As we reflect on the 2026 edition of the festival, we want to say a huge thanks to all those involved with putting on an amazing weekend in Stranraer.
As you will see from the very lengthy list below, there are so many people, businesses and community groups involved in pulling everything together. It's a fantastic testament of what can happen when a community comes together for a shared goal. A goal to celebrate our fantastic part of the world, to instill pride in our local people and to provide a platform for our great produce, people, knowledge and skillsets.
The long list below demonstrates that we have so many great, talented individuals and groups in our little corner of Scotland. It also shows that people further afield, from not only the rest of Scotland but now also globally, have come to believe in supporting Stranraer and Stranraer Oyster Festival.
The festival has grown to what it is today because of all of these wonderful people behind it. Old, familiar faces that return year on year and have taken pride and ownership of a little section of the festival. Their skills and dedication are what keeps making it better and better. Also all of the new faces that we see join year on year - volunteers that have just recently moved to the area and feel it's a great way to get involved with the local community, new sponsors who see benefits in taking part. These new ideas and smiling faces coming forward contribute hugely towards ensuring the festival remains fresh and exciting.
We sincerely apologise if there is someone we have missed from the list. Please understand it is not deliberate. Send us a message to ensure you are added.
Note there are some people that have graciously helped us in more than one area. We have not repeated their name if they have already been listed under another section.
We hope you will all join us in thanking every single person that contributed towards Stranraer Oyster Festival 2026:
Our Funders, Sponsors and In Kind Support
Lactalis UK and Ireland (Headline)
Dumfries and Galloway Council
South of Scotland Enterprise
The Scottish Government
Stranraer Skills Station
Loch Ryan Oyster Company
Galloway Distillery
Rock Island / Douglas Laing
The Holywood Trust
Seafood from Scotland
SP Energy Networks
AMEY
Stena Line UKIE
Sally Murray at Tesco Superstore (Charlotte St, Stranraer)
Lorna at Morrisons (London Road,, Stranraer)
Jewson (Stranraer) in particular Brian Mears
Howdens (Stranraer)
Solway Coast and Marine Project
Cate Consultancy
William Loch Stranraer
McKenzies Stranraer
Tigh Na Mara Hotel & Restaurant
Coffee bean at cafe Pizzeria
Bespoke Home Finance Ltd
South West Property Centre
Smith & Valentine
Galloway and Ayrshire Properties
Biocell Agri Ltd
Green Valley
Whitecairn Holiday Park
Auchtralure Eggs
Kitchen Coos & Ewes
H Thomson & Son Ltd
Arkhouse 3.0
Flowers by Lesley Strachan
Knockinaam Lodge Hotel for the brilliant auction prize
Albert White for his generosity in providing the majority of our auction prizes
Carpet Co
Michael at Soleburn Garden Centre
All traders and stall holders across the site
From our bustling market marquee, our outdoor traders to our food offerings in the Entertainment Marquee. Thank you all for providing your amazing produce over the weekend and keeping us all fed
And to all those that provided a raffle prize
People
Tristan Hugh-Jones
Ben Wallace and Family
Sam Heughan and Team
Robert Anderson and Kirsty Magee from Dumfries & Galloway Council for their relentless hard work to implement our recycling system
Allan Jenkins
Gail Pickett Harbour Master
Ilaria Petrucci
Christine Casey at Stranraer Millennium Centre
Hugh Aitken for van use
Marketing and Digital Media
Lorna Young at Indigo Words
Ian and Rachel Findlay of Findlay Design
Cat Thomson writes
wbssigns
J&B Print Ltd
Miss Anderson and Youth Media Team Students
Colin Hattersley Photography
Ross Fisher The Video Creator
Stranraer and Wigtownshire Free Press
Andrea at Dumfries & Galloway Life Mag
Helen Cross
Kitchen
Our line up of celebrity chefs and local chefs
Don Sloan of The Oxford Cultural Collective
Marie-Clare James
Ian McColm
The Cookery Theatre Co.
Penninghame Estate
Sally Hair, Toots & Co, Cedar Cottage Country Foods and Five Kingdoms Brewery for providing chef demo food and drink
Speaker’s Marquee
SCAMP
Galloway Fisheries/Rivers Trust
The Roslin Institute
Heriot-Watt University
Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere
Ironside Farrar Ltd
Lianne Brown & volunteers
Wild Science
Episcopal Church Stranraer, St. John the Evangelist
D&G Climate Hub
Elaine and Julia Barton of Stranraer and District Local History Trust
Dumfries and Galloway Libraries
Music and Entertainment
All of the fantastic bands/performers over the weekend
Euan and Ross Alexander for putting the music programme together
John Dinning at Sound Travels
Blackie
Kenzie Robinson
Stranraer Drumming Group
Andy Cummings
Our Shucking Championship Participants
Shucking Judges Pauline zu Ermgasen and Donald Sloan
Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival
Our Oyster Eating Competition Participants
Opening Ceremony
John and Jordan of the Vital Spark Oyster Boat
Stranraer Coastal Rowing Club
Portpatrick Coastal Rowing Club
Wigtown Bay Coastal Rowing Club
John Ross
Alec Ross
Our Piper John Harvey
Ocean Echoes Choir
The UK Firework Company
Volunteers
SDT Board Members
Our finance team
All of our 150+ volunteers - you are all shuckin’ awesome!!
Our brilliant Team Leaders
Our VIP hosts
Our Cheese and Wine Stall servers
Lorna Scott for management of our chef demos
The team that pulled our site together and took it down again - Paul Kyle, Iain McDowall, Michael Sherry, Andrew Giusti, John Hitchcock, Gary McCutcheon, Allan Jenkins Sr, Shelley Jenkins. Thank you for taking pride in our site
Mark Mulally
ON US South West Scotland
Allan Smith
Lyndsay Gibb and Robin Gibb
The guys at McKenzies
PSYV
Stranraer Community Crafters
Services
Green Field Marquees
Machars Marquees
Arkwright and Wills
ACR Cash Registers
Sizzle, Sheepy and all bar staff
Citizen Ticket
Pat and Barry Hamill for the bar
Dreams to Themes
Annie's Aiders
Security Team
WC In Fields
Craig, Simon and Brian at McClymont Electrical Services
Lotus Electrical Services
Roger Donnan
Wilson Electricals
S.A.K Security Services
Children’s Marquee
Our fantastic Youth Volunteers and the amazing Caroline Forster
Stranraer Water Sports Association
Jennifer and Emily at Creative Stranraer
Shaun Smith and team
Face Painters / Artists Danielle and Lauren
Diane and Katie from Stranraer Development Trust
Special mention to Festival Volunteer John Hitchcock who checked in everyday and helped in any way he could
Heather Gibb and Christina Johnston from Stranraer Development Trust
DJ Paul Challis
The Road Runner
Blue Bombshells
Envy Cheerleading
Gareth the Magician
Pop the Balloon Man
Tracy and the team at Owl Magic
Emily at Dumfries and Galloway Council for the ‘Coorie Intae Ceol’ sessions
Leigh Milne
Douglas and Tammy - Double Trouble Clowns
Think Circus
Natasha Siobhan
Ant Durkin at ssssilentdisco.co.uk
Daffy Dill - we missed you a lot this year Daffy, but we want to thank you for bringing your bubble magic over the years. Get better soon
And to every single visitor that came along, bought a ticket, supported local businesses. We hope you had a great weekend!
