Members from Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers and adult volunteers from across East Lothian attended Girlguiding East Lothian’s first ever Festival in a Field event recently.

Looking for a fun, creative and cost-effective way to bring a jamboree-style experience to their local county, members of Girlguiding East Lothian’s guiding development committee developed Festival in a Field, just outside Haddington, made possible with the help of a local farmer who provided a space for them to use.

The event offered a multitude of activities and workshops for all ages, including segways, archery, pony rides, bungee trampolines, climbing walls, inflatables, facepainting and an assortment of crafts.

The event offered both day passes and camping options for Brownies and above, bringing back the first large-scale county camp event since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rainbow Rosalie, five, said: “I’ve [most] looked forward to the facepainting” and Brownie Lottie, nine, added: “My favourite bit has been the birds [of prey].”

Evening activities for campers included homemade pizzas with the help of a small fleet of friends and family and several Ooni pizza ovens, silent disco, campfire songs and a movie. There was delight to receive the donation of an Ooni pizza oven for the event from the company.

A spokesperson for Girlguiding East Lothian said: “This event was a great way to bring the Girlguiding East Lothian county community together for a unique experience that we hope to replicate again next year.

“Without volunteers, events like this would not be possible and the county encourages anyone who would like to volunteer with Girlguiding to get in touch via our website. There are roles to suit any time commitment or skillset and it’s fun too.”

For more information about joining Girlguiding Scotland, Scotland’s largest youth organisation dedicated completely to girls, visit girlguidingscotland.org.uk