Leading salmon producer Bakkafrost Scotland is once again a proud sponsor of the Tarbert Seafood Festival, held in the village on the shores of Loch Fyne.
The loch is home to the company’s largest area of operations, employing 160 people across Argyll and Bute.
Each year, the festival attracts hundreds of visitors, bringing families, locals and tourists together along Tarbert’s waterfront.
The seafood festival sits at the heart of harbour village life, celebrating the fishing heritage, fresh local produce and Highland hospitality that define the community.
Food stalls will line the harbourside at Tarbert on Saturday, with cookery demonstrations from celebrated chefs, as well as a Ready, Steady, Cook challenge.
This year’s Seafood Queen, Ella MacNab, will sail across the harbour with her princesses, Rhayn Laing and Skye Brailsford, before being piped along the main street ahead of the crowning ceremony.
The royal party will then join the crew of Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Biter and the Loch Fyne Pipe Band to lead a parade of floats through the village, decorated in this year’s theme of celebrating the emergency services.
Visitors can take tours of HMS Biter, which is based at HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane and operates across UK waters carrying out maritime security and training, in the afternoon.
Stilt walkers and hula hoopers will be showing off their skills, and there will also be a Highland dancing demonstration and further music from the Loch Fyne Pipe Band.
There is plenty to entertain younger visitors, including a visit from Super Silly Scientists Scotland, who create interactive science experiments featuring explosions and slime.
Other children’s entertainment includes a juggling workshop, giant bubbles and the children’s disco on Saturday night, with a bouncy castle, Nerf guns, popcorn and candyfloss, followed by family-friendly entertainment with a licensed bar.
The following day, a host of bands will provide entertainment at Beer on the Pier, before the Seafood Queen and her princesses hand out awards at the prizegiving.
Margaret MacNeill, Tarbert Seafood Festival organising committee member, said:
"This is a major weekend for the Loch Fyne area, letting us celebrate the fantastic variety of seafood we have here.
“We’re really lucky in Tarbert because people come out regardless of the weather and everyone is looking forward to the festival this weekend.
“Bakkafrost’s sponsorship has been a godsend. It’s allowed us to do things we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise, including putting on the kids’ disco.”
Donnie Sinclair, Bakkafrost Scotland’s head of marine operations, said:
“Being born and raised in Tarbert, a small fishing village on Scotland’s west coast, has shaped my life.
“Living and working beside the sea isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life, and it’s the people who make it special.
“That’s why the Tarbert Seafood Festival means so much. It brings families, locals and visitors together to celebrate our seafood, our heritage and the community spirit that keeps places like Tarbert thriving.
“Bakkafrost Scotland is committed to creating shared value across the communities where we live and work.”
Locals and tourists are set to head to a two-day community festival celebrating the wealth of seafood from the waters of Scotland’s longest loch this weekend.
Images credit: Janet at Pure West Media