Seasonal Scotland: Summer

As we head into the summer season with warmer temperatures and longer days, we are turning our focus to the seasonal delights found in Scotland.

Our incentive groups come from all over the world, and we love to be able to give them a truly Scottish experience, immersing them in our culture and sampling the local cuisines. It is also a priority of ours to source locally-grown produce to support our Scottish communities and reduce emissions cause by transportation of goods.

Visit Scotland have produced their ‘menu’ of seasonal summer produce that we can incorporate into your trips to leave guests with a lasting memory. Let’s break down each month:

June

The start of summer brings with it a rich variety of fruits and berries, while seafood, beef and lamb are also available in June. In Edinburgh, we have a few food festivals in June, such as the Neighbourgood Market in Inverleith Park, and the Great British Food Festival in Dalkeith.

June is berry season in Scotland, with gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries and tayberries (a hybrid of the blackberry and raspberry) all in abundance. Cherries, blackcurrants and redcurrants also come into season. Pick your own at fruit farms around Scotland such as Cragie Fruit Farm, just one hour from Edinburgh, from which you can create your own jams, desserts, or simply enjoy as a sweet snack.

This month is great for green vegetables such as broad beans, peas, runner beans and mangetout, as well as asparagus and healthy leaves such as kale and Swiss chard. These veg add a touch of colour to summer salads with fresh beetroot, carrots and summer squash, or we can spice up your menu with locally-grown chillis. Although chillis are grown all around Scotland, if you’re passing by make sure you pop to Langholm in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland’s Chilli Capital!

The Royal Highland Show takes place just outside Edinburgh each June. As well as a chance to learn about the country’s agriculture, the show’s popular food and drink hall is a great place to sample the best Scottish produce. Dig into a mouth-watering beef or venison burgers, sample some of our finest bacon and pork sausages or taste Scottish gin, cheese and chocolate. 

July

July offers a vibrant spectrum of tastes and colours, with succulent seafood, sweet berries and a wide range of fresh vegetables all on the table.

Foragers will start to come across wild mushrooms including ceps and chanterelles. Be careful when foraging for mushrooms as some can be poisonous. If you are interested in foraging, there are plenty of spots near Edinburgh for a wild foraging excursion.

You’ll also find a wide range of seafood on the menu this month, from clams and cockles to winkles and whiting. Lemon sole and plaice are excellent at this time of year, as are lobster and crab.

August

Into August, the first autumn apples start appearing and it is still a perfect time to go foraging.

Cloudberries is one for the adventurous foragers! They’re only available in a few mountainous areas, available from late August into September.

Scotch lamb is excellent in autumn, with the first cuts on sale in late August. Lamb chops and roasted summer squash make for a tasty dinner on a warm summer evening, while kebabs with mushrooms and tomatoes are great for barbecues. Either way, lamb makes an excellent addition to a dinner menu.

Additionally, grouse season begins in mid-August, so look out for fresh game towards the end of the month. This rich meat is delicious when roasted and perfectly paired with wild mushrooms, red cabbage, celeriac or kale, all available locally.

Scotland has no shortage of delicious, locally-sourced, seasonal produce that will elevate your dinner menu. And, it doesn’t end with summer. We have a year-round supply of fresh produce to add to your menu throughout the year. Look out for our Seasonal Scotland: Autumn feature coming soon.

Let’s chat about your next incentive trip to Scotland to sample our world-class seasonal produce.

Venue and Accommodation Finding

Our accommodation team is here to find your delegates and committees the best places to stay, at great prices and in perfect locations.

 Thanks to our strong partnerships with top global hotel chains, we’re able to get you the best rates and deals for your event. We offer a wide variety of lodging options to fit every budget. Delegates can book their accommodations easily during the registration process, or add them on later by reaching out to our dedicated team.

With sustainability an ever more essential part of the venue journey, we’re proud to be ECOsmart accredited.

This means we’re not afraid to ask the questions and ensure the venues we put forward not only meet your business objectives, but it also incorporates your sustainability initiatives.

Registration Management

Your delegates begin their journey with our customised online registration tool, which ensures a smooth and hassle-free experience from the start. We offer a blend of flexible online tools, secure payment options, 24/7 reporting, and mobile-friendly features to meet various needs.

However, our role extends far beyond handling registrations. Our dedicated Delegate Dynamics team is here to ensure everything runs seamlessly, providing a positive and lasting impression both before and during the conference.

We also focus on creating a personalised customer journey and leveraging the data we collect to tailor the conference to delegate demographics. This insight helps us fine-tune your marketing strategy and enhance engagement.

With K&N overseeing all registrations and payments, offering 24/7 access to a client dashboard, and providing onsite registration services with cutting-edge technology, we are committed to delivering an exceptional event experience for everyone involved.

Marketing and Communications

We’re dedicated to generating excitement for your conference and providing comprehensive support. Whether you need a standalone conference website, a unique conference brand and identity, or a creative in-house team to bring it all together, we’ve got you covered.

Our team can handle your social media campaigns with a personal touch, crafting a digital marketing strategy that aligns perfectly with your goals, or collaborate with your existing team to enhance your key messages.

We’ll work closely with you to create a campaign that authentically represents your association and effectively spreads your message.

Our goal is to keep your members and delegates engaged, build anticipation, and maintain momentum leading up to the conference. By doing so, we aim to drive registrations, attract sponsors, and boost exhibition participation, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable process throughout.

Programme Management

We recognise the critical role of the scientific programme, and our dedicated programme management team is committed to supporting authors, reviewers, and presenters throughout every stage.

Our advanced, customisable abstract management system streamlines the entire process, ensuring a smooth experience from submission through review to final selection.

We handle complex abstract management tasks with efficiency, making the process seamless for all involved. Our goal is to minimise the administrative burdens on the organising committees and enhance the overall experience so your programme can thrive.

Financial Management

We understand the financial concerns many associations have when it comes to holding an event or conference, and we aim to eliminate any risk through meticulous budget management. We consistently deliver within budget and often surpass our clients’ financial goals.

We prioritise transparency; if we forsee any potential issues, we will proactively address them, ensuring you have all the necessary information and understand impacts.

Your Account Director will manage the day-to-day budget operations working closely with our financial team, which will act as an extension to your own. This ensures that all accounts are reconciled, invoices processed and payments from delegates and sponsors received promptly.

Event Management

We’ve got dedicated teams that can handle conferences & events of any size, whether it’s something national or on the international stage. You’ll have your own Account Director as your main go-to person, making sure everything runs smoothly between your association and partners. Depending on your conference requirements, the project team will be developed around the scope of services ensuring that every aspect of your project is managed to the highest level.

Together, they’ll focus on making your event a success, helping build a lasting legacy for your association and driving its growth in the long run.

Destination Management Services

Specialists in spectacular experiences. Our exclusive contacts and partners across the UK & Scotland enable us to create some the best off-the-beaten-track itineraries, with memorable moments for guests to take home with them. 

Our team are heavily experienced with different nationalities and cultures, with our multi-lingual staff ready to assist you whatever the enquiry.

Our approach is always personal, detailed, customer and budget orientated with tailor-made programmes to provide you and your guests the perfect event experience.

Our products are constantly evolving with our constant research enabling us to develop the original and innovative ideas we pride ourselves on.

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