Scottish Beekeepers Association

ApiScotia Practical Beekeeping Weekend
2024-05-24 16:00 - 2024-05-26 17:00 UTC | Dumfries House, Near Cumnock, Ayrshire, KA18 2LN, United Kingdom
An enjoyable weekend of beekeeping for members who hold the Basic Beekeeping Certiﬁcate, who have been keeping bees for a few years, and who are ready and willing to support novice beekeepers to keep bees well.
With very limited places, tickets will be allocated on a ﬁrst come ﬁrst served basis. Tickets sales open at 9am on Monday 4th of March
NOTE: Only open to members of the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association
Programme
MEET
Friday 24th May

Join us at 4.00pm for a pre-dinner walk around the extensive Queen Elizabeth Walled Garden, where we’ll focus on planting for pollinators. Your expert guides will be Bron and David Wright, and Melissa Simpson, the Head Gardener.
Sat 25th May & Sun 26th May
LEARN
Our base for the weekend will be the new MacRobert Farming and Rural Skills Centre. Wearing our PPE, we‘ll split into groups and participate in six practical sessions each day, led by our excellent course tutors: Bron and David Wright, Graham Torrie, Margaret Murdin, Matthew Richardson, Stephen Sunderland and Yvonne Davidson.
Across the two days the practical sessions will cover Best Practice in:

Reading a Colony
Swarm Monitoring

Handling Strong Colonies
Double Brood

Nosema/Chalk Brood
Bailey Comb Exchange

Mentoring
Swarm Management/Nuc Making

Varroa
Disease Inspection

Beekeeper Safety
Demaree

SHARE
Relax and get to know others on the course over dinner in the Tamar Manoukian Residential Centre when we all get together.
With breakfast, lunch, and snacks with home baking, included for everyone each day, you won’t go hungry.
Bookings
OPTION 1: STAY FOR THE WEEKEND
Are you ready for an adventure with friends?
We’ve booked the on-site residential centre, aka The Bunkhouse, which comprises separate male and female dormitories with bunk beds for two to eight guests per room. With a variety of extra activities on offer this is going to be the fun place to be.
Course fees and accommodation on
Friday and Saturday nights £270
Make the most of your visit to this lovely estate by staying on site until Monday morning.
Add Sunday night dinner, bed and breakfast for £75.
If this is not for you, there’s alternative luxury accommodation at the Lodge in the grounds of Dumfries House which you can book privately via- https://dumfries-house.org.uk/
OPTION 2: TRAVEL IN EACH DAY
There are plenty of places to stay in the surrounding area with Cumnock a 5-minute drive away, Kilmarnock and the seaside town of Ayr both only 20-minutes’ drive.
The weekend course fee for non-residents is £170, and includes all training sessions, plus lunch and snacks on Saturday & Sunday.
NOTE: Junior members who hold the Basic Beekeeper Certiﬁcate are eligible too.
The course and accommodation fee for Juniors is £216 or £136 for non-residents.
Please note that Juniors must be accompanied by a paying adult at all times

Scottish Government Bee Health Day
2024-07-06 09:30 - 16:30 (Europe/London) | SRUC Aberdeen Campus, Ferguson Building, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB21 9YA, United Kingdom
THE BEE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP
(BHIP)
invite you to a
BEE HEALTH AWARENESS DAY
on Saturday 6th July 2024
from 9.30am – 4.30pm
at SRUC Aberdeen Campus, Ferguson Building, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB21 9YA
The day will consist of lectures and practical sessions covering: American Foulbrood (AFB), European Foulbrood (EFB) as well as other bee diseases, an update on Asian hornet and notifiable pests, apiary hygiene, a Bailey comb exchange, a shook swarm demonstration and Varroa.
The main aim of the day is to raise awareness amongst beekeepers about the importance of honey bee health and to demonstrate techniques and best practice.
The cost is £25 per attendee which includes refreshments, lunch and all course materials (Please notify us of any special dietary requirements).
Given limited spaces, we would ask if you have already attended a Bee Health Day, you allow someone else the opportunity.
Early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.
To book your place or for more information, please email Bees_Mailbox@gov.scot

