Belladrum to return with new green initiatives

Before Covid, Belladrum had been held near Beauly every year since 2004. Chvrches played the festival in 2019

The organisers of the Highlands largest music festival have committed to making the event more environmentally friendly.

Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is due to take place near Beauly at the end of July after a break of two years due to the Covid pandemic.

First held in 2004, the event can draw crowds of up to 20,000 people.

The festival generates up to 100 tonnes of waste and in 2019 this rubbish included 90,000 plastic cups.

Organisers said this summer's festival would see increased recycling and visitors being encouraged to use reusable cups and to bring their own water bottles.

The festival can draw crowds of 20,000 people

Campers will be asked not to leave behind tents and other camping equipment. The charity Highland Refugees Support will have a station on the festival site where people can drop off items they do not take home.

So far 3,000 festival-goers have also signed up to Belladrum's clean fields agreement to leave the camp site as they found it by removing or recycling all materials.

Other initiatives include foldable cabins for backstage accommodation.

Belladrum said three trucks would be able to deliver and take away the cabins, compared with 15 lorry trips previously needed to transport the traditional fixed frame accommodation.