UPCOMING

2024 GOLD PANNING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Our gold panning championships will be taking place over the weekend of the 25th and 26th May, at the Lead Mining Museum, Wanlockhead, Scotland.

The Scottish Champs will be held on the Saturday and the British Champs on the Sunday.

The Museum will be open from 0900 on Saturday and Sunday, selling breakfast butties for those who would like one.

Registration for the events will be take place inside the coffee shop from 0915.  Payment for the heats will be cash only.

The heats we will be running this year are:- Open (Mixed Men & Women), Veterans, Tri-pan, 3 person Team, Challenge, Children’s, Juniors and beginners.

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, Bateau or Klondike Flat bottomed style pan (Traditional Round Pan).
• Time allowed will be the same as the open. 15 Minutes
• Gold the same as Open, 4-12 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.

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.

Frenk Hink from the Netherlands has put together and donated some gold panning related stamp prizes and on behalf of the BGA, I have thanked him very much for them.

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.  I have donated two prizes for this year, one is a 1 gram gold coin from the U.S. History of Gold collection (Sundays prize) and the other is a gold panning geocaching coin (Saturdays prize).

The museum has now imposed a £10 per night per vehicle or tent on the top car park, however, that fee is waived if you’re volunteering during the weekend at the champs. To that end, if you’re a paying member of the BGA and are staying up at the car park, then I will issue you with a pass to put in your vehicle, so the museum don’t come chasing you for the fee.

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 lets you have the opportunity to voice your thoughts, ideas and a chance to be updated from the committee.

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

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:- (Currently Cash only)

Open- £6 BGA Member & £8 Non BGA Member

Veterans- £6 BGA Member & £8 Non BGA Member

Tri-Pan- £6 BGA Member & £8 Non BGA Member

3 Person Team- £9 (£3 Each)

Juniors 9-16- £5

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

Beginners- £5

Children under 9- Free