From single-malt whisky to foraged wild mushrooms, from artisan markets to seafood feasts, every year Scotland puts on a packed calendar of food and drink festivals.
Whether you’re planning a foodie trip to Scotland or looking for a food festival to build a weekend around, this guide highlights more than 60 events across the Highlands, Islands and cities, all arranged month by month.
My tip: Bookmark this page and check festival websites for final dates and ticket links. Many festivals release early-bird tickets months ahead.
60+ food and drink festivals in Scotland
Scotland’s food festival calendar has something for everyone — from seafood feasts to wild foraging adventures and Christmas markets, each month brings different flavours!
Jump to month: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
IMPORTANT — Where the next date for a festival or event is confirmed, it is noted below. Events without confirmed 2026/2027 dates are listed with their typical timing. Please get in touch if you have a food festival or event you would like added to the calendar.
January
A Taste of Shetland at Up Helly Aa — Pair Viking fire celebrations with Shetland seafood, smoked fish and bannocks at this unique one-day food and drink showcase held at the Shetland Museum and Archives. Held on the last Tuesday of January alongside Up Helly Aa.
Edinburgh Farmers Markets — Perfect for winter foodie travel in Scotland, these markets showcase local meat, dairy and artisan bread and are held every weekend throughout the year. Visit Edinburgh Farmer’s Market, Stockbridge, Grassmarket and Leith.
February
Scottish Festival of Real Bread, Fife (mid-February, Bowhouse, East Neuk of Fife) — Celebrating local grain and slow fermentation. The Scottish Bread Championship is also held at Bowhouse as part of Real Bread Week. Find out more at Bowhouse.
Fife Whisky Festival (26–28 February 2027, Corn Exchange, Cupar) — A small yet mighty Scottish whisky festival perfect for whisky aficionados seeking intimate tastings, with an opening dinner, main festival sessions and distillery events across Fife. Find out more at Fife Whisky Festival.
Aberdeen Restaurant Week (typically early spring) — Aberdeen’s annual dining celebration, with local eateries across the city offering exclusive fixed-price lunch and dinner menus. A great chance to try acclaimed restaurants at reduced prices. Find out more at Aberdeen Restaurant Week.
March
Bowhouse Market Weekend, Fife (held monthly March–December) — A monthly producers’ market with street food in the East Neuk of Fife. The venue runs year-round activity. View all the Bowhouse Market Weekends on their website.
St Andrews Cocktail Week, Fife (typically March) — A city-wide wristband cocktail festival with deals on cocktails and mixology masterclasses.
April
Paisley Food & Drink Festival (typically April) — A two-day street food and producers’ event, great for foodie families, all held around Paisley Abbey. Find out more at Paisley Food & Drink Festival.
Glasgow Coffee Festival (typically April, The Briggait) — Specialty coffee takeover. Find out more at Glasgow Coffee Festival.
Scottish Vegan Festival, Edinburgh (typically April, Assembly Rooms) — For plant-based diners. Discover more at scottishveganfestival.com.
Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (Wednesday 29 April – Monday 4 May 2026; 28 April – 3 May 2027) — Hundreds of events across 50+ Speyside distilleries: tours, tastings and food pairings. Find out more at Spirit of Speyside.
May
Fèis Ìle — Islay Festival of Malt & Music (Friday 22 May – Sunday 31 May 2026; 28 May – 6 June 2027) — The world’s most famous whisky festival. All nine active Islay distilleries — Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Kilchoman, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain and Ardnahoe — host their own dedicated day. The festival is free but the most popular distillery events sell out within hours. Book accommodation nine to twelve months ahead. Visit Fèis Ìle.
Campbeltown Malts Festival (19–23 May 2027) — A six-day celebration of Campbeltown’s whisky region. Springbank, Glen Scotia, Kilkerran and independent bottler Cadenhead’s each host their own open day with distillery-exclusive bottlings, food, music and fringe events. One of the hardest-ticket festivals in Scotland, and it sets up perfectly to lead into Fèis Ìle the following week. Find out more at Campbeltown Festival.
