From juicy strawberries to plump blueberries, Scotland has a long and rich history of producing some of the world’s most succulent soft fruit, with hundreds of farms up and down the country representing a growing and valuable part of our vibrant agricultural landscape.
To champion and strengthen Scotland’s £188 million berry sector, Scotland Food & Drink, supported by the Scottish Government, is launching a brand-new celebration of Scottish-grown berries, encouraging shoppers, chefs, retailers and more to learn about the innovative industry, and add more delicious local fruit to their plates.
Launched today, Friday, 20 June 2025, by Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, Jim Fairlie, at an exclusive event at The Royal Highland Show, the four-month Berries of Scotland campaign will spread awareness of the heritage and impact of Scotland’s berry sector, which comprises fruit farms of all shapes and sizes spread out from the Highlands all the way down the east coast.
As well as showcasing tasty recipes and fascinating insights into the life of Scottish growers, Berries of Scotland will also bring together a curated map to show berry lovers where they can ‘pick their own’ at local farms around the country.
According to the Scottish Government’s farm census, 1,000 hectares of farmland was dedicated to growing strawberries alone in 2024 – the equivalent of more than 1,200 football pitches – and Scotland has been the home of berry innovation for more than three quarters of a century, thanks to pioneering scientific developments at The James Hutton Institute.
Experts from The James Hutton Institute – who attended the Berries of Scotland launch alongside growers from Castleton Farm and Angus Growers – have been breeding and trialing soft fruit for almost 75 years, including raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, currants, gooseberries, tayberries, and honeyberries. Over the decades, Hutton has developed more than 40 soft fruit varieties, including berries that are resilient to climate change or require low input, reducing reliance on chemical pesticides which makes them more sustainable.
With the berry category now worth £197.8m in the Scottish retail market, growing both in value (+14.8%) and volume (+9.8%) in the last 52 weeks to May 2025 versus the previous year, now is the perfect time to celebrate the scientists, farmers and businesses who contribute to Scotland’s rich berry heritage.
Iain Baxter, Chief Executive at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “Scotland’s berries are some of the best available anywhere in the world and it’s right that we celebrate and champion both them and the people who grow them.
“The Berries of Scotland campaign is about reconnecting consumers with our berry growers and encouraging consumers and buyers to choose Scottish. Research from The Knowledge Bank, our insights team, found that 42% of Scots would like to be able to buy Scottish strawberries and other soft fruits more often, so the demand is there.
“It’s a tough environment for many of our Scottish farmers, including berry growers, and it’s right that we all work together with the berry sector, as consumers and across our partnership – to support local growers and celebrate Scotland’s world-class berries here at home but also in the UK market and key markets overseas.”
Jim Fairlie, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity attended the launch event at The Royal Highland Show, and said: “As someone who grew up in Perthshire I spent all my school summer holidays picking berries, it was something we did as a family and our wider community. There was definitely that thing about us townies getting out into the country and seeing the food that was grown on our doorsteps make its way into our local shops and our houses.
“That connection between town and country is brilliantly captured by the berry field stories right across Scotland. The launch of this berry campaign is about that heritage, the stories, those connections and a celebration of the history and science that has given Scotland its richly deserved reputation for the superb quality of our berries and the folk who grow and pick them.
“This celebration is about bringing all of that together so that we have pride in our world class soft fruit sector and demonstrate that by making sure Scottish berries are a staple in our everyday diet, which helps our local economies our natural environment and of course, our own health.
“In collaboration with the many growers, the Scottish Government will help make sure this message goes out far and wide. I want this celebration of Scottish berries launched today to be the beginning of even greater success for the sector and an annual festival we grow, we anticipate and we enjoy as a nation.”
