A Scottish castle bidding to save its native dog breed will be holding an event next Sunday.
Hundreds of people will be attending the Gordon Castle Highland Games to join in with a world record attempt for the largest gathering of Gordon Setters.
The special occasion has been created following a Kennel Club report showing a 60% decline in breed registrations, so now a campaign has been launched to save them.
The report, released in December 2018, showed that the popularity of Gordon Setters in Scotland has decreased significantly in the last six years.
Other popular Scottish breeds have also seen a decline in popularity with the Scottish Terrier down by 51% and Bearded Collie 48%.
In a bid to increase awareness of the dog breed, Gordon Castle owners and dog lovers Angus and Zara Gordon Lennox have invited Gordon Setters and their owners to join them on Sunday May 19 at 12pm as they attempt the largest gathering of the breed.
Following the reaction on social media, hundreds of dogs from across the UK are expected to arrive for the gathering with the event being a key feature at the traditional Gordon Castle Highland Games.
Angus Gordon Lennox, owner of Gordon Castle Estate, said: “The Gordon Setter breed was developed in the late 18th century by my ancestor, the 4th Duke of Gordon, on this estate.
“We hope that by arranging a gathering during our popular Highland Games day we can educate visitors about this fantastic breed and in turn, inspire them to consider owning one in the future. We must all work together to keep our native breeds thriving for centuries to come.”
The Gordon Castle Highland Games run from 10am until 5pm on Sunday May 19.
