Glenlair is better known for science than for summer festivals.
The estate near Castle Douglas is associated with James Clerk Maxwell, the Scottish physicist whose work helped explain electricity, magnetism and light. Maxwell moved to Glenlair soon after his birth in 1831 and lived there until his death in 1879.
That history gives the place a long reach. But Glenlair is not only a name from Scottish science. It is also a working rural place, and one part of it has been given a new use.
Glenlair Steading, whose stone walls date back to 1840, was restored in 2023 as the home of Demijohn, the liquid deli founded by Angus and Frances Ferguson in Edinburgh in 2004 and now based on their family farm in south west Scotland. This summer, the steading will become the setting for Glenlair Feastival, a small food, drink and music festival now in its third year. This year’s event has already broken its record for early ticket sales, with visitors expected from around the UK.
The festival began as a way to mark Demijohn’s 20th year in business. It proved popular, in a space that is naturally beautiful and acoustically strong, with room for a few hundred people. That small scale is part of its character.
Demijohn sells artisan liqueurs, spirits, oils and vinegars in refillable glass bottles, with a range of more than 70 products developed over more than two decades with small producers. Local ingredients are used where possible, including elderflower picked on Glenlair Farm.
The food offer is fabulously regional. This year’s line-up includes Ethical Dairy Cheese from Gatehouse of Fleet, Galloway Scottish Pasta from New Galloway, Blackthorn Salt from Ayrshire, Glen Urr Ice Cream from Haugh of Urr, Five Kingdoms Brewery from the Isle of Whithorn and Steilhead Cider from Moniaive. Chef Murray McDavid, formerly of Gather Restaurant and Swally n’ Scran, is bringing Bossman, his Middle Eastern street food venture, with handmade shawarma wraps, fresh salads and house-made sauces.
Taken together, it is a small map of the food economy around Dumfries and Galloway and the wider south west: dairy, pasta, salt, ice cream, brewing, cider, liqueurs and street food. A festival like this gives those businesses more than a stall. It gives them a room, an audience and a reason for people to travel.
The music has a similar function. Glenlair Feastival works with Up Yer Airts, part of Arts D&G, to support emerging young musicians and give them access to wider audiences. Musicians are chosen over many months, with guidance and support from the local charity.
Dumfries-born Ella Campbell is used as one example of what that stage can do. She first played Glenlair Feastival in 2025, aged 17, and now has a following of more than 23,000 fans. Returning performers this year include Palliro and The Aberlady Sessions, while new names include 8 Days from Peebles, singer-songwriter Rose Benson and the newly formed local band SÀL TONN.
SÀL TONN also gives the event one of its strongest local notes. Its lead singer, Liam Russell, is from Old Bridge of Urr, only a few miles from Glenlair Steading. He describes the band’s music as being “shaped by movement and place, stretches near the sea, time on the road, and the quiet that follows.”
Glenlair Feastival 2026 takes place on Saturday 15 August 2026. Doors open at 10am, with live music from noon. Overnight camping is available for up to two nights, starting at £10 for a pitch. Tickets start at £20 for adults, with concessions for children accompanied by an adult.
SOURCES:
The Maxwell at Glenlair Trust — Glenlair
https://www.glenlair.org.uk/
Demijohn — Glenlair Feastival 2026
https://www.demijohn.co.uk/products/glenlair-feastival-2026-sat-15-august
Demijohn — A Little Demijohn History
https://www.demijohn.co.uk/pages/a-little-history
Arts D&G — Up Yer Airts
https://artsdg.org.uk/whats-on/up-yer-airts/
Up Yer Airts
https://www.upyerairts.com/