Honey Workshop
2024-08-31 10:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Spey Bay Community Hall, Moray, Spey Bay, Moray, IV32 7PJ, United Kingdom
SBA HONEY WORKSHOP
Saturday 31st August
Its Production, Harvesting, Extraction & Filtering, Blending/Seeding and Preparation for Market
Join us in the North East for a one-day SBA Workshop to be held on Saturday 31st of August 2024 at Spey Bay Community Hall, Spey Bay, Moray, IV32 7PJ. The workshop will run from 10 am to 4 pm.
Delegates will get hands-on experience of extracting, filtering, and processing honey. The course will also include presentations on optimising colonies for production of honey, extraction methods, as well as advice on preparing honey for the market.
Cost
SBA Members: £50 Non-members: £60
The last date for applications is 24th of August 2024. Places are limited, so ensure you book early.
Application Form

November Webinar Honey Sensory Analysis
2024-11-13 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Online
Honey Sensory Analysis with Dr Gian-Luigi Marcazzan
We’re delighted to welcome our online guest, Dr Gian-Luigi Marcazzan at 7.30pm on Wednesday the 13th November. He shall take us on a sensory journey of honey and will be discussing ‘Honey Sensory Analysis and The Italian National Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey’.
If you would like to join us please book your free place by clicking on the link below
BOOK FREE PLACE
Gian Luigi Marcazzan is the president of the Italian National Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey and also a scientist at the Bee Research Group at CREA the Italian government’s agricultural laboratory, for more info please visit
https://www.crea.gov.it/en/web/agricoltura-e-ambiente/-/national-register-of-experts-in-the-sensory-analysis-of-honey

December Webinar Irish Beekeeping
2024-12-04 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Online
Irish Beekeeping & Bell Heather Honey with Paul Boyle
Paul Boyle is a well-known face to many Scottish Beekeepers, regularly attending the Royal Highland Show and our Annual Beekeeping Convention. Amongst his many roles, he is the Chairman of County Louth Beekeepers’ Association, a FIBKA (Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Associations) Director and Honey Judge, as well as an Apimondia, BBKA and SBA Honey Judge.
To book your free place please visit
BOOK FREE PLACE

January Webinar Propolis with James Fearnley
2025-01-15 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Ayrshire
JANUARY WEBINAR
Join us for an evening of Propolis with James Fearnley, the CEO of BeeVital and Nature’s Laboratory, www.beevitalpropolis.com
James made his first connection with honeybees and one of their most remarkable products – propolis in 1990 and has been actively involved with it ever since! He has written and published “Bee Propolis – Natural Healing from the Hive” and is also the founder of the International Propolis Research Group (IPRG) www.iprg.info An organisation dedicated to guiding research and collaboration into propolis, creating a database of research and organising international conferences on the subject of propolis.
We will also find out more about the Bee Arc Project, which grew out of James’s idea to build a research centre which could explore both the medicinal properties of bee products as well as more sustainable forms of beekeeping www.beearc.com

Local Association Award Nominations
2025-01-31 | Ayrshire
NOMINATE YOUR ASSOCIATION WINNERS
It’s that time of year when we ask affiliated local association secretaries to gather nominations for those members who go above and beyond for your association. Our ABA Award is given to beekeepers in recognition of the quality of their contribution within their local association, and for their active promotion of the art of beekeeping in the environment of that association. The recipient must have been an SBA member for at least 7 years (we can check this for you). For more details on all the SBA awards please click here.
If you have someone in mind, please send your award nominations to our Development Officer via email by the 31st of January.
development@scottishbeekeepers.org.uk

