A record-breaking 40,000 visitors are expected to flock to Scone Palace this weekend for the 27th annual Scottish Game Fair.
Organisers have reported their best advance ticket sales for the event, which begins today.
Final preparations were being put in place last night, after months of planning. Leading chefs Tom Lewis, Gillian Reith and Christopher Trotter helped launch proceedings by casting off in the River Tay, dressed in full whites and waders.
Fair director David Noble said: “Everything is looking fantastic on-site and we can’t wait to welcome everyone when we open the gates.
“Advance ticket sales have sold incredibly well and based on current figures, we predict this to be a record-breaking year for us.”
Mr Noble said this year’s event boasts a “packed programme of competitions and demos” and even more trade stalls than ever before, as well as a cookery theatre show.
The fair which is organised by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has gone from strength to strength since its launch in the late 1980s. This year’s programme has a varied line-up aimed at country sports enthusiasts, farming fans and families of all ages.
Organisers have lined up a diverse range of main ring events including a mountain bike display team and a team of horn-blowing huntsmen from France.
Spectators will also be kept entertained throughout the weekend with displays of gun dogs, falcons, terriers, ducks and hill ponies, as well as pipe bands.
This year’s food hall which is sponsored by Ian Macleod Distillers will be making the most of Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink, with more than 50 producers offering visitors a taste of what the country has to offer, including tablet, salmon, lobsters and salads.
Visitors will also get the chance to try their hand at gnat shooting, which involves using a shotgun to shoot a radio-controlled drone out of the sky. All guns, ammunition and safety advice will provided by supervisors.
There will also be a range of angling competitions on the River Tay. Angling charity Get Hooked on Fishing, which encourages young people to get involved in angling, will also be offering sessions over the weekend.
A GWCT Scotland spokesperson said it is hoping to use the show to educate people about the country’s rich natural heritage.