Hundreds of golden retrievers – and their owners – gather in the Scottish Highlands

The dogs roamed the grass in front of the ancient house (Picture: Sandra Mailer/Shutterstock)

Readers with a golden retriever, what are you up to this week?

If the answer is not attending one of the largest gatherings of golden retrievers in the world – held in the Scottish Highlands – then you may have disappointed your dog.

Hundreds of golden retrievers and their owners have gathered at the dog breed’s ancestral home.

Guisachan House was where the first golden retriever puppies were born 155 years ago.

Dogs dressed to the very special occasion(Picture: Sandra Mailer/Shutterstock)

Two Golden Retrievers gaze towards the ruins of Guisachan House(Picture: Sandra Mailer/Shutterstock)

Hundreds of golden retrievers, and their owners, met today (Picture: Sandra Mailer/Shutterstock)

They were bred by aristocrat Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, who wanted a gun dog suited to Scottish Highland terrain.

Owners from across the world including the UK, Europe, North America, Australia and Japan met at the ruins of Guisachan House in Glen Affric.

The event includes a night-time procession, which was held on Tuesday, as well as talks, a workshop and demonstrations.

The procession involved a mile-long walk to the ruined house where the dogs and their owners were greeted by a piper.

While the night was blighted by the notorious midges, it ended with a rendition of The Proclaimers’ song I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) and more bagpipe tunes.

This years marks the 155th Anniversary of the breed (Picture: Sandra Mailer/Shutterstock)

Some of the smaller attendees grew weary by the end of the day (Picture: Sandra Mailer/Shutterstock)

Rain didn’t dampen spirits as hundreds of dogs played in the grass(Picture: Sandra Mailer/Shutterstock)

Carol Henry, secretary of the Golden Retriever Club Scotland, said the whole point of the event is to keep knowledge of the dog breed alive.

She told the BBC: ‘We want to hold on to the confidence, the biddability, the companionship and loyalty – all the things the golden retriever was built on.’

She said breeders were now mindful about protecting the dog’s qualities after the Covid lockdowns encouraged irresponsible breeding.

The gatherings have taken place every five years in the past and usually fall on milestone anniversaries such as the 150th in 2018.

The first puppies born at Guisachan were called Primrose, Cowslip and Crocus.

They were born to a tweed water spaniel, a breed which is now extinct, and a yellow way-coated retriever.

It wasn’t until 1913 that the golden retriever was officially recognised as a dog breed by The Kennel Club.

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