National Museum of Rural Life hosts cow-themed MooFest weekend

Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and free with Museum admission, MooFest features an exciting programme of hands-on activities, demonstrations and fun in an event that aims to teach visitors of all ages about dairy cows and beef cattle and their importance in Scottish rural life both past and present. 

Visitors can try their hand at butter-churning and learn about cattle condition scoring, ricotta making, beef production and leather making from experts from Scotland’s Rural College, education charity SmartSTEMS, Quality Meat Scotland and Scottish Leather Group. There will also be a chance to learn about the Scottish SPCA’s rescue and prevention services.  

A team from First Milk’s Golden Hooves dairy brand will offer tasty samples of cheese made using regenerative agricultural methods that seek to protect the soil, lock in carbon and reverse biodiversity loss. Visitors will also be able to purchase some creamy treats from Lanarkshire producer, Thorntonhall Farmhouse Ice Cream. 

Younger families can discover fascinating facts about cows through songs and stories in a special Cows for Kids! Performance in the Museum theatre. They can take time out to read cow-themed storybooks and colour or decorate cow pictures in the event’s Coo-rie Corner and enjoy a ride-on Tractor course for little ones. 

Families can follow the Museum’s bilingual Gaelic-English adventure trail named after Lewis the attraction’s Highland Bull.  They can also visit the Museum’s working farm and see it’s Highland and Aberdeen Angus cattle and the Ayrshire dairy herd, which is milked at around 3.30pm each day. The farm is also home to sheep, pigs, hens and Clydesdale horses and features a Georgian farmhouse and gardens.  

MooFest visitors can also learn about Scotland’s rich rural heritage by exploring the fascinating objects showcased in the Museum’s modern galleries. 

Vicky McLean, General Manager, National Museum of Rural Life, said:

“MooFest is a unique event that combines cow-themed entertainment and family fun with the chance to learn about a range of cattle-related topics from butter-making to regenerative farming.  It’s also a great way to connect with Scotland’s agricultural roots and to see the animals at our working farm.  We’re extremely grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for helping us to host this exciting weekend.” 

MooFest at the National Museum of Rural Life takes place from 11am-4pm on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September. The event is free with Museum admission and the attraction’s Annual Pass. 

Tickets can be booked online at nms.ac.uk/rural-life 

The National Museum of Rural Life is open seven days a week from 10am until 5pm. 

Tickets can be booked online at nms.ac.uk/rural-life 

Annual Pass – pay once, visit all year 

Annual Pass prices 

Adult (16+) £10, Over 65’s £9, Concession* £8, Child (5-15) £7, (under 5’s free**)  

15% family discount when up to three Child (5-15) tickets alongside up to two Adult, Over 65 or Concession tickets (max 5 tickets total) purchased*** 

National Museums Scotland members free 

National Trust for Scotland members free 

Discounts available for groups of 10 or more. 

School visits free; some workshop charges apply. 

* Concessions: Student, Unemployed, Disabled, Young Scot. Valid ID required. 

**Additional charge for some events. 

***Cannot be used with member tickets or any other discount or offer.