Scotland's Big Summer Events

Scotland's 2026 August calendar is unlike anywhere else in the world. From the Highlands to the Central Belt, music festivals to motorsport, the country spends the month showing off everything it does best.  And Scone Palace International Horse Trials is proud to take its place in that lineup.

Glasgow Commonwealth Games

This year carries an extra headline. Glasgow returns as host of the Commonwealth Games from 23 July to 2 August, twelve years after the city last staged them. Around 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories will compete across ten sports and six integrated para-sports, all within an eight-mile footprint of the city centre making it a once-in-a-generation moment for Scottish sport.

Glasgow 2026 >

Belladrum

Further north, the Highlands host one of Scotland's best-loved annual music festivals. Belladrum Tartan Heart, held on the Belladrum Estate near Inverness, runs from 30 July to 1 August each year, drawing a family-friendly crowd for a weekend of live music, comedy and art in a Highland setting.

Belladrum >

The Edinburgh Festivals Trio

Edinburgh runs its own trio of festivals throughout the month. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest performing arts festival on the planet, takes over the city from 7–31 August. Alongside it, the Edinburgh International Festival brings opera, theatre, music and dance to some of the city's grandest venues, while the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo lights up the Castle Esplanade nightly with this year's theme, A Call to Gather.

Edinburgh Festivals >

The Cowal Highland Gathering

Over on the west coast, the final weekend of August belongs to Argyll. The Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon, running since 1894, is billed as the world's largest Highland games, bringing together elite pipers, dancers and heavy athletes from across the globe for a weekend of competition.

Cowal Gathering >

British Touring Car Championship

Fife, meanwhile, gets its share of the action on the track. Knockhill Racing Circuit hosts the Scottish round of the British Touring Car Championship every August, with 2026's event on 8–9 August bringing three-car races and a full support programme to Scotland's national motorsport centre.

Knockhill Racing >

Scone Palace International Horse Trials

Right at the tail end of summer, one of Scotland's only International Horse Trials closes out the month of August with four days of world-class equestrian sport, a bustling shopping village and three nights of evening entertainment.

Book tickets now >

Make your way to Scotland

Whether it's Highland games in Argyll, touring cars in Fife, festival season in Edinburgh, or a stadium of athletes in Glasgow, Scotland's August is one long celebration of sport and culture and Scone Palace is where it comes to a spectacular close.