Back Doune the Rabbit Hole 2026

I’d heard people talking about Back Doune the Rabbit Hole for years. Every time it came up, the conversation always seemed to end the same way.

“You need to go.”

This year, I finally did. With my camera packed, notebook in my bag and camping gear squeezed into every spare bit of space I could find, I made my way to Stirling to catch the 2pm HappyBus to Cardross Estate. For £17.50 return, it was an easy way to travel without worrying about parking or trying to bump a lift home. (The service runs as a same-day return, with one journey to the festival and one back to Stirling each day, so it’s worth planning ahead.) As the bus pulled away, everyday life slowly disappeared behind us. Around me were festivalgoers chatting excitedly, bags piled high with tents, sleeping bags and enough supplies to survive a weekend in the Scottish countryside.

Although I’d reviewed festivals before, this was my first visit to Back Doune the Rabbit Hole. I’d heard plenty about its reputation for creativity, community and family atmosphere, but now it was time to experience it for myself.

Before long the coach rolled through the gates of Cardross Estate. The first thing that struck me wasn’t the music. It was how relaxed everything felt. There was no panic or rush, just people arriving with smiles on their faces, volunteers welcoming everyone in and children already running around, excited for the weekend ahead.

My first stop was the accreditation tent to collect my press pass. While I was waiting, I got chatting to Kami. At the time, he was simply another person collecting accreditation. 

We spoke about the weekend ahead before making our way over to the general campsite, where we ended up pitching our tents close to one another, rather than the Crew Camp on offer. It felt like nothing more than a friendly conversation. Looking back, it would end up shaping the rest of my weekend.

With camp set up, it was finally time to explore.

One of the first things I noticed about BDTRH was its size. Not because it felt small, but because it felt comfortable. Nothing was too far away, meaning you could wander between stages, food stalls, workshops and family activities without feeling like you were constantly trekking across a huge site.

That slower pace changed everything.

Instead of rushing from one act to another, people stopped for conversations. They sat in the sunshine, explored areas they’d never planned to visit and took time to appreciate everything happening around them.

Families were everywhere. Children bounced between football sessions, crafts, face painting and games while parents relaxed nearby. Rather than feeling like the family entertainment had been tucked away in one corner, it felt like it was at the heart of the festival.

Accessibility had clearly been considered too, with accessible camping, dedicated parking and carer tickets helping make the weekend welcoming to as many people as possible.

As I wandered around the site, I came across the team from Mortlock Arts, who were putting the finishing touches to a striking metal fire sundial sculpture. Instead of simply walking past, I spent time chatting with the artist about the work and hearing the story behind it. It was one of those unexpected moments that you rarely find at bigger festivals. Eventually all that exploring started to make me hungry, and one recommendation kept coming up.

“Have you tried the jerk chicken?” It didn’t take much convincing.

Jammin Jerk Street Food quickly became one of my favourite food stops of the weekend. Their jerk chicken, served with fresh salad and grilled flatbread, was packed with flavour and exactly what I needed after wandering around the site all afternoon.

Then there was the weather.

If you read my Kelburn Garden Party review, you’ll probably remember the state of my trainers by the end of that weekend. They’d survived mud, puddles and just about every bit of Scottish weather imaginable.

So, naturally, I’d packed expecting the same. Waterproofs. Extra socks. A pair of trainers I was fully prepared to sacrifice all over again. 

Instead, Scotland had other ideas. For three days, the sun barely disappeared. Rather than looking for shelter from the rain, people were searching for shade beneath the tipis. Children ran around in T-shirts, people stretched out on the grass between sets and, for once, I found myself worrying more about sun cream than waterproofs.

After Kelburn, I genuinely never thought I’d write that sentence.

As Friday evening arrived, the festival began to shift gear. The crowds around the stages grew larger, conversations became background noise and music echoed across the estate. One of the artists I had the chance to see was CCTV.

Artist Spotlight — CCTV / The Schemehing Collective Takeover: Raj Mahal, Kami, Donald Jenkins, John Gee

Before arriving at Back Doune the Rabbit Hole, CCTV — or The Schemehing Collective — weren’t groups I’d really come across before.

