This week Golden Retrievers from across the UK and beyond will be headed to Guisachan in the highlands of Scotland to celebrate the 155th Anniversary of the breed! In 1868, in his quest for the prefect gun dog and retriever for sportsmen, Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, later known as Lord Tweedmouth, bred a Yellow Wavy-coated Retriever with a Tweed Water Spaniel, a now extinct breed, at his estate called Guisachan in village of Tomich. Thus the first Golden Retriever puppies were born! Well sort of, from this litter three yellow pups went on to breed with Wavy and Flat-coated Retrievers, another Tweed Water Spaniel, and a Red Setter, to eventually become the Golden Retriever that we recognize today.

Lord Tweedmouth wanted an athletic and powerful dog, able to withstand the hunting conditions of land and water in the Scottish Highlands, that was also gentle and trainable.  Record books from the Guisachan estate document the development of this breed from 1865 until about 1890.  However, these early Goldens were not sold.  Instead they were only given as special gifts to friends and family.  Thus making them a well kept secret from dog enthusiasts of that period.

Originally known as the “Yellow Retriever,” it was Lord Harcourt, of England, who renamed the breed Golden Retrievers around 1906 when he first exhibited them at The Kennel Club of the United Kingdom.  The breed was officially recognized by The Kennel Club (UK) in 1911 as “Retriever – Yellow or Golden” and finally, “Retriever – Golden” in 1920.  During the 1920s and 1930s the breed continued to develop in Great Britain.  Eventually they crossed the pond, and received official recognition by the Canadian Kennel Club in 1927, and by the American Kennel Club in 1932.  During World War II, in order to preserve the bloodline, a number of Goldens were sent to North America to escape the devastations of war.  Following the war, dedicated breeders contributed not only to the resurgence of Golden Retrievers, but to their soaring popularity.

To celebrate this beloved breed and to raise awareness about the history of Golden Retrievers, the Friends of Guisachan was established in 2013.  They erected a life-size statue of a Golden along with a granite memorial to Lord and Lady Tweedmouth on the grounds of Guisachan.  The Golden Retriever Club of Scotland who maintains the memorials cordially invites all Golden Retrievers, their owners, and enthusiasts from around the world to attend the “Guisachan Gathering,” to celebrate the Golden Retriever’s 155th Anniversary!  The event takes place this week from July 10 to July 14, 2023, and includes lectures, a gala dinner, field demonstrations, games, and culminates in a championship show. Also there will be a group photo of all the Golden Retrievers in attendance in front of the ruins of the historic estate.

To learn more about the history of Golden Retrievers, the estate, as well as links to Golden Retriever clubs around the world, visit Friends of Guisachan.  To follow all the tail wagging updates from the 2023 Guisachan Gathering, visit the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland.

Thank you Lord Tweedmouth, and his dogs Nous (Yellow Wavy-coated Retriever) and Belle (Tweed Water Spaniel) and their puppies Cowslip, Primrose, Crocus, and Ada for starting the Golden Retriever family tree!