Taste of Nairn, Moray (typically May) — A town-wide food weekend including the world Tattie Scone Championships. Visit Nairn Scotland.
Scottish Wild Food Festival, Stirlingshire (typically May) — Foraging walks, open-fire feasts and botanical drinks. Keep an eye on their website for dates.
June
Royal Highland Show, near Edinburgh (Thursday 18 – Sunday 21 June 2026; 17–20 June 2027, Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston) — Scotland’s largest agricultural showcase, with a legendary food hall, over 6,000 animals, 750+ trade stands, a cookery theatre and the Royal Highland Hoolie evening concert. Buy tickets.
Meatopia Glasgow (SWG3, date TBC) — A live-fire barbecue festival. Keep an eye on their website for a return in 2026.
The Leith Food Festival, Edinburgh (typically June, Leith Links) — A two-day celebration of global street food, live music, chef demos and artisan markets. Find out more at Leith Food Festival.
Food festivals in Scotland in July
Taste Scotland Food Festival, Dunfermline (typically early July, Pittencrieff Park) — Street food and live music in the lovely Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline.
Falkirk Food & Drink Weekend (typically mid-July, The Helix) — Local food and drink festival held at The Helix, by The Kelpies.
Edinburgh Food Festival (typically July, George Square Gardens) — Chef demos and artisan stalls.
Tarbert Seafood Festival (typically early July) — A weekend of seafood, parades, music and stalls around Tarbert’s picturesque Loch Fyne harbour.
Taste Dunoon (25–26 July 2026, free entry) — Talks, tastings, cooking demonstrations and a dedicated food trail on the Cowal Peninsula. Find out more at Dunoon Presents.
Edinburgh Folk & Food Festival (24 July – 2 August 2026, Assembly George Square Gardens) — Ten days of folk music, storytelling and Scottish food and drink running up to the Fringe. Free-to-enter site with ticketed events (£5–£28). Find out more at edfoodfest.com.
Arbroath Food & Music Festival (31 July – 1 August 2026) — A seaside festival combining live music, home-grown talent and delectable food and drink at the harbour. A jam-packed weekend showcasing Arbroath Smokies and Angus produce. Find out more at arbroathfoodfest.co.uk.
East Kilbride Farm Show (25 July 2026, West Nerston Farm) — Prize livestock, farm demonstrations, sheep shearing, dog shows, food stalls and country pursuits. Find out more at ekfarmshow.co.uk.
Border Union Show, Kelso (24–25 July 2026, Springwood Park) — The highlight of the Scottish Borders’ agricultural calendar, with over 500 open competitions, trade stands, food and family entertainment. Find out more at borderunion.co.uk.
Orkney Agricultural Show Week (31 July – 8 August 2026) — Orkney’s traditional Show Week runs across the islands: Sanday (31 Jul), East Mainland (1 Aug), Shapinsay (4 Aug), South Ronaldsay & Burray (5 Aug), Dounby (6 Aug) and the Orkney County Show at Kirkwall (8 Aug). Prize cattle, sheep, horses, home baking, crafts and fun fair rides. Find out more at orkneycountyshow.co.uk.
Perth Show (31 July – 1 August 2026, South Inch) — Perth’s agricultural show has taken over the South Inch since 1863, with a food and drink marquee, cookery theatre, craft tent and main-ring entertainment. Under-14s free. Find out more at perthshow.co.uk.
Food festivals in August
Turriff Show (2–3 August 2026) — Scotland’s biggest two-day agricultural show, celebrating farming, community and Aberdeenshire heritage. Livestock competitions, main-ring displays, local food, family entertainment. Find out more at turriffshow.org.
Black Isle Show (5–6 August 2026, Muir of Ord) — A Highland agricultural institution with livestock, produce and rural crafts. Find out more at blackisleshow.com.
