Dogs of the Arran Show 2025
The Arran Show is always a celebration of rural life, livestock, crafts, food, and the close-knit island community coming together. But for me, there’s one part of the day that’s impossible to resist photographing: the dogs.
This year’s show was no exception. Everywhere I turned, there were wagging tails, eager eyes, and a wonderful mix of breeds — from working collies keeping a watchful eye on their handlers, to pampered pooches happily lapping up the attention from passers-by.
Some dogs were clearly old hands at the show, relaxed and unbothered by the bustle. Others were younger, wide-eyed at the sights, sounds, and smells of the day. I caught moments of patience as dogs waited by their owners’ feet, bursts of energy as they strained at leads to greet friends, and that unmistakable look of canine joy when they spotted a treat or a familiar face.
There’s a certain magic in photographing dogs at events like this. You get the companionship between owner and pet, the personality shining through in their expressions, and sometimes, if you’re quick enough, the comedy of a perfectly timed shake or a sudden dash after something far more interesting than the camera.
The Arran Show may be about farming, island life, and tradition, but it’s also about community and for many of us, our dogs are right at the heart of that.
