Golden Retrievers Gather in Scottish Highlands to Acknowledge Ancestral Roots
Rebecca West
Golden retrievers and Labs are two of the most popular dog breeds on the planet. The AKC describes the golden retriever as "an exuberant Scottish gun dog of great beauty" and goes on to say that "they are serious workers at hunting and field work, as guides for the blind, and in search-and-rescue, enjoy obedience and other competitive events, and have an endearing love of life when not at work."
All of these things are true, but their Scottish ancestry is what's interesting here. That's because the first iteration of golden retriever puppies were born at Guisachan House in Glen Affric, Scotland, 155 years ago this month. According to the BBC, they were bred by an aristocrat by the name of Sir Dudley Marjoribanks who wanted a gun dog suited to the rugged Highland terrain.
While they are still employed in the sport to some extent today, most of them are just family pets, anymore. Retriever owners think so highly of the breed that they make a pilgrimage to the ruins of the once-impressive estate to celebrate their love of the animals. Taking place every five years, owners from across the U.K., continental Europe, North America, Australia, and Japan have been meeting at the site of Guisachan House.
For the 2023 gathering — which is taking place this week — a series of events were scheduled with attendees in mind that include discussions, demonstrations, workshops, and an evening procession with the dogs. By some estimates, July 13 will see one of the largest gatherings of the breed in one place anywhere in the world ever, with hundreds meeting on the grounds of the dilapidated home regardless of the midges.
Carol Henry, secretary of the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland, voiced concerns about the bloodline and stated that the semi-annual meeting aimed to keep knowledge of the breed alive and well. She also noted that established breeders were mindful of protecting the dogs' qualities and temperament but that this had been put at risk or compromised by irresponsible breeding during the pandemic.
"We want to hold on to the confidence, the biddability, the companionship, and loyalty - all the things the golden retriever was built on," she explained.
This year, as many as 12 countries are being represented at Guisachan, with canines coming from as far away as Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, the Czech Republic, Italy, Croatia, and Estonia.
On Tuesday, a procession that involved a mile-long walk to the ruins was undertaken by the dogs and their owners where they were met by a bagpiper. The evening ended with a rendition of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" and more tunes.
The very first litter of golden retriever pups was born in 1868 to a liver-colored Tweed water spaniel named Belle and a yellow wavy-coated retriever called Nous. The puppies were given the names Primrose, Cowslip, and Crocus.
There would ultimately be further breeding efforts that would see other breeds introduced into the mix and eventually lead to a canine "purpose-built" for the Highlands, in Marjoribanks' estimation. The Tweed breed, as it happens, is now extinct. In 1913, the golden retriever was officially recognized as a breed by The Kennel Club, the U.K.'s version of the AKC.