Glasgow Real Ale Festival (G-RAF) (6–8 August 2026, The Briggait) — Over 130 real ales, ciders and foreign beers, including gluten-free and vegan-friendly options. Find out more at g-raf.camra.org.uk.
Foodies Festival Edinburgh (7–9 August 2026, Inverleith Park) — Celebrity chefs, live bands and gourmet street food. Find out more at Foodies Festival Edinburgh.
Whisky Fringe, Edinburgh (7–9 August 2026, Mansfield Traquair) — A celebration of whisky during the Edinburgh Festival season. Find out more at Royal Mile Whiskies.
Kintyre Agricultural Show (7 August 2026, Anderston Park, Campbeltown) — Kintyre’s traditional agricultural show with prize livestock, vintage machinery, trade stands, food and drink and family entertainment.
Foodies Festival Glasgow (14–16 August 2026, Rouken Glen Park) — Live cooking demos, headline music, local producers and artisan food. Find out more at Foodies Festival Glasgow.
What The Fork Food & Drink Festival, Dunfermline (15–16 August 2026, New Dunfermline City Campus) — Fife’s largest street food festival with the best of Scotland’s food and drink producers, street food traders, live music and cocktail bars. Find out more at whatthefork.co.uk.
Rottal Food & Drink Festival (29 August 2026, Rottal Estate, Angus Glens) — A day of local Angus food and drink producers, cooking demonstrations, live music and family entertainment. Beautiful rural setting north of Kirriemuir. Find out more at Visit Angus.
Glasgow Cocktail Festival (typically late August into September) — A city-wide wristband event.
Smokie Fest, Arbroath (date TBC) — Celebrating all things smoked fish in the seaside town of Arbroath. Find out more at smokiefest.co.uk.
September
Dundee Flower and Food Festival (5–6 September 2026, Camperdown Park) — Scotland’s largest competitive show — over 700 classes of prize leeks, dahlias, jams and shortbread. Around 18,000 visitors across the weekend for horticulture, Tayside and Angus producers, celebrity chef demos and a proper family day out. Running 30-plus years. Find out more at Dundee City Council.
Sausage and Cider Festival Dundee (5 September 2026, Slessor Gardens) — Britain’s biggest sausage-and-cider party with over 30 sausage varieties and 60+ ciders, plus live music and DJs. Family-friendly during the day, party atmosphere later. Find out more at sausageandciderfest.co.uk.
Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival (5–6 September 2026, Loch Lomond Shores) — A celebration of the food and drink of the Loch Lomond area. Find out more at Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival.
Hebridean Whisky Festival (5–12 September 2026) — An island-hopping whisky week across eight Hebridean distilleries: Torabhaig and Talisker on Skye, plus Raasay, Harris, North Uist, Benbecula and Jura. Open days, warehouse tastings and masterclasses, timed so you can travel between them. Finale at Raasay on the Saturday, with a festival cask bottling. Find out more at Hebridean Whisky.
SeaFest, Peterhead (typically mid-September) — A family-friendly food festival with seafood demos, trawlers and a marketplace in the harbour. Find out more at seafest.co.uk.
Stranraer Oyster Festival (11–13 September 2026) — Demos, live music and the Scottish Oyster Shucking Championships on Loch Ryan. Find out more at Stranraer Oyster Festival.
Scottish Rum Festival, Glasgow (date TBC) — A festival celebrating everything rum. Find out more at scottishrumfest.com.
Scottish Wild Food Festival (19–20 September 2026, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs) — A gathering celebrating wild food and foraging by Loch Lomond. Find out more at scottishwildfoodfestival.co.uk.
Orkney Food & Drink Festival, Kirkwall (typically late September, Kirkwall Grammar School) — Producers market, food and drink demonstrations and masterclasses. Find out more at orkney.com.
Tarland Food & Music Festival, Royal Deeside (typically mid-September) — Farm-to-table music celebrations.
