Sam Heughan’s highly anticipated Spirit of Galloway event at this year’s Stranraer Oyster Festival has been cancelled after a change in the actor’s availability.
The actor and author, who is a proud champion of his home region of Galloway, was set to headline the flagship Sunday afternoon event, which was designed as a relaxed two-hour celebration of the area’s food, landscape and coastline.
Spirit of Galloway was due to feature conversations with Sam Heughan, signature cocktails and dishes created by celebrity chefs Rosemary Shrager and Julie Lin, inspired by the produce of Galloway.
Festival organisers announced the cancellation on social media, while also sharing Sam Heughan’s disappointment that he would no longer be able to attend this year’s event.
They wrote: “Spirit of Galloway Cancelled, Plus New Chef Events Announced We are very sorry to share that Spirit of Galloway with Sam Heughan scheduled for Sunday 13 September at Stranraer Oyster Festival has been cancelled due to a change in Sam’s availability.
“Sam has asked us to convey his disappointment that he won’t be at Stranraer Oyster Festival this year, but that he hopes to attend in the future.
“Ticket holders for Spirit of Galloway have been contacted directly by email via our ticketing platform, Citizen Ticket. Refunds will be automatic and are now being processed. Ticket holders don’t need to do anything, and should allow up to 10 days for refunds to be processed.”
Following the cancellation, the festival has introduced a new Sunday afternoon event. From 2:30pm to 4pm, A Taste of Galloway will bring chefs Rosemary Shrager and Julie Lin together to celebrate the very best of the region’s produce.
The schedule changes have also resulted in new events being added on Saturday 12 September.
Rosemary Shrager and Tom Singh will host an additional demonstration, replacing Celebrating the Oyster Festival: A Conversation on Regeneration, which will no longer take place. Tickets for the newly announced events are now available.
The Stranraer Oyster Festival 2026 will take place from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September, with tickets currently on sale.
Now in its 10th year, the festival celebrates the natural treasure found beneath the waters of Loch Ryan — an estimated 23 million native oysters that make it one of Europe’s most important oyster beds.
Native oysters were once widespread throughout Scotland and much of the UK, but overharvesting has pushed wild populations close to extinction. Today, almost all oysters sold in the UK come from farms, making wild native oysters a rare and distinctive part of the country’s natural heritage.
The Stranraer Oyster Festival gives visitors the opportunity to taste these unique oysters on the shores of the sea loch where they are carefully harvested.
Protected by Royal Charter since 1701, the oyster bed is managed sustainably, with 95 per cent of every catch carefully re-laid to help restore and grow the oyster population.
What began as a community dream has grown into one of Scotland’s most successful food festivals, generating more than £12 million in economic impact since 2017 and attracting visitors from across the UK and beyond to the scenic region of Galloway.
