Highland Pride organisers and The Highland Council have announced that one of Scotland’s biggest LGBT+ Pride events will take place in Bught Park on Sunday 19 July 2020.

Formerly known as Proud Ness and recently renamed to reflect the hundreds of supporters who travelled from all over the North of Scotland to take part and show their support this year, the Highland Pride event will feature a march leaving from Inverness city centre followed by an afternoon of speeches, music and performances at Bught Park. The programme for Highland Pride will also include a number of additional events with the Inverness Shinty Sixes Tournament starting at 11:00; the Highland Pride Village opening at 12:00 and the Ruff Ness Dog Show starting at 14:00.

Highland Pride Events Manager and Highland LGBT Forum Committee Member Jessica Taylor said “We are absolutely delighted to have the support to host our summer Pride event during the Highland Games weekend in 2020. We had this amazing opportunity in 2019 resulting in the biggest parade and one of the largest Pride events in Scotland topping both Edinburgh and Glasgow numbers with over 10,000 people in attendance from all over the Highlands and Islands, Moray and further afield! Plans are already underway to deliver another successful day where everyone can get involved and help us celebrate and support our local LGBT+ community with our own unique blend of Highland pride.”

Inverness Events and Festivals Working Group Chair Councillor Graham Ross said “The Inverness Highland Games Weekend is one of the highlights of the summer here in Inverness and we are delighted to support the members of the Highland LGBT Forum, led by Highland Pride Events Manager Jessica Taylor, as they work with numerous community groups to stage an event we can all be proud of.”

Highland Pride will kick off 2020 with a new Winter Pride programme during the month of February to coincide with the LGBT History Month.

Whilst the Summer Pride date for next year is still firmly under wraps for now, Highland Pride are warming up winter with a month of LGBT+ talks, workshops, book readings, film screenings and more during February 2020 to coincide with LGBT History Month. Chair Jess Taylor invites people to get involved:

“We’re a small team, mainly based in Inverness-shire, so we need your help to extend events across the Highlands for Winter Pride which we’ll promote as part of the month-long programme. So, if you have an idea for an ABBA Night in Aviemore, a Coffee meet-up in Cromarty, a Film night in Fort William, a Poetry Night in Portree, a Talk in Tain, an Under 18’s night in Ullapool, or a Walk in Wick then we want to hear from you! Alternatively, if you already have plans at your local library, school or community centre for LGBT History Month, please also get in touch.”

If you would like to organise an event; have an idea for one; would like to offer your services, a free venue space or something else, please email us on: info@highlandpride.org

We’d like to announce that we will go forward as Highland Pride in recognition of the LGBT+ community across the Highlands.

In July this year, Proud Ness was one of the biggest pride events in Scotland, topping both Edinburgh and Glasgow numbers with over 10,000 people in attendance from all over the Highlands and Islands, Moray and further afield. Ambitious plans are now underway for Summer 2020. The Chair of Highland Pride, Jess Taylor, explains the name change:

“We want to ensure that the LGBT+ community and allies who travel from across the Highlands to attend our summer event in 2020 know that this is your event too – it is the ‘pride event for the Highlands’. People can also get involved by organising events in their local communities such as social meet ups, fundraisers, workshops, talks and satellite pride celebrations which we can help to promote under the Highland Pride umbrella in the lead-up and during pride. We hope this will stimulate further social and networking opportunities across the Highlands throughout the year.”