Oysters At Inveraray

Although the press release invites punters to “swallow in the clear air of history off the hillsides before relaxing for lunch at the delectable Loch Fyne Oyster Bar,” Geoff Ellis from DF Concerts rejected the idea of the company’s new Connect Festival in Scotland being a posh affair.

He said “quality” would be a better word to describe it, although he admitted to timing site meetings to coincide with the oyster bar’s opening hours.

“We have the best scallops, oysters and salmon in Scotland on our doorstep, and I think it’s also the most beautiful festival site in the U.K.,” he said, describing the picturesque countryside stretching out around the Duke of Argyll’s ancestral home at Inveraray Castle.

The route to the 20,000-capacity site, which is in the castle grounds, passes along the west side of Loch Lomond and on to the breathtaking views at Rest And Be Thankful, a spot where English soldiers would do just that after avoiding being killed by bloodthirsty Jacobites.

Ellis said there’s a gap in the market for a 20,000-capacity event targeting an age group that will appreciate some festival comfort, and that he doesn’t picture the event growing beyond that.

Connectmusicfestival.com, which is (so far) no more than a single page where interested festivalgoers can register to get more information, collected nearly 2,000 names within days of the announcement of the September 1-2 event.

The camping area is near the shores of Loch Fyne, Scotland’s largest sea water loch, although DF is also setting up an extensive transport network linking all areas of Scotland by road, air and even sea.

– John Gammon