Forest to Fork Scottish Fungi Festival, Perthshire (typically late September, Kirkmichael) — Mushroom foraging and retreat. Find out more at mycobee.org.
Hebridean Food & Drink Festival, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis (typically late September) — Producers market, food and drink demonstrations and masterclasses with special guest The Hebridean Baker.
Gravity Beer Festival, Edinburgh (25–26 September 2026, Summerhall) — Craft beer festival where all your beer is included in the ticket price. Find out more at Gravity Festival.
Glasgow Cocktail Fortnight (typically late September – early October) — 60+ top venues, exclusive drinks, parties and cocktail experiences city-wide.
Loch Lomond BAKEFEST (26–27 September 2026, Loch Lomond Shores, Balloch) — A weekend showcase of baking, creativity and shared passion. Local flavours, sweet treats, hands-on baking experiences, demonstrations from top bakers and family programming against the stunning backdrop of Loch Lomond. Find out more at Loch Lomond Shores.
Shetland Food Festival (typically October) — Shetland lamb, beef straight off the hill, shellfish landed that morning, seawater oatcakes and Shetland Black potatoes. Cookery demos, a producers’ market and events across the isles.
October
Ayrshire Real Ale Festival (1–3 October 2026, Troon) — A real ale festival on the Ayrshire coast. Find out more at ayrshirebeerfestival.co.uk.
Edinburgh Cocktail Week (2–11 October 2026) — City-wide £5 cocktails. Find out more at Edinburgh Cocktail Week.
Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship, Carrbridge (3 October 2026) — A cook-off drawing competitors from across the globe. Find out more at goldenspurtle.com.
Oktoberfest Edinburgh (8–10 October 2026, Central Hall, West Tollcross) — Edinburgh’s Oktoberfest moves indoors for 2026. German live music, steins of festbier, bratwurst and schnitzel in full Bavarian style. Find out more at edinburgh-oktoberfest.co.uk.
Edinburgh’s Whisky Festival, Murrayfield (typically October) — Hundreds of whiskies from around Scotland and beyond, plus demonstrations. Find out more at slanjevents.co.uk.
Glasgow Vegan Festival, Paisley (typically October) — Over 60 stalls selling food, meat and dairy alternatives, cruelty-free beauty products, clothes and more. Find out more at veganeventsuk.shop.
Dornoch Whisky Festival (typically late October) — Celebrating all things whisky. Find out more at Dornoch Whisky Festival.
Wild Mushroom & Bushcraft Camp, Perthshire (typically October) — An immersive long weekend of mycology, mushroom hunting, wild camping, fire cookery and wild gastronomy in Perthshire forests, with two of Scotland’s leading wilderness educators. Tickets via Wilderness Folk School.
Grassmarket Craft Beer Festival, Edinburgh (typically early October, Edinburgh Old Town) — An Oktoberfest event with beers from top local and independent breweries. Find out more at Grassmarket Craft Beer Festival.
Arran Festival of Food & Drink (typically late October – early November) — Including the Harvest Fest Farmers Market and Family Fun Day. Visit Arran’s Food Journey for more information.
November
Stirling Gin & SpiritsFEST (typically mid-November, Stirling Distillery) — Part of Stirling SpiritFEST featuring gin, rum, vodka and whisky.
Glasgow’s Whisky Festival (typically November, Hampden Park) — Huge whisky festival. Find out more at tickets-scotland.com.
TB Watson Whisky Festival, Dumfries (21 November 2026) — A whisky festival in the south of Scotland. Find out more at TB Watson.
World Shortbread Championships, Inverness (21 November 2026, Inverness Leisure) — A brand-new competition for 2026 celebrating Scotland’s iconic shortbread. Find out more at Inverness Leisure.
Bowhouse Market Weekend: Festive editions, Fife (November and December dates) — Monthly schedule with festive editions. Find out more at Bowhouse.
December
Loch Lomond Christmas Festival (typically early December, Loch Lomond Shores) — Market stalls, festive street food and drink, rides and entertainment. Find out more at Loch Lomond Shores.
