| Shows
The countdown is on for this
years Royal Highland Show
Preparations for the 178th Royal Highland Show, which will be held on 21-24
June 2018, are well underway, and promises to offer the best of Scotland’s
farming, food and rural life.
upported by The Royal Bank of
Scotland, partner since 1981,
and staged at the Royal
Highland Centre, in Edinburgh,
the four-day event is a once in a
year opportunity to really
experience rural life; with over 6,000 farm
animals and horses; rural crafts; a dedicated
forestry area, award winning farriers’ display, a
busy countryside arena with a wide variety of
exciting displays and any number of big
tractors – not forgetting the biggest food festival
in Scotland.
Entertainment plays a big part of the Show
with a huge variety of live music across two
stages and shopping in the 13th Avenue
Arcade includes fashion, artwork and even
furniture for home and garden.
Children aged 15 and under go free with an
accompanying adult, and the RHET discovery
centre is a must visit for curious youngsters
looking to discover about the countryside and
where their food comes from.
If you are interested in where your food
actually comes from, then Scotland’s Larder
Live is a must see part of the Show with the
award winning food and drink on display as
well as top chefs cooking delicious dishes.
With 94% of visitors questioned in 2017
commenting on the Show’s ‘great atmosphere’
it is an event with huge urban appeal with 88%
of non- farming visitors agreeing that there is so
much to see and do. Visitors are encouraged to
take advantage of the ‘Early Bird’ ticket
promotion to book early and save over 17% on
a family day out.*
“There is real customer loyalty to our Show,
says David Jackson, Show Manager, with
almost two thirds having attended the Show
five times or more, which I think is testament to
S
www.farmingmonthly.co.uk
just how exciting, different and authentic a day
at the Show is for everyone. However, what is
equally exciting is the number of people
attending for the first time illustrating how the
Show is attracting a new audience due to the
growing interest in farming, food and rural life.
“The Show continues to expand in size and
popularity. In 2017 we welcomed a record
breaking 190,000 visitors and generated £65m
for the Scottish economy. The Show is a truly
unique event offering a day packed full day of
entertainment and enjoyment for under £50 for
a family of four*.”
Finest Livestock
The Highland Show’s biggest attraction is,
without doubt, the exhibition of world class
livestock – with more than 6,000 of the finest
cattle, sheep, goats, horses and poultry,
heading for the Ingliston showground. With
generations of expert husbandry and months of
detailed preparation, the animals represent the
highest skills in stock management.
Discover farming in everyday life
The RHET (Royal Highland Education Trust)
Discovery Centre is a must-visit for families,
with over 30,000 young people welcomed last
year for FREE.
Traditional skills brought to life
With a focus on showcasing rural skills, the
Forge and the sheep shearing arena bring to
life the work undertaken in the countryside.
While the Forestry area and the hugely popular
pole climbing is back again for the 2018 show.
The Scottish Women’s Institute Handcrafts
Competition, staged in the Handcrafts Pavilion,
has some of the best examples of rural crafts
from across Scotland and attracts competition
entries for other parts of the world.
The largest display of food & drink
Scotland’s Larder Live, the country’s biggest
exhibition of food and drink, is a must visit
destination for visitors and offers everyone a
great opportunity to taste new and exciting
foods from Scotland – it also gives farmers and
producers a great opportunity to meet with
consumers for feedback and consumers the
chance to learn how food is produced and the
process involved. Meanwhile award-winning
cheese, bread and ice-cream is judged with the
winners announced at the Show.
Award-winning chefs
In the cookery theatre, Scotland’s chefs
demonstrate how incredible meals can be
created using quality ingredients from
Scotland.
Shopping for him, her, kids, home … and pets!
The wide range of shopping outlets brings
together an amazing range of retailers, from
fashion to home wear, jewellery to furniture, pet
accessories to arts and crafting, many of which
will see their biggest sales event of the year.
The best of food-to-go
Working alongside all our on-site caterers,
the Show has devised a strict Food Charter that
all food-to-go outlets must adhere to ensuring
top quality food, be it chips and a burger or
something a little more exotic. There is a wide
selection to choose from and the Food Charter
requires that only ingredients that have been
Image credit:
Tim Scrivener
locally produced, wherever
possible,
and
ethically sourced can be served at the Show.
This means that not only quality is high but also
Scottish farmers and growers are supported. To
ensure that highest quality is maintained all on-
site caterers are independently assessed every
year.
For further information please visit
www.royalhighlandshow.org,
@ScotlandRHShow and #RHS2018
May 2018 | Farming Monthly | 21