[doganjo]

I think it's great, a lot cleaner than some Marts I've been in.    But I wasn't at last year's festival so have nothing else to compare it with.  Hopefully I'll be fit enough to see it all next year!

[goosepimple]

Rosemary, HH, I think I meant like at Forfar (I wasn't there) but I understand what HH says.  Just thought it is good to have a 'central' arena for something to be highlighted - a bit like when you go to the Highland Show and they have a fishing highlight or a logging highlight - just a focus every half hour or so perhaps with microphones - it causes a bit of a buzz and noise about the place making it feel exciting.  Don't think I'm wording this very well, sorry    no offense meant, it was a good day out.  Think the kids would like to see a bit more 'action' though, oh I'm making it worse now 

[doganjo]

It was lucky the weather was lovely - saw kids playing outside and getting ice cream.   Mmmm fancy some now - off I toddle to the freezer yum

[Anke]

It was lucky the weather was lovely - saw kids playing outside and getting ice cream.   Mmmm fancy some now - off I toddle to the freezer yum

It wasn't at 6.30am when we got up frozen after the night in the van... despite extra blankets. Well it was not too cold inside the van, but getting up when it was still dark and quite misty... thankfully Beth had a kettle and some cups plus teabags organised, and at a mart there is always a socket somewhere... it really helped! (and I get more organised next year!)
 
Thanks Beth!

[Fleecewife]

I wish it had been rainy    as I didn't like missing such a lovely summers day 

[HappyHippy]

Rosemary, HH, I think I meant like at Forfar (I wasn't there) but I understand what HH says.  Just thought it is good to have a 'central' arena for something to be highlighted - a bit like when you go to the Highland Show and they have a fishing highlight or a logging highlight - just a focus every half hour or so perhaps with microphones - it causes a bit of a buzz and noise about the place making it feel exciting.  Don't think I'm wording this very well, sorry    no offense meant, it was a good day out.  Think the kids would like to see a bit more 'action' though, oh I'm making it worse now 

It's alright, I think I know what you mean  And no offence is taken 
Karen x

[Tiva Diva]

A great day for me and my Portlands! Lovely to see so many friends there. I'm sorry that I didn't have any pigs to show (though if I had I wouldn't have been able to help out as much, which I really enjoyed), hopefully i will next year.
I echo the comments about the food.
I was shattered on Saturday evening, so I can't imagine how exhausted Rosemary & Dan must have been. Well done, everyone 

[Simon O]

Thanks a lot Rosemary Dan Karen and all the other helpers, we enjoyed it and it was good that a lot of people came by our stall and the CSSA stall and were interested and chatted about small-holding. The only new TAS person I identified was Victorian farmer who I had a chat with about my sheep. No doubt I saw a lot of others incognito. I would like to give a special mention to the man from the market with the beard who was organising the sheep showing. He was excellent and helped me so much as a novice to showing. He must have been exhausted too at the end of the day! It is a problem being on a stall that you do not get to see all the other things properly and miss out on the talks etc.

[Rosemary]

I would like to give a special mention to the man from the market with the beard who was organising the sheep showing. He was excellent and helped me so much as a novice to showing. He must have been exhausted too at the end of the day!

Raymond Aitken - a hero, in my book.

And didn't YOU do well in the fruit and veg 

[Carse Goodlifers]

Can I say that the 2 of us and a friend travelled down to the show last week for the first time.
We missed last year at Forfar due to other things.

Very good indeed.
The talks/seminars/demonstrations were excellent especially:
-Small scale cattle keeping
-Making a profit from your smallholding
-Optimising grassland
-Stickmaking.

And its great to see pig classes in Scotland.  I think the RHS are missing a real trick there.
And hopefully there may be cattle classes in the future?

Many grumbles have already been raised food, internal signage etc.
On a personal note, I think that a slightly more central location might be better (Stirling or Forfar). 
Its a shame that Perth Mart closed as it would have been good.

What was the attendance like compared to last year?  I heard from a couple of folk that it was perhaps slightly quieter this year but I cant say as I wasn't at Forfar last year.

A huge congratulations to the organisers and those on the ground during the day - a job excellently done.

[southernskye]

Mrs Sskye and I travelled down, which took a while, but as we made a wee holiday of it (and had a super stay of 3 nights at The Lint Mill   - Thanks Colin and Deborah especially for the 2 x super-yummy evening meals!) visiting Melrose donkey Sactuary (Herself sponsors one and wanted to see him in the flesh), plus a short trip to New Lanark (UNESCO site) and a nice look around the area in general.
Show itself was good. The "sign issue" has been mentioned and also the point regarding the hot Food catering (real shame there was not some artisan hot food) and we were, initially, a little unsure where we could wander in the mart-area as, compared to portree, it's massive .
 
A Very Big Thank You to all those involved in the show and, especially, those organising. long may it continue and, hopefully, there is still some rotation of venues.
 
Rgds
Sskye