A CAMPAIGN to save Scottish fairs has been launched with aims of highlighting the “grim picture” the last remaining historical shows face in a bid to save one of the country’s most beloved traditions.
Campaigners say their Red and Black List of Lost and Endangered Fairs survey will showcase the number of Scottish fairs that have been lost, along with listing fairgrounds and local fetes that are currently under threat or at risk of closure.
The initiative was launched by Fair Scotland last week in Edinburgh and aims to promote the heritage of Scottish fairgrounds in a bid to secure their future.
The charity said fairs are a long-standing tradition for many local communities, but many have been discontinued over recent years due to a combination of economic stresses, rising costs, cultural change, or having been moved from their traditional sites.
However, Fair Scotland said in most cases the “deaths” of local fairs were “often preventable”.
The campaign includes a Red and Black List survey which aims to gather information about fairs that are at risk of being cancelled or are endangered, facing a set of conditions and factors that could mean their communities could ultimately lose them.
One example of one of Scotland’s most famous historic shows was the Glasgow Fair, which was given its Royal Charter in 1190, and was last held in 2017 – ending its 827 years of history.
Fair Scotland co-chairs Drs TS Beall and Mitch Miller will also present their campaign to the European Showmen’s Union Congress assembly on the importance of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) to help protect Scotland’s fairs.
A spokesperson for Fair Scotland said: “We are delighted to be involved in the 2025 Showman’s Union Congress in Edinburgh this January.
“This will be an opportunity to share what we know and love about Scotland’s Fairs and its show people community and make the case for its future. While the Red and Black List paints a potentially grim picture of Scottish fairs that have been lost or are now at risk, our hope is that it provides a call for action.
“This is a chance to meet and discuss with colleagues and friends across Scotland, the UK and Europe and allows us to make connections that will help show people across Scotland to meet the challenges they face – and for the show to keep going on.”
Fair Scotland said the shows provide a livelihood for around 8000 show people, whose family trees are intertwined with the histories of events such as Kirkcaldy Links Market, Hawick Common Riding and Dumfries Rood Fair.
The charity added that show people are also vital bearers of local traditions and culture in the towns where they’re located and that once they are lost, they are “hard to replace”.
The campaign aims to promote the heritage of Scottish fairgrounds and champions a future for show families.
At their address to the ESU, Drs Beall and Miller will launch a survey for show people and members of the public to share what they know about fairs under threat, and contribute to the campaign to help raise awareness of the “plight of some of Scotland’s most cherished cultural events”.
Vice president of the European Showmen’s Union Alex James Colquhoun, who has operated on the Scottish circuit all his life, said he’s seen first-hand the loss and decline of fairs across the country.
He said: “We’ve seen a lot of Scottish fairs disappear, affecting not just our members and their families, but the towns that host them.
“Fairs can disappear for a number of reasons: redevelopment can lead to a fair being moved from its original site, which almost always causes it to decline. Other factors like entertainment licensing – unique to Scotland and non-existent in the UK and Europe – and the inconsistent application of licensing across Scotland, adds to the financial and environmental pressures that already make it a challenging industry to work in.
“I’m delighted Fair Scotland is launching this initiative to draw attention to the importance of Scottish fairs.
“The public needs to know how easy it is for us to lose them.”
