Let’s flock to the RHS: it’s a shear delight
The Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) has been championing Scottish farming and rural affairs since 1748, ensuring that the highest standards are maintained for the country’s agriculture, forestry and countryside sectors.
The charity has continued to shine a spotlight on the issues affecting the agriculture industry across Scotland, such as rising fuel costs, maintaining healthy soils, adoption of new technologies, and recruitment challenges. This work, in turn, supports the country’s wider economy.
The Royal Highland Show, sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland, has been celebrating all things rural for more than 200 years and is returning to Ingliston, Edinburgh, from Thursday, 22 to Sunday, 25 June.
The highlight of the Scottish agricultural calendar, the event will include more than 6,000 animals, 1,000 exhibitors, and some 900 competitions.
Organisers promise there will be something to entertain everyone across the four-day celebration.
The Forestry Arena will allow onlookers to admire the skills of record-breaking pole climbers, bike displays and axe throwing.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s Larder Live will see chefs, food writers and producers prepare dishes and answer questions in the Food For Thought Conference & Cookery Theatre, while the Highland bothy will feature freshly-baked cakes.
A popular highlight will be the Royal Highland Hoolie, presented by Farmer’s Bash, on the Friday and Saturday nights.
Traditional Scottish band Skipinnish will feature on the Friday, and the Saturday line-up includes Derek Ryan, Lisa McHugh and Skerryvore.
From Friday, Ingliston’s grandstand will start filling up in the afternoons ahead of the show’s Grand Parade, during which prize-winning cattle will make their way to the event’s main ring.
For those with children, the Royal Highland Show offers a fantastic family day out with under-15s admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
Youngsters can let off steam in the Kids Zone, where they can learn some circus skills and get their face painted. They can also learn the bee dance, make candles in the Honey Marquee, as well as enjoy interactive sessions at the RHET Discovery Centre.
Keen shoppers will be well catered for at the event, which will have a wide range of stalls selling clothing, gifts, homewares, jewellery, and pet accessories, along with much more.
To buy tickets, go online to royalhighlandshow.org
Shear entertainment
The Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing & Woolhandling Championships returns to the Royal Highland Show on the 22nd of this month, after an absence of two decades.
The event, held in the purpose-built MacRobert Theatre, will see more than 30 teams from around the globe compete throughout the duration of the four-day show to become the world’s best sheep shearer and wool handler.
Sponsors of the championships include shearing equipment manufacturer Lister, British Wool, Elanco, Taylors Crisps, and the MacRobert Trust. Team Scotland will be led by their manager, David Stewart, a self-employed sheep farmer and deerstalker based in Glenshee, Perthshire.
He will be joined in his efforts by Audrey Aitken, William Craig, Mark Armstrong, Rosie Keenan, Hamish Mitchell and Calum Shaw.
Mairi McAllan MSP, minister for environment and land reform, says: “The prestigious Golden Shears competition taking place in Edinburgh this year highlights the high international standing of Scotland’s agricultural industry. Our rural communities should be rightly proud of that reputation.”
Flock to the Show together at last
A herd of vibrantly-decorated sheep have been touring the country in celebration of the Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing & Woolhandling Championships returning to the Royal Highland Show this year.
Flock to the Show is a public art trail that has been travelling across Scotland since April and features 39 specially-designed sheep sculptures by artists from across the UK. Designed to engage visitors of all ages, the trail has been raising awareness of different causes related to farming, including regenerative agriculture, rural isolation, and climate change.
Following the tour, the flock will be at the Royal Highland Show – the only time the sheep sculptures will gather together in one location.
They will be auctioned at a gala dinner in September to raise funds to support the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland Bicentennial Fund, which supports projects dedicated to sustainability in the country’s rural sector.
Find your fleece
Meet the whole flock and access our VIP competition to win free parking, hospitality, and lots more by following this link following this link.