- By Steven McKenzie
- BBC Journalist for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland
Hundreds of golden retrievers and their owners have gathered at the ancestral home of the Highland breed.
The first golden retriever puppies were born at Guisachan House in Glen Affric 155 years ago.
They were bred by the aristocrat Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, who wanted a hunting dog suitable for the terrain of the Scottish Highlands.
Homeowners from the UK, mainland Europe, North America, Australia and Japan have gathered at the ruins of Guisachan House.
A series of events, including talks, workshops, demonstrations and an evening procession, took place this week at the site near Tomich, south of Inverness, and close to Cannich.
Thursday was expected to see one of the largest gatherings of this breed in the world in one place, with hundreds gathering under the ruined mansion.
A night procession to the ruins of Guisachan House took place on Tuesday.
Carol Henry, secretary of the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland, said the purpose of the gathering was to keep knowledge of the breed alive.
She said established breeders are keen to protect the qualities and temperament of the dogs.
But Ms Henry said this had been put at risk by irresponsible breeding during the Covid pandemic lockdowns.
She said: “We want to retain the trust, the bond, the camaraderie and the loyalty – everything the golden retriever was built on.”
Dogs from over 12 countries including Canada, USA, New Zealand, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Czech Republic, Italy, Croatia and Estonia are present in Guisachan.
On Tuesday a procession took place which started at 10pm and involved a one kilometer walk to the ruined house where the dogs and their owners were greeted by a piper.
The thunderstorms did not come as expected, but biting midges in the Highlands were plentiful.
The evening ended with a performance of the Proclaimers song I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) and other bagpipe tunes.
Over the years, the gatherings have taken place every five years and the dates have fallen on milestone anniversaries, including the 150th in 2018.
The first litter of Golden Retrievers was born in 1868 to a now extinct Tweed Water Spaniel and a Yellow Wavy Coated Retriever.
The puppies were named Primrose, Cowslip and Crocus. Some stories of the breed report that the litter numbered four cubs.
More than 40 years later, in 1913The Golden Retriever has been officially recognized as a breed by the Kennel Club, the UK’s largest organization specializing in the health, welfare and training of dogs.
Marjoribanks, a businessman and Liberal MP also known as Lord Tweedmouth, bred retrievers on his estate in Guisachan.
The house had fallen into disrepair in the 1960s.