Chairman Bill thanks RHASS members

Commenting on the results, the chairman of RHASS, Bill Gray said, “There has been a gigantic effort by our membership, volunteer RHASS directors, staff and the wider agri community, which has ensured the society has so far weathered this challenging time not only intact, but emerging stronger for the future.”

He added, “We have retained our assets, invested in crucial IT upgrades which, coupled with changes to governance have allowed us to switch to online meetings, and in addition we have restructured the team to become a leaner organisation and secured new contracts during this time.”

Also looking forward, chief executive, Alan Laidlaw stated, “We cannot shy away from the fact that we are facing a very uncertain future with continued challenges posed by the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic.

“However, we will remain focused on the job in hand and we give our commitment to membership that, with their continued support, we will come out of this time a stronger, more resilient organisation able to support future generations of farmers and agri businesses.”

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) was founded in Edinburgh in 1784 as the Highland Society of Edinburgh.The Society was formed two years after the repeal of the Dress Act of 1746, at a time when there was renewed interest in Highland culture. It was formed largely in reaction to the subsistence crises of 1782/3 when many of the estates in the highlands and islands were not producing enough food to feed tenants.