February Webinar Beebytes with Mark Barnett and Matthew Richardson
2025-02-06 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Ayrshire
FEBRUARY WEBINAR
Our first webinar in February is all about genetics. Beebytes is a social enterprise specialising in honey bee genetics and DNA analysis to characterise genetic admixture and identify the sources of forage visited by honey bees, bumblebees and solitary bees https://beebytes.org/
Founded by Expert Beekeeper and Honey Bee Research Scientist, Dr Mark Barnett (Roslin Institute), Population Geneticist and Bioinformatician Dr David Wragg (Roslin Institute) and Expert Beekeeper and Information Scientist Matthew Richardson (University of Edinburgh and SBA President), its mission is to help beekeepers and bee farmers select and breed their preferred type of honey bee in the UK.

February Webinar Transitioning to Varroa Resistant Colonies with Steve Riley
2025-02-19 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Ayrshire
FEBRUARY WEBINAR
Join us for an evening on varroa, when Steve Riley shall be taking us through the practical steps beekeepers can take to identify and select for easily observable varroa-resistant traits in their colonies.
Steve Riley is the current Education Ofﬁcer at Westerham Beekeepers, a club in the south-east of England. He is a member of the ‘Path to Varroa-resistance in the UK’ team that launched the education and science website www.varroaresistant.uk in April 2023. He presents “Identifying Varroa-resistance Traits” to beekeeping associations around the UK, including sessions and seminars at the BBKA Spring Convention and National Honey Show.

March Webinar The Jersey Asian Hornet Group with John De Carteret
2025-03-05 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Online
March Webinar
A subject on many beekeepers’ minds, what can we do about yellow-legged (Asian) hornets? Well, we’ve a very informative webinar on this very topic in March.
Join us online for an evening with John De Carteret when he’ll give us an introduction to the Jersey Asian Hornet Group, and we will discover more about the work they have done and are doing to combat this invasive pest in Jersey
https://www.jbka.org.je/asian-hornets

Microscopy Workshop March 2025
2025-03-08 - 2025-03-09 | Dick Vet School Roslin Centre, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh
There will be a Microscopy workshop held on the 8th and 9th March 2025 at the Dick Vet School Roslin Centre.
The workshop will be administered by Alan and Cynthia Riach. The cost for this 2-day workshop will be £95 and starter kits will be available for £80 (the kit contains approx. 30 items including instruments, chemicals, containers and slides to enable attendees to continue practicing post workshop). When applying, please state whether you wish to purchase the starter kit. The kits will be supplied at the workshop for those purchasing.
Applications must be received by the 9th of February 2024.
Apply and pay online
or complete the Exam Application Form and send it with the fee to the Education Officer.

NEW Young Beekeepers Award
2025-03-30 | Online
NEW YOUNG BEEKEEPERS’ AWARD
We’re buzzing with excitement to announce the launch of the Scottish Young Beekeepers’ Award! This brand-new award celebrates Scotland’s young beekeepers (under 18 years old) who are making a real difference in their local environment, supporting bees, and inspiring others. Whether they’ve helped grow a hive, educate their community, or shown outstanding dedication to beekeeping, we want to hear their story!
Do you know a young beekeeper who deserves recognition? Nominations are now open!
Download the award criteria and nomination guidance here.
The winner will have the honour of being recognised as one of Scotland’s most inspiring young beekeepers. The awards are normally presented at our Annual General Meetings, or in the award recipient’s local area.
Let’s celebrate the next generation of beekeepers! Spread the word and submit your nominations today! The closing date for nominations is Sunday 30th March 2025.

April Webinar An Introduction to Top Bar Beekeeping with Phil Chandler
2025-04-02 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Online
Ever wondered what it would be like to keep bees in a Top Bar hive, well now’s your chance to find out more.
Join us for our last Winter Webinar in this series on the 2nd of April.
Joining us will be Phil Chandler, aka the Barefoot Beekeeper www.biobees.com to discuss the fascinating subject of Top Bar beekeeping and his philosophy of keeping bees.