That quickly changed.

Their performance was full of energy, confidence and personality, pulling people in from the opening moments. Whether you’d followed them for years or were discovering them for the first time, there was something incredibly engaging about watching Jam Harvie and Jay-Lee perform together.

As part of the wider Schemehing family, CCTV opened the Burrowlands Stage with the Schemehing Takeover, bringing together rappers from across Scotland — and even Newcastle — to showcase independent talent and collaboration.

Afterwards, I had the chance to chat with them, and it was obvious the personality shown on stage wasn’t an act. The conversation was relaxed, full of laughs, and felt more like talking to friends than carrying out an interview. It’s exactly the sort of discovery I hope to make at festivals.

The rest of Friday disappeared in a blur of music, conversations and exploring. Another performance that completely transformed the atmosphere came from Dutty Moonshine Big Band.

Artist Spotlight — Dutty Moonshine Big Band

If there was one set that turned the entire field into a dance floor, this was it. Blending drum and bass, swing, jazz and a full brass section, Dutty Moonshine Big Band delivered one of the most energetic performances of the weekend.

Everywhere I looked, people were dancing. Families, groups of friends and complete strangers all came together as the band’s infectious energy spread across the crowd. It was impossible not to get caught up in the atmosphere.

With a sound that effortlessly fuses vintage swing with modern bass music, their performance was one of the standout moments of Back Doune the Rabbit Hole and left the audience wanting more.

Artist Spotlight — Meryl Streek

Another striking performance of the weekend came from Meryl Streek.

Armed with little more than a microphone, backing tracks and an unmistakable presence, he commanded the stage from the moment he walked on. His spoken-word style, combined with raw energy and sharp social commentary, created a performance that demanded your attention.

There were no elaborate stage props or distractions. Just honest, uncompromising storytelling delivered with passion. Whether you agreed with every message or not, one thing was impossible to ignore: people were listening.

That’s the mark of a memorable performance. Sometimes the audience tells you everything you need to know, and this one said it all.

Saturday gave me more time to explore parts of the site I’d missed the day before. One thing I really appreciated was just how easy it was to discover something unexpected. Every path seemed to lead to another conversation, another performance or another hidden corner of the festival.

By Sunday, although people were beginning to look a little more tired, the atmosphere hadn’t disappeared. If anything, it felt even more relaxed. The final day ended with a packed Mad Hatter’s Tent as 2wice As Nice brought the weekend to a close.

Artist Spotlight — 2wice As Nice

With over thirty years behind the decks, The Bryce Brothers, better known as 2wice As Nice, have built a reputation across Ayrshire and Glasgow for uplifting dance music, with a vinyl-only night with Lange at Metro coming up in November. Blending funky house, classic dance and euphoric trance, they kept the Mad Hatter’s Tent bouncing right to the finish. When I asked how Back Doune compared to the many festivals they’d played over the years, their answer was immediate:

“It’s our favourite festival to date.”

After spending three days here, it wasn’t difficult to understand why.

Eventually, the tents came down. Cars and coaches slowly began leaving Cardross Estate. As I packed away my own tent, I thought back to that first conversation at the accreditation tent. At the time it felt insignificant. It turned out to be the beginning of my entire weekend. Without it, I might never have met so many people, discovered new artists or experienced a side of the festival that I’d otherwise have walked straight past.

The music was brilliant. The food was excellent. The weather was better than any of us expected. But when I think back on Back Doune the Rabbit Hole, those won’t be my first memories. I’ll remember the conversations. The smiles. The artists. The volunteers. The families making memories together.

Back Doune isn’t the biggest festival in Scotland. It doesn’t try to be. What it offers is something much harder to create. A genuine sense of community. I arrived with a camera, my tent, clothes and plenty of curiosity.

I left with hundreds of photographs, pages of stories and a much better understanding of why so many people had spent years telling me,

“You need to go.” They were right.

Because that’s the thing about rabbit holes...

You never quite know where they’ll lead you.