2026

Held at Scone Palace since 1989, the GWCT Scottish Game Fair has grown to become Scotland's largest celebration of the countryside, attracting thousands of visitors every summer.

This last weekend saw unprecedented wildfire occurrences across land uses, ecosystems and regions.  Until we have the data, we cannot be definitive, but it feels worse than 2022 and is being dubbed by experts, the 2026 firewave.

Following yet another devastating wildfire - this time at Sychnant Pass on Conwy Mountain with far reaching effects highlighted by the smoke seen across Anglesey - GWCT Cymru extends its deepest sympathy to the farmers anxious about the safety of their livestock and livelihoods, the communities affected and the firefighters working hard to bring them under control.

This summer the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) Scotland is inviting supporters and interested members of the public to join them for guided walks on two outstanding grey partridge recovery projects with a chance to spot this increasingly rare bird.

Once found in abundant flocks across Britain's farmland, grey partridges are now largely confined to areas where land managers actively create the conditions they need to thrive. Rebuilding populations requires a carefully balanced approach - providing suitable nesting cover, abundant insect-rich habitat for chicks and effective predator management. 

When people think of wildflower meadows, they often picture colourful displays of orchids, knapweeds and oxeye daisies buzzing with pollinators. What is less obvious is the careful management required to create and maintain these habitats, and the important role that farmers play in ensuring they continue to support wildlife alongside productive agriculture.

Join the GWCT at this year's Game Fair at Ragley Hall on 24-26 July.  

Thanks to the generosity of our guests and supporters, the Foraging Feast successfully raised over £10,000 for the GWCT, an incredible achievement that will have a fantastic impact.

For many GWCT supporters, the importance of pollinators hardly needs explaining. So rather than rehearse the usual messages about bees and butterflies, perhaps it is more useful to ask: where should we be focusing our efforts if we want the biggest return for wildlife?

The new Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Stephen Morgan, is to be welcomed into his important new role during one of the most consequential months in the department’s history – the rollout of what must, surely, be the final iteration of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) after a decade of arrested development and false starts under his six predecessors.