Highland event victim of weather

The 25th anniversary of a Derbyshire outdoor event has been cancelled after heavy rain made the ground unusable.

The Ashbourne Highland Gathering is billed as the largest festival of its kind outside Scotland.

An inspection of the town's recreation ground by Derbyshire Dales District Council found it was waterlogged and a poor forecast forced a cancellation.

Organisers said it was too early to estimate how much they would lose but promised the event would return.

Standing water

The gathering, which features hill races, tug of war, weightlifting and massed pipe bands, attracts crowds of up to 10,000.

In 2007 it went ahead despite bad weather and many visitors and performers struggled to cope with the conditions.

Organiser Bernie Brown said: "We have had a lot of rain here and with the lie of the land at the recreation ground a lot of water runs down here.

"There is standing water, there is more on the way and I would not want to get a vehicle across it."

He added: "We lost a lot of money in 2007 and we had to come back from the brink.

"But this year we are not sure where we are financially, but it does cost a lot to put the event on."