Seven unmissable foodie festivals in Scotland this summer

The Herald Scotland

17-06-2025

From a spirited celebration of the humble Oyster to a day of whisky sipping in a Highland city, find out more below.
Foodies Festival
August 1 to 3 at Inverleith Park, Edinburgh
August 8 to 10 at Rouken Glen Park, Glasgow
Taking place across both Edinburgh and Glasgow in August is the Foodies Festival, a family-friendly event that attracts some of the culinary world's biggest names every year.
Expect the likes of Gary Maclean, Dean Banks and The Hebridean Baker to roll up their sleeves for live cooking demos, while elsewhere, budding chefs can take part in kids' cookery lessons to hone their skills.
Each day of foodie fun will be rounded off by performances from artists like The Wanted 2.0, Symphonic Ibiza or Scouting for Girls.
Stranraer Oyster Festival
Stranraer harbourside
September 12 to 14
Just last week, it was announced that TV chefs Matt Tebbutt and Rosemary Shrager will join festival favourites Tony Singh and Julie Lin to headline this year's Stranraer Oyster Festival.
A lively celebration of Scotland's last wild, native oyster fishery, the event seeks to entertain and educate with a new Speaker's Corner launched for 2025.
The highly competitive Scottish Oyster Shucking Championships will also take place during the festival as challengers battle it out for their spot at the World Oyster Opening Championships in Ireland.
Edinburgh Folk and Food Festival
Assembly George Square Gardens, Edinburgh
July 18 to 27
There's change afoot this year for the Edinburgh Food Festival as the annual event rebrands with a new name and concept.
The newly expanded Folk & Food Festival in July will include a host of delicious food and drinks from local traders as well as a jam-packed programme of free and ticketed events and live folk music.
With performances from Duncan Chisholm, The Unthanks, The East Pointers, and more, the team promises it will be an "exciting new addition to the Edinburgh festival scene".
Look out for street food favourites like Moskito Bites, The Peruvian, Jarvis Pickle Pies, Ceylon Cartel and many more doing their thing over the week.
The Royal Highland Show
Ingliston, Edinburgh
June 19 to 22
Taking place this weekend is the Royal Highland Show, an annual event which showcases 'the best of food, farming and rural life' in Scotland.
The 'Scotland's Larder' hub is the place to be for foodies over the weekend, bringing together talented artisan producers from across the country in one room. Event organisers have also curated the Food for Thought Conference and Cookery Theatre, where chefs and producers will prepare dishes live on stage.
Stick about for the Royal Highland Hoolie if you fancy an evening of full of music from Scottish trad artists and Irish Country bands.
Scottish National Whisky Festival
Eden Court, Inverness
Saturday, July 5
A dream day out for any whisky enthusiast, this festival gives ticket holders the chance to sample hundreds of different drams from "old school gems to Islay powerhouses to lesser-known producers and bold new voices from across the whisky spectrum".
To find out more about what to expect, revisit our experience of the Glasgow edition of the festival here: Scottish National Whisky Festival embodies Glasgow spirit.
The Scottish Game Fair
Scone Palace
July 4 to 6
It's game on as this celebration of Scotland's 'rich countryside heritage' returns to the grounds of Scone Palace next month.
Acclaimed chefs Tom Kitchin and Tony Singh are set to headline the Highland Fire cage Kitchen, where they will cook up a storm over charcoal, while over in the Cookery Theatre, talented cooks will stage live demos showing crowds how to get the best out of game such as Scottish venison.
A stop by the food hall to stock up on local produce, including charcuterie and aged cheese, is a must.
Sausage and Cider Festival
Camperdown Park, Dundee
Saturday, August 16
This quirky one-day event offers Dundee festival goers the chance to choose from over 30 different ciders to accompany their freshly grilled sausages of choice.
Anyone feeling extra peckish can enter 'eating contests' to test the limits of their appetites throughout the afternoon, or simply peruse the onsite market for foodie goodies to take home.
There's also a huge range of tribute acts set to perform on the main stage, followed by headliners Scouting for Girls.
If you're based in Aberdeen, the festival will be visiting the city on Saturday, August 9, while Glasgow welcomes the event to Rouken Glen Park on Saturday, September 9.