UPCOMING

2026 Gold Panning Championships

We’re excited to announce our new and exciting gold panning championships will be taking place over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th May, at the Lead Mining Museum, Wanlockhead, Scotland.

This year, we have streamlined the event format. The championships will now be one single competition held across two days, named as the British Gold Panning Championships. This means more head-to-head excitement, more suspense, and one ultimate showdown to crown our 2026 champions!

We’re also introducing brand-new competition categories, giving even more panners the chance to showcase their skills and compete for gold.

The new categories are: British Open (New format), British Proficient Men’s, British Proficient Women’s and Lucky Loser.

In terms of the lucky loser competition, everyone that gets knocked out of the British Open in the first round will go through to the lucky loser competition that will take place on the Sunday. This guarantees that everyone that enters the open category will pan at least twice. The rules will be identical to the British Open category. There will be a first, second and third for this category with the winner being crowned the best panner that got knocked out of the first round of the British Open or the luckiest loser!

The heats we will be running this year are: British Open (Anyone), British Proficient Men, British Proficient Women, British Veterans, British Tri-pan, British 3 person Team, Challenge, British Juniors, British beginners, Wanlockhead Children’s (Sat) & British Children’s (Sun).

The Museum will be open from 0900 for late registration on Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast butties will be available at the café too.

A new registration system is currently in design and we will release more information once it’s completed

The Wanlockhead Inn will kindly be putting on entertainment over the weekend, with a quiz on Friday evening, music on Saturday and on Sunday, providing us a buffet after the clean up, so please feel free to join everyone for a good get together after a hectic day of competition panning.

Frenk Hink from the Netherlands has kindly donated some prizes for the children category and which is greatly appreciated by us all here at the BGA.

A raffle will be held over the weekend, with various prices up for the taking. All prizes have been kindly donated by Individuals for the BGA and I would like to politely ask if anyone has any prizes they would like to donate for the raffle, then it will be greatly appreciated by all at the BGA.

There will be an AGM on the Saturday, straight after the competition has ended. This is held up in the community centre. This is open to all paid members of the association and gives you the opportunity to voice your thoughts, suggest ideas and to be updated by the committee.

New Panners are always welcome, so don’t worry if you have never tried Gold Panning or Competition Panning, as there will always be people there to help you out and show you the techniques. We now run a Beginners category, allowing anyone who has not tried competition Panning before, to take part against other beginners and not have the added pressure of being stood next to a Pro. (Normally beginners would just enter the Open Category)

The rules of the beginners are:

• Never to have competed in any Gold Panning competitions before.
• Must use a recognised gold pan I.e. Speed Pan, Bateau or Klondike Flat bottomed style pan (Traditional Round Pan).
• Time allowed is 10 Minutes
• Gold the same as Open, 5-12 pieces

If you don’t have the required pans, then don’t worry, as we can help you out and lend you one for your heat.

If you have been to the champs before, then you know you have the option of handing back your gold if you want to, after it’s been checked, in exchange for a raffle ticket. The prize this year is still to be decided.

VOLUNTEERS

The weekend will not be a success without the helping hands of others and if you can join us to help set up on the Friday 24th, then I can assure you that it will be greatly apricated.

On Saturday and Sunday, we will require assistance with Time keeping, adjudicating, bucket filling Etc.  We will announce what help is required and if we can all pull together like we have done in previous years, then competition will run smoothly and continue to be a success.

Any help is greatly appreciated, and I say thank you in advance.

This page is being updated, so please come back and keep checking.

We look forward to seeing you all at the weekend for an enjoyable competition in one of the most unique hobbies available.

Regards,

James Linnett

President BGA

PRICES: –

British Open- £13 BGA Member & £15 Non-BGA Member (Pan twice)

British Proficient Men- £8 BGA Member & £10 Non-BGA Member

British Proficient Women- £8 BGA Member & £10 Non-BGA Member

British Veterans- £8 BGA Member & £10 Non-BGA Member

British Tri-Pan- £8 BGA Member & £10 Non-BGA Member

British Beginners- £8 BGA Member & £10 Non-BGA Member

British 3 Person Team- £9 per team (£3 per person)

British Juniors- £5

Challenge- £7.50 (Cash prize for winner and runner up)

Wanlockhead Children’s (Sat)- Free

British Children’s (Sun)- Free

Membership cost: £12 individual & £15 Family. Valid for 1 year from time of purchase.