Christmas Shopping Fair at Stirling Castle (typically early December) — Local Scottish crafts and fine foods, mince pies and mulled wine.
Edinburgh Christmas Market & Winter Festivals (late November – December) — Traditional festive markets with hot drinks, seasonal treats and family-friendly food stalls.
Aberdeen Christmas Village (mid-November – late December, Broad Street) — Broad Street transforms into a winter wonderland with an open-air ice rink, traditional fairground rides, festive market stalls, food and drink pop-ups and family entertainment. Find out more at Aberdeen Inspired.
Dundee Christmas in the Square (typically late November – December) — A winter wonderland with market stalls, street food, fairground rides and live music. Find out more at dundee.com.
Perth Christmas Market (typically December) — Local craft gifts, food and festive treats in Perth city centre.
Cawdor Castle Christmas Market (typically early December) — Christmas characters, local food stalls, mulled drinks and live entertainment.
What’s your foodie vibe?
Into seafood? Check out the Tarbert Seafood Festival, SeaFest Peterhead, Stranraer Oyster Festival, Orkney Food & Drink, Loch Lomond Food & Drink, Arbroath Food & Music Festival and Smokie Fest.
Love wild food and foraging? Scottish Festival of Real Bread (local grain and bread systems), Scottish Wild Food Festival, Forest to Fork Scottish Fungi Festival, Wild Mushroom & Bushcraft Camp.
Are you vegan? Scottish Vegan Festival (Edinburgh), Glasgow Vegan Festival.
Whisky and spirit festivals (many with food pairings): Spirit of Speyside, Fèis Ìle, Campbeltown Malts Festival, Hebridean Whisky Festival, Edinburgh’s Whisky Festival, Dornoch Whisky Festival, Glasgow’s Whisky Festival, Stirling SpiritsFEST, Scottish Rum Festival, Whisky Fringe, Fife Whisky Festival, TB Watson Whisky Festival.
Love local? Head to Paisley Food & Drink, Taste of Nairn, Taste Dunoon, Falkirk Food & Drink Weekend, Arran Festival of Food & Drink, Orkney Food & Drink, Turriff Show, Perth Show, Border Union Show, Orkney Agricultural Show Week.
Beer and cocktails? Glasgow Real Ale Festival, Gravity Beer Festival, Grassmarket Craft Beer Festival, Ayrshire Real Ale Festival, Oktoberfest Edinburgh, Edinburgh Cocktail Week, Glasgow Cocktail Fortnight, St Andrews Cocktail Week.
Baking and sweet things? Scottish Festival of Real Bread, Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship, World Shortbread Championships, Loch Lomond BAKEFEST.
Planning your food festival visits
Scotland’s food and drink festivals are a highlight of any foodie trip to Scotland, but a little planning makes the experience smoother and more rewarding. Keep these points in mind.
Book early for big names. Fèis Ìle (Islay), Spirit of Speyside, Campbeltown Malts Festival and other whisky festivals regularly sell out months in advance. Pre-booking accommodation is just as important — distillery towns can fill up quickly.
Be weather-wise for outdoor events. Scotland’s climate can be unpredictable. Outdoor festivals occasionally shift dates or cancel at short notice. If you’re travelling for an open-air seafood or foraging event, consider travel insurance or flexible booking options.
Understand city-wide wristband models. Some beer, gin or cocktail festivals are city-wide events where you buy a wristband and enjoy exclusive deals across participating venues. St Andrews Cocktail Week, Edinburgh Cocktail Week and Glasgow Cocktail Fortnight all operate this way. Plan your route in advance to make the most of tastings and discounts.
With world-class whisky, artisan seafood, award-winning vegan producers and vibrant markets, Scotland’s food festivals have something for everyone. From seafood feasts to wild foraging adventures and Christmas markets, each month brings flavours worth travelling for.
Would you like your food festival added to the directory? Get in touch.
Love from Scotland x
