The organisers of the Spirit of Speyside Festivals have taken the tough decision to cancel this year’s Distilled event.
The annual two-day food and drink celebration, which is a companion event to the main festival, which was also cancelled in May, is usually held in Elgin Town Hall at the end of August.
Due to coronavirus fears, the food and drink event, which was anticipated to have around 1,400 visitors over two days, will now return in 2021.
Speaking about the decision, the festival board sad that it came as a consequence of ongoing uncertainties surrounding timings for the lifting of Scotland’s lockdown and social distancing restrictions.
Distilled brings Speyside’s world-famous whisky distillers together with gin, vodka, craft beer and artisan food producers under one roof each year to celebrate the region’s larder.
Much like the original festival, it has attracted visitors from throughout the UK and from overseas since it first started in 2016, and has grown to become an established date in the Speyside calendar.
James Campbell, Chairman of the Spirit of Speyside Festivals said: “We are saddened to announce this year’s Distilled food and drink festival will not go ahead, and we know our visiting guests and the local community will be naturally disappointed to hear this news.
“We now turn our thoughts to 2021 and how we can rally our world-class community of distillers and producers together as we aim to create an even bigger and better calendar of events that will go over and above expectations.
"We look forward to welcoming friends from home and abroad back to the region next year for our popular Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, as well as our Gin and Distilled festivals.”
