Perth’s blighted Highland Games must move to a new location to safeguard its future, Provost John Hulbert has warned.
The popular event was scheduled to take place at the South Inch last Sunday but was cancelled at the last minute following the wet weather. It is the fourth time the waterlogged park has been deemed unsuitable for the games since 2004, and Dr Hulbert is concerned pipe bands, Highland dancers and heavyweight athletes will simply stop making the trip.
Last year competitors travelled from as far afield as Canada and Australia to take part in the calendar event, which has been running since 1977.
As chieftain of the games, Dr Hulbert expressed his sadness at the most recent cancellation and said steps had to be taken “now” to prevent future disappointment. He is in discussions with the organisers about the possibility of moving the event permanently to the North Inch.
He told The Courier: “This is a very important event in Perth’s summer calendar, and brings many tourists and competitors to Perth from all over Scotland, the rest of the UK, and overseas.
“It is a great boost to the local economy at a time when some businesses are struggling. To lose it would just be unthinkable.”
He continued: “In the five years of my provostship the games have been cancelled twice, and moved at the last minute to Perth Racecourse at Scone once. It will be impossible to secure the long-term success of the games if this pattern continues.
“The racecourse, although better than nothing, didn’t work well with the format of the event and a number of major changes had to be made on the day as heavy equipment couldn’t go on the grass. It was a bit of a shambles.
“I believe that an alternative venue, which is less susceptible to flooding, but still accessible from Perth’s city centre needs to be found urgently.”‘Safer bet’After discussions with Andrew Rettie, secretary of Perth Highland Games, Dr Hulbert believes the North Inch would be equally as good a location and a “much safer bet”.
“The North Inch is the obvious candidate as the ground is much less prone to flooding, but I am aware that there are some challenges to be overcome if it is chosen,” he said. “There isn’t the same hard standing parking at the North Inch but if people know in advance they will be able to park elsewhere.
“Unlike Perth Show, which has many heavy trailers, the majority of people coming to the games will be coming by car. There are a large number of spaces at Kinnoull Street multi-storey and we could make it so that the South Inch car park was available. Band coaches could also use the South Inch site it isn’t a long walk, and we could maybe run shuttle buses.
“Cancelling it at the last minute causes chaos and is very expensive it just can’t happen again. Many competitors from overseas take part in a variety of events throughout Scotland during the month of August and we want to ensure Perth is always on their list.”
The Perth Highland Games committee took the decision to cancel this year’s show after rain fell continuously for more than 24 hours.
The organisers of Perth Show the previous week were praised for their efforts to keep the ground in good condition.
The two-day Aberfeldy Show and Games was also cancelled due to the raised water levels at Wade’s Park.