National Funding Boost for Cream o’ the Croft and The Eliminator

Perthshire based Muckmedden Events are very pleased to announce a funding boost to their Cream o’ the Croft (Perthshire) and The Eliminator (Fife) Mountain Bike Festivals in 2018 following support from EventScotland’s National Programme Fund.  It is the first time that the two festivals have received funding from EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.

Being staged in June and August respectively, the festivals perfectly book end the summer and offer many family-friendly activities including mountain bike racing for all ages, live music, gourmet food and drink, and wild camping; with strong emphasis on having fun in Scotland’s great outdoors.  The funding will go towards both promoting the events UK wide and enhancing and building on the family focused festival activity programmes on and off the bike.

Delighted with the funding award, Aaron Gray, Events Director at Muckmedden Ltd, said: “We would like to sincerely thank EventScotland for their invaluable support with Cream o’ the Croft and The Eliminator. It’s a massive boost for us to have their backing, both in confidence and financially.

“Our festivals have grown in popularity with mountain bikers and their families since we held the first Eliminator at Parkhill Farm back in 2013.  With EventScotland’s support we are now in a position to promote both festivals throughout the UK.   The investment also gives us the freedom to significantly improve the quality of infrastructure and entertainment at both venues as we seek to attract not only mountain bikers, but also young families and music festival goers to Highland Perthshire and Fife from outside Scotland.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted to be supporting both Cream o’ the Croft and The Eliminator Mountain Bike Festival for the first time this year, through our National Events Programme. It is great to see in Scotland’s Year of Young People that both festivals include a wide range of activities catering to cycling fans of all ages and abilities. Scotland is the perfect stage for events, and Cream o’ the Croft and Eliminator will no doubt attract visitors from the local area as well as further afield to Perthshire and Fife respectively.”

Kicking-off Muckmedden’s 2018 festival season is family favourite Cream o’ the Croft, which returns to award-winning campsite and trail centre Comrie Croft, Perthshire, from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 June 2018.  The main event on the Saturday is COTC Enduro, which will utilise every inch of the trail centre to test the mettle of mountain bikers on a variety of timed stages, ranging from a super-tough black downhill, to an exciting dual slalom spectator friendly stage, in a bid to find - The Cream o’ the Croft 2018.  Mini Enduro and toddler bike races will take place on the easier trails giving younger riders an opportunity to demonstrate their skills. 

From Friday 31 August to Sunday 2 September 2018, the Muckmedden team head to the banks of the stunning River Tay for The Eliminator Mountain Bike Festival at Parkhill Farm in Newburgh, Fife, transforming an ordinary working farm into a festival venue that boasts ‘the most exciting and spectator mountain bike racing known to man or cow’.  With some thrilling and innovative races including a kid’s Mini Duathlon, Scotland’s only Cross-Country Eliminator; an off-road Duathlon called ‘The Muckathlon’ and the spectacular ‘Eliminator Head2Head Downhill Mountain Bike Race’, this is a fantastic event for spectators and racers of all skill levels alike.

Race entries and festival tickets are now on sale for both The Cream o’ the Croft and The Eliminator Mountain Bike Festivals.  For further information on all Muckmedden Events and to get on board go to www.muckmedden.co.uk/our-events

In addition to Muckmedden’s usual fun-packed bike racing and attractions, both Cream o’ the Croft and The Eliminator Festivals will be running a programme of exciting activities and initiatives aimed at engaging young people from local communities in Perthshire and Fife. This will include a Young Entrepreneurs Market, the Extreme Balance Bike ‘Build and Race’ Championships and a Young Musicians Stage, all in support of the Year of Young People 2018. This year, Scotland puts its young people in the spotlight, celebrating their talents, valuing their contributions and creating new opportunities for them to express themselves through sport, culture and other activities.

Aaron Gray continued: “We have some really innovative ideas which will help get young local musicians, artists and engineers involved at both festivals.  We’re just finalising the details as we speak and will be ready to reveal all before the end of March.  We’ll be giving local young people the opportunity to get involved in a variety of ways, from social media marketing, to manufacturing and selling, competing and performing.  Watch this space for more details!”