An announcement booms across the PA system ‘Breaking News everybody, breaking news – the BTO stand has a Nut Hatch that they are about to ring’. The news prompts an instant stampede up the hill towards the relevant marquee where ridiculously large camera lenses are aimed at a bird that fits in the palm of your hand. One of the crowd points as he spots two birds zooming overhead and yells ‘Crossbills’ which prompts eyes and lenses upwards.
The first annual Scottish Birdfair was under way. The concept of a Birdfair is not new to Britain. They occur throughout the year – usually when the weather is less likely to be inclement – around the country. The largest occurs over three days in August at Rutland, roughly in the heart of England. Its humble beginning was established by two gents while having a pint at the local pub back in 1987. Now it has grown to attract approximately 20,000 birders and twitchers who attend talks by naturalists and experts, browse the 300 exhibit stands, share stories of the bird that got away… and observe birds of course. Aside from being a celebration of birding, its field guides, scopes and binoculars, a birdfair is also a celebration about the greater concept of conservation.
Scotland’s birdfair was a two-day event based at the majestic Hopetoun House gardens on the River Forth just west of Edinburgh. Given that it was the latter part of Spring the weather on the first day looked like it could do anything, which was an improvement on the drenching dark grey of the day before as I traveled up on the coach.
As an Australian I had almost overlooked the significance of the venue to my homeland. Located just outside Edinburgh on grounds that overlook the Firth of Forth river estuary, Hopetoun House is the ancestral residence of the Hope family whom also formed the lineage of the Earls of Hopetoun in the glory days of British nobility and aristocrats. It was the Seventh Earl of Hopetoun, John Adrian Louis Hope, who was a pivotal figure in Colonial Australia over the end of the 1800s and early 1900s. Between 1889 and 1895 the Earl of Hopetoun was appointed to the southern colonies to serve as Governor of Victoria. He returned to the United Kingdom in 1895, only to make the long trip back to Australia several years later. The Australian colonies had agreed to form a unified Commonwealth country. It was the Earl of Hopetoun who was given the task of forming the new country's government in the role of Governor General. The role of Governor General Australia is essentially the Queen's representative. Although largely a ceremonial role, it could probably be described as the most powerful position in the country. In 1975 the then Governor General, John Kerr, used the full extent of his constitutional powers and dismissed the Australian Prime Minister of the day, Gough Whitlam. But I'm digressing. Enough of Hopetoun House, it's inhabitants and Australian history for the moment...I'm here to talk birds.
The Saturday coincided with the Scottish Cup football final, which happened to be Edinburgh’s two clubs. Although not quite hitting the heady heights of the Glasgow 'Old Firm' derbies from their I had visions of a large meeting the prior day at the West Lothian police stations where they asked if any officers had any preference between working at the football or the birdfair.
The police and security in attendance maintained vigilant patrols of the venue. I hadn’t attended a birdfair before, so I was unaware what potential trouble could occur at these events. The worst disturbance I witnessed over the weekend was when an elderly woman jumped the queue at the coffee van. Brits take the act of queuing very seriously and anyone who attempts to ignore this social etiquette is quickly frowned upon. The lady then went on to voice her disappointment that the barista didn’t deal in tea.
Other than a celebration of birding, nature and conservation the birdfair also promoted Scotland and its regions, including its fascinating island groups. I’m yet to visit any of the islands, but they are areas of the world that I’m longing to explore. I enjoyed talking with young people from Shetland, getting a sample of how life is in the main town of Lerwick. I also spent great time talking with two young ladies who live on the Hebridean island of Islay. Although it only has a population of a little over 3,000, it’s famed for having some of Scotland’s – the world’s – finest whiskey distilleries. I listen with interest as I hear of life on Islay and other islands while I gratefully enjoy some varieties of Islay’s finest peat-infused whiskey.
Around 5PM the crowd really emptied out from the venue. This could have coincided with a real drop in the temperature with the wind sweeping up from the Forth River. Or it could have also coincided with the commencement of the live music entertainment.
I was walking through the surrounding woodland when I heard the guitars and vocals belting out covers of various rock classics. One of the music refugees, a white-haired woman in her 60s, fled into my direction and asked for directions to the coastal walk. She then offered that the music on offer wasn’t to her taste and she in fact thought they were going to be a jazz band. ‘But they did play a song by the Kinks, which was quite nice’ she conceded.
The second live muisic offering was from a young band playing traditional Scottish Caleigh folk music. By now the crowd had dissipated into a small contingent of exhibitors and organisers, the husband and wife who ran the bar and myself. I enjoyed their music while I chatted with an RSPB manager from Aberdeen. He was a man who was a proud Scot as evidenced by the heartfelt manner with which he stood to attention and sang a ballad while the last act, a lone piper played some stirring tunes for the 4 or 5 of us remaining.
As nice a setting as Hopetoun House is, it's not the most accessible location for those of us without our own transport. So I was dependent on the last of the provided shuttle buses scheduled for 9PM.
At approximately 9:45PM the bus arrived to take me, the sole passenger, back to the village of Linlithgow where I was staying. The driver had a dense Scottish accent. I estimate I comprehended about 36% of what he was telling me, but I smiled and nodded accordingly anyway. I did make out that the cause of his late arrival was getting caught in the traffic from the football final which was played in Glasgow to the west and I'm sure that it concluded in the afternoon.
As a visitor to the inaugural Scottish Birdfair I felt a duty to review it as it's one of a series of these events throughout the UK. I could only look back on my time between the areas of Linlithgow and South Queensferry as an overall experience. I was fortunate enough to visit an event that encapsulated a bit of everything I enjoy of Scotland and the UK: the people, the history,
the landscape, its avian fauna, the weather and the whisky.
the landscape, its avian fauna, the weather and the whisky.