Popular fair reopens for first time since pandemic hit

Burntisland fair in Fife was cancelled last year as cases during the coronavirus pandemic soared.

7th Jul 2021

A popular fair in Fife has reopened for the first time since the pandemic.

Burntisland fair was cancelled last year as cases during the coronavirus pandemic soared.

However, locals are delighted that the six-week long attraction, which can trace its roots back to the 1500s, has returned to the town in time for the summer holidays.

Alex James Colquhoun from the Showmen’s Guild said a number of measures have been put in place to keep visitors and fairground workers safe.

“It’s as safe as we can possibly make it,” he said.

“We’ve put a lot of restrictions in place, the fair layout is different to give more space so that people can socially distance.

“We have zones, there are six zones within the fair that each have a capacity to make sure that people are split.

“There’s a public path up the middle so we have to keep that clear, so if the public want to walk their dogs or whatever, they can safely do that.”

Mr Colquhoun said the coronavirus pandemic has hit the fairground industry hard, but hopes things will improve as restrictions are due to ease later in the summer.

“We hope this is the beginning, there’s still a lot of fairs that have been cancelled, lots of events. The Highland games here have been cancelled but hopefully those things will start to come back in,” he said.

“We’re looking to this as a beginning, to start to get things going again.”