a country show.

M
when i went to the show in derby folk came from all over north east north west of england kent cornwall so i think thats a few miles more then coming from ayr or edinburgh so i think folk would come i don't know how fast you drive toddy but i think two hours from edinburgh to Drumlanrig i think not it's only 75 miles
if Drumlanrig events manager wants to take it on then the risk is thairs lets not be to negative maybe thats why we don't have a SCOTTISH BUSHCRAFT SHOW maybe we should ask Alex Salmon what he thinks
 

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