Royal Highland Show
2025-06-19 08:00 - 2025-06-22 17:00 (Europe/London) | Ingliston, Edinburgh, Royal Highland Show Ground, Edinbugh, EH28 8NB, United Kingdom
Honey Tent at the Royal Highland Show
Join us on the 19th to 22nd of June in the Honey Tent at this year’s Royal Highland Show.
Whether you’re a curious visitor or an experienced beekeeper, there’s something for everyone in this vibrant and educational space dedicated to the wonders of bees and beekeeping.
You can find out more about what happens in the Honey tent by clicking here
To find our more about the Royal Highland Show please visit
https://www.royalhighlandshow.org/
And we’re looking for volunteer stewards to help in the tent and engage with the many thousands of visitors who pop in each day. If you’ve got some knowledge and experience of honey bees and beekeeping, or have just started a beginner’s course then please do consider it.
To volunteer please complete our online registration form before the 18th MAY 2025, via the link below
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RHS25Volunteer
The Honey tent wouldn’t exist without all the wonderful competition entries, so if you’d like to have a go at entering one of the many competitions you can download the competition schedule via the link below, but hurry as entries close on the 19th MAY 2025.
https://www.royalhighlandshow.org/trade-competitions/competitions/other-comps/
We look forward to seeing you there!

Honey Workshop
2025-09-13 10:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Portmoak Hall, Main Street, Scotlandwell, Kinross-shire, KY13 9HY, United Kingdom
SBA PRACTICAL WORKSHOP
HONEY
– Its Production, Harvesting, Extraction & Filtering, Blending/Seeding and Preparation for Market
Join us for a one-day SBA Workshop to be held on Saturday 13th September 2025 at Portmoak Hall, Scotlandwell, KY13 9HY. The workshop will run from 10 am to 4 pm.
Delegates will get hands-on experience extracting, filtering, and processing honey. The course will also include presentations on optimising colonies for the production of honey, extraction methods, as well as advice on preparing honey for the market.
Cost
SBA Members: £50
Non-members: £60
To book your place please visit
https://buytickets.at/sba/1739150
The last date for applications is 6th September 2025. Places are limited, so ensure you book early.

Annual Convention
2025-10-10 19:00 - 2025-10-11 17:00 (Europe/London) | Loch Leven Community Campus, Muirs, Kinross, Perth and Kinross, KY13 8FQ, United Kingdom
SBA Annual Beekeeping Convention 2025
10th & 11th October 2025
📍Loch Leven Community Campus, Kinross, KY13 8FQ, Scotland
Join us for a fantastic weekend of practical workshops, guest lectures, and networking opportunities at the SBA Annual Beekeeping Convention 2025!
Theme: Quality Matters
Friday Night Practical Workshops – 10th October (from 7pm)
Start your weekend with two hands-on workshops:
✔️ Mead Making – Learn the art of crafting this traditional honey-based drink.
✔️ Preparing for a Honey Show – Expert tips to get your entries ready for competition.
Cost: Free for Saturday delegates | £5 for Friday-only attendees
Saturday 11th October – Guest Speakers & More!
✨ Keynote Speaker: Megan Denver (USA) giving talks on
‘Beekeeping for Rural Development: The Opportunities and Challenges in Africa’ and also ‘Practical Considerations of Genetics in Sustainable Beekeeping’
✨ Keynote Speaker: Prof Stephen Martin (Salford University) talking about
‘The Ongoing Arms Race between Honeybees and the Varroa mite’ and
‘Insect Cuckoos and the World of Chemical Recognition’
🛍 Trade Stalls – Explore the latest beekeeping equipment and products.
🎟 Raffle – Great prizes up for grabs!
🍽 Food Included – Enjoy a delicious lunch & breakfast rolls as part of your delegate package.
To view the programme please visit
Scottish-Beekeepers-Annual-Convention-Programme-2025-1

Scottish National Honey Show
This show is taking place alongside the convention – why not enter your honey, wax, baking, photos or mead and showcase your skills?
Why Attend?
✅ Gain insights from top beekeeping experts
✅ Network with fellow beekeepers from across Scotland
✅ Learn practical skills in our workshops
✅ Discover the latest beekeeping products
📅 Save the Date – 10th & 11th October 2025!
🎟 Early bird tickets £30 for adults until 31st of July then it’s £35. Juniors and students £15
To BOOK YOUR PLACE please visit
https://buytickets.at/sba/1634650

Scottish National Honey Show 2025
2025-10-11 08:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Loch Leven Community Campus, Muirs, Kinross, Perth and Kinross, KY13 8FQ, United Kingdom
Scottish National Honey Show 2025
Saturday, 11th October 2025
Loch Leven Community Campus, Kinross
Our annual honey show takes place this year at the same time as our annual convention in Kinross on the weekend of the 10th and 11th of October. With a variety of competition classes, there’s sure to be one to suit you! Entry is free, so why not have a go, and you could be adding ‘Award Winning’ to your promotions!
To download the full schedule and rules, please click below
https://scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SNHS-schedule-and-rules-2025.pdf
The Entry Form can be downloaded via the link below
https://scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SNHS-entry-form-2025.docx
Staging of Exhibits: From 1600 hours – 1900 hours on Friday, 10th October 2025 and between 8am – 9am on Saturday, 11th October 2025
Judging starts at 9.30am on Saturday, 11th October 2025
No entry fee but no prizes other than certificates for the following:-
First, Second, Third and, if appropriate, Very Highly Commended, Highly Commended and Commended.
There will also be certificates accompanying any trophies awarded.
Registration: Free entry by completing the entry form and returning it by email to enid.brown@scottishbeekeepers.org.uk before the closing date of Saturday, 4th October 2025
Entries will be accepted after 4th October and on the days of the conference, but there will be a £5 donation.

Module Examinations November 2025
2025-11-15 | Online or exam centres (TBC)
SBA Module Exams will be held on 15th November 2025
Please apply by 30th September
Modules 1 to 8 will be offered including the Plants and Pollinators (P&P) module 4.
Note: Module 8 can not be sat until all other modules (except P&P) have been completed.
Applicants must be SBA Members, but do not need to have obtained their Basic or Junior certificates.
The exams will be offered in Online and Written (exam centre) format. Online will require an open computer (work computers are often locked down). Exam centres will be set up in various geographic locations dependent on application numbers – you may have to travel.
The exam fee is £28. You can apply using the link below
Apply and pay online
or complete the Exam Application Form and send it with the fee to the Education Officer
Jackie Elliott (Jackie@scientificbeekeeping.co.uk ) will administer the Online exams.
Alan Riach will administer the Written exams.
When applying, please state whether you require Online or Written.
Please remember to check the syllabus for each module, which can be found in the Education pages of our website, along with some guidance on sitting the exams, link below
Education

November Webinar The Arctic Beekeeper with Einar Johansen
2025-11-20 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Online
Join us for the first online webinar of our winter series, when we are delighted to welcome Einar Johansen, the Arctic Beekeeper.
Einar is a sideline beekeeper based in Lofoten, Northern Norway, at 68° North. He manages 30 colonies in one of the world’s northernmost apiaries, where his bees must survive over seven months of winter confinement. The region is free of Varroa and other bee diseases. Aside from very limited queen imports for new genetics, he is self-sufficient. His Arctic beekeeping is shaped by extreme weather and long winters, requiring careful adaptation and timing to succeed in a very narrow biological window. His honey is primarily derived from willow, dandelion, white clover, lilac, fireweed, and heather.
Our webinars are free to SBA members and £2 for Non-Members.
To book your place, please click here

December Webinar Cocos Keeling Bee Project with Paula Carnell
2025-12-09 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Online
In the next webinar of our winter series, we’re delighted to welcome Paula Carnell and she will taking us on a journey to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean to tell us about her Bee Project there.
A medical herbalist and global consultant on beekeeping and the healing powers of honey, Paula is particularly interested in the connection between bees’ health and our own. To find out more about Paula, visit https://paulacarnell.com/
Our webinars are free to SBA members and £2 for Non-Members.
To book your place, please click here

January Webinar The European Hornet with Prof Steve Martin
2026-01-07 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Online
In January, we welcome Prof Stephen Martin, a familiar face to those who attended our convention. Prof Martin shall be discussing our native hornet, the European Hornet.
Stephen has studied social insects (bees, wasps, termites and ants) for most of his career. His areas of specialisation are the ‘hornet ecology’, ‘pest and diseases of honeybees’ and ‘chemical ecology of ants’. He holds a Chair in Social Entomology in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences at Salford University, Manchester. Prior to that, he spent 12 years working at Sheffield University, 7 years with the National Bee Unit and 7 years in Japan conducting research into hornets.
Our webinars are free to SBA members and £2 for Non-Members.
To book your place, please click here

February Webinar Bottom-Up Beekeeping with Ray Baxter
2026-02-11 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Online
In February with Ray Baxter, we explore how to use the debris from the hive floor as an indicator of colony activity and a way to interpret what’s happening inside and outside of the colony.
Ray’s passion for beekeeping started fifteen years ago when he was working as a biology teacher. His initial plan was to learn more about honey bees and share this experience with high school students in the biology classroom. This quickly developed from being an occasional lesson into an extracurricular bee club, to putting beekeeping on the school timetable as a Scottish National Progression Award (GCSE level) and supporting other schools with the development of their own beekeeping qualifications.
Our webinars are free to SBA members and £2 for Non-Members.
To book your place, please click here

Ulster Beekeepers Annual Conference
2026-02-13 08:00 - 2026-02-14 17:00 (Europe/London) | Greemount Campus, CAFRE Greenmount Campus, Antrim, BT41 4PS
ULSTER BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE
13th to 14th FEB 2026, GREENMOUNT CAMPUS, ANTRIM
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME, BEEKEEPING IN THE 21st CENTURY
TWO DAYS OF CUTTING-EDGE SCIENCE, PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING WORKSHOPS.
Workshops include:
Honey Extraction, Microscopy, Working with Wax, Skep Making, Encaustic Art, Mead Making and Simple Skincare Products from beeswax & honey
Speakers include:
Margarita M Lopez – Uribe Sao Carlos Universit,y Brazil
Prof. Alice Pinto – Polytechnic Inst. Braganca, Portugal
Peter Davies – National Bee Unit
Maggie Gill – PHIRA Science/DEFRA
Jack Silberrad – National Bee Unit
Rebecca Coleman – E H Thorne Ltd
Jonathan Getty – NIHBS
Dr Grace McCormack – University of Galway

Module Examinations March 2026
2026-03-21 | Online or exam centres (TBC)
SBA Module Exams will be held on 21st March 2026.
Please apply by 9th February 2026, apply by clicking here
Why not use the winter months to expand your honeybee and beekeeping knowledge and study for one of our module exams?
You can find out all about the different types of modules and topics to study by visiting the Education pages on our website, or click here
Modules 1 to 8 will be offered, but the Plants and Pollinators (P&P) will not be offered until November.
Note: Module 8 can not be sat until all other modules (except P&P) have been completed.
Applicants must be SBA Members, but do not need to have obtained their Basic or Junior certificates.
The exams will be offered in Online and Written (exam centre) format. Online will require an open computer (work computers are often locked down). Exam centres will be set up in various geographic locations dependent on application numbers – you may have to travel.
Jackie Elliott ( Jackie@scientificbeekeeping.co.uk ) will administer the Online exams.
Alan Riach will administer the Written exams.
When applying, please state whether you require Online or Written.
The exam fee is £42
APPLY AND PAY ONLINE
or complete the Exam Application Form and send it with the fee to the Education Officer.

Practical Exams
2026-04-13 | Across Scotland
PRACTICAL EXAMS
Every year we run a series of practical exams in the summer months, where you can demonstrate your practical beekeeping skills and knowledge, and receive the recognition you deserve for all that you know and do!
There are different levels of practical exams, so if you’ve been keeping bees for a few years why not consider sitting our Basic Beekeeping Certificate (or Junior Beekeeper if under 16). For the more experienced beekeepers, we have our Intermediate and Apiarian certificates.
Information about each of these exams can be found by clicking on them or by visiting the Education pages on this website, click here.
To register and pay to sit an exam, please use the link provided in this Event listing or visit https://form.jotform.com/250404948495364
The deadline for registering to sit any of these exams is the 13th of April.

ApiScotia 2026
2026-05-22 16:00 - 2026-05-24 18:00 (Europe/London) | Dumfries House, Near Cumnock, Ayrshire, KA18 2LN, United Kingdom
APISCOTIA 2026
This enjoyable weekend of beekeeping is for SBA members who hold the Basic Beekeeping Certiﬁcate, who have been keeping bees for a few years, and who are ready and willing to support novice beekeepers in their area to keep bees well. This is also an excellent weekend for those looking to work towards their Intermediate exam.
MEET, LEARN, SHARE
MEET
Join us at 4pm on Friday 22nd May for a tour of the Dumfries working farm. Followed at 5pm with a hands-on workshop, bring a sample of your bees for our workshop ‘Under the Microscope – Detecting Nosema’. This is free to attend and open to residential and non-residential participants, just remember to add it to your booking.
The Saturday and Sunday sees a full program of lectures, workshops and apiary practicals.
Make the most of your weekend by staying on site until Monday morning, when we have organised a guided tour of Dumfries House itself (only £17.50 and open to all delegates)
OR enrol in our Train the Trainers course, which is being held onsite on Monday with Margaret Murdin, NDB. This can be booked separately via the SBA Events page on the website, click here.
Sunday night accommodation in the bunkhouse is also available, again please add this to your booking.
LEARN
Our base for the weekend of the 22nd to 24th of May is the MacRobert Farming and Rural Skills Centre. We’ll split into groups and participate in several sessions each day, led by our excellent course tutors: Andy Watson, Graham Torrie, Ilona Shilliday, Malcolm Watson, Margaret Murdin NDB, Matthew Richardson, and Yvonne Davidson.
Across the 2 days the sessions will cover best practice in:
Resilient Beekeeping Queen Rearing
Grafting Techniques Breeding for Varroa Resistance
Local Bees & Drones Making a Cell Raising Colony
Engaging the Community Record Keeping
Introduction to Microscopy & Plant Anatomy
SHARE
Relax and get to know others on the course in the Tamar Manoukian Residential Centre when we all get together. With breakfast, lunch, and snacks included for everyone each day, you won’t go hungry.
OPTION 1: RESIDENTIAL, STAY ONSITE FOR THE WEEKEND
Are you ready for an adventure with friends? We’ve booked the on-site residential centre, aka The Bunkhouse, which comprises separate male and female dormitories with bunk beds for two to eight guests per room. With a variety of extra activities on offer this is the fun place to be.
Residential – Course fees, meals, accommodation on Friday & Saturday – £330
Make the most of your visit to this lovely estate by staying on site until Monday morning. Add Sunday night dinner, bed and breakfast for £120.
If bunk beds aren’t for you, there’s alternative accommodation in the surrounding areas and also camping and caravan sites. Just choose option 2, Non-Residential.
OPTION 2: NON-RESIDENTIAL, TRAVEL IN EACH DAY
There are plenty of places to stay in the surrounding area with Cumnock a 5min drive away, Kilmarnock and Ayr only 20min by car.
Non-Residential – Course fee incl. all training sessions, breakfast, lunch on Saturday & Sunday £230
Junior members who hold the Junior or Basic Beekeeper Certiﬁcates are eligible too. The course and accommodation fee for Juniors is £300 or £200 for non-residents. All Juniors must be accompanied by a paying adult.
BOOKINGS
Tickets are on sale now, please CLICK HERE to book your place. Spaces are limited!
You’ll need your SBA membership number and polo shirt size.

Train the Trainer Course
2026-05-25 | Dumfries House, Near Cumnock, Ayrshire, KA18 2LN, United Kingdom
SBA Train the Trainers Course
In order to enhance the quality of beekeeping courses and mentoring, tutors and mentors are now encouraged to attend the SBA’s Train the Trainer course.
A one-day Train the Trainer course will be held on Monday, 25th May 2026 at Dumfries House, Ayrshire, immediately after the ApiScotia practical beekeeping weekend at the same venue. So you can make a proper weekend of it!
We would encourage ApiScotia delegates and anyone looking to mentor beekeepers in their own associations to attend. To find out more about our ApiScotia weekend, please click here.
Margaret Murdin, NDB is the tutor for this Train the Trainer course.
The aims of this course are:

To help beekeeping tutors understand how adults learn
To help them deliver information more effectively
To enable them to pass on their beekeeping expertise to others so that their students become knowledgeable and competent beekeepers

The course fee is £75. Breakfast rolls and lunch will be provided.
If you are travelling from a distance, we have overnight accommodation available onsite at Dumfries House. We have booked the on-site residential centre, aka The Bunkhouse, which comprises separate male and female dormitories with bunk beds for two to eight guests per room.
For the Sunday night dinner, bed and breakfast, the cost is £120.
Course places are very limited so don’t delay book today!
BOOK YOUR PLACE
Participants who have attended a Train the Trainer course (or possess a professional teaching qualification) and have gained the Intermediate Module or Intermediate Practical certificates can apply for the SBA Beekeeping Trainer Certificate. Please contact the Education team for more information, education@scottishbeekeepers.org.uk

Microscopy Exam
2026-10-03 09:30 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | Strathbrock Community Centre, 189A Main Street, Broxburn, EH52 5LH, United Kingdom
SBA Microscopy Examination Module 9

This will be held in Strathbrock Community Centre, Broxburn EH52 5LH on Saturday 3rd October 2026
This examination lasts 3 hours and the candidate will need to provide suitable microscopes and equipment necessary to complete the examination. As of 2026, the Microscopy Certificate is required to enter the Scottish Apiarian Examination.
The candidate’s knowledge and skill will be put to the test through a series of practical tasks along with an oral examination.
Please study the Microscopy Syllabus (Issue April 2022) available on the SBA website at
SBA Services /Education /Microscopy https://scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/sba-services/education/
Applicants must be members of the SBA and have passed their Basic Beekeeping (BB) or Junior Beekeeper (JB) exam. It is also advisable that you should have attended an SBA 2-day microscopy workshop. Please can those who attended the Microscopy two-day Workshop in 2025 or earlier try for the exam. The exam fee is £75.
The exam will be administered by Dr Mark Barnett (Roslin Institute) mwbarnett@me.com
Please apply by 12th September 2026 either online
OR
By post, on an Exam Application form, link below to download the form
https://scottishbeekeepers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Exam_Application_Form_Word_doc_Aug20215.pdf
and enclosing a cheque for £75 made out to the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association and send this to Mark Barnett, 8 Greenknowe Farm Cottages, Gordon, TD3 6LA.
You’ll need your SBA membership number and your BB or JB certificate number.
Applicants will receive an email acknowledgement by the 19th of September, if you have not heard by this date please contact Mark to ensure you are registered for the exam.
