Sheep pens, Royal Highland Show - geograph

The Royal Highland Show is

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

's biggest annual

Agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which selective breeding, breed ...

. The show is organised by the

Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) was founded in Edinburgh in 1784 as the Highland Society of Edinburgh. The Society had its root in 1723 when the Society of Improvers of the Knowledge of Agriculture in Scotland was ...

. Held annually in June at the

Royal Highland Centre The Royal Highland Centre, originally the Royal Highland Showground, is an exhibition centre and showground located at Ingliston in the western outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, adjacent to Edinburgh Airport and the A8. History The Royal Highla ...

Ingliston Ingliston (; sco, Inglistoun) is an area in the west of Edinburgh, near Maybury, South Gyle and Newbridge, and is home to Edinburgh Airport and The Royal Highland Showground. History The name Ingliston either means the "settlement of the Ing ...

, the event attracts over 1,000 exhibitors, 4,500 head of livestock, and up to 190,000 visitors. It is the premier fixture in Scotland's farming calendar and generates over £200 million in business. Exhibitors compete for the prestige of winning not only a prize ticket, but also for prize money and trophies worth over £1 million.

History

The show first started in 1822, and was located at Edinburgh's

Canongate The Canongate is a street and associated district in central Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile while the district is the main eastern section of Edinburgh's Old Town. It began ...

on a site now occupied by the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...

. From this point until 1959 the show moved around the towns and cities of Scotland, in one of the RHASS's eight electoral areas - Perth, Stirling, Strathclyde, Aberdeen, Lothian, Borders, Dumfries & Galloway and Highland. In 1960 the Ingliston site became the permanent home of the show, opening on 21 June 1960. The move to a permanent location has helped the show develop beyond its original remit, to become a celebration of Scottish food, countryside and its farming. Originally the show operated Sunday to Wednesday, but this was later changed to Thursday to Sunday, over the second-last weekend in June, with Livestock competitions being held on the Thursday and Friday. During the 1948 show held at Inverness, the ''Royal'' title was bestowed on the event by King George VI. There was no show during 2001 because of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. In 2010 it reached the landmark anniversary of the 50th year of the show being held in Ingliston and also the 170th show to be staged. The 2010 event had almost 190,000 people attending, which makes it one of the most visited event in years. The 2014 drew in 8,000 more visitors compared to 2013 with a total of 178,659 people attending the event. In 2015, the show celebrated its 175th event, with its biggest number of visitors of 188,449 visitors were recorded - almost 10,000 higher than last year and 805 more than the previous record attendance at Ingliston in 2010. The show also had visits from

Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of ...

Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position. She has been a member of ...

and

Richard Lochhead Richard Neilson Lochhead (born 24 May 1969) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who is Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work and has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Moray since 2006. He was previou ...

Attractions

Livestock

A range of

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...

is exhibited including sheep, cattle, goats, horses, ponies, donkeys, and poultry, with a total of 6000 animals in attendance. One of the sights of the show is Heavy Horse Turnouts and for the first time ever, in 2006 Ingliston saw the attendance of all UK heavy horse breeds.

Clydesdales The Clydesdale is a Scottish breed of draught horse. It is named for its area of origin, the Clydesdale or valley of the River Clyde, much of which is within the county of Lanarkshire. The origins of the breed lie in the eighteenth century ...

Shires Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the begin ...

Percheron The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Huisne river valley in western France, part of the former Perche province from which the breed takes its name. Usually gray or black in color, Percherons are well muscled, and k ...

s and — first time visitors to Scotland — two teams of

Suffolk Punch The Suffolk Horse, also historically known as the Suffolk Punch or Suffolk Sorrel,Dohner, ''Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds'' pp. 349–352 is an English breed of draught horse. The first part of the nam ...

es travelling from Norfolk and Suffolk. The show's most prestigious livestock honour, the Queen's Cup, rotates between the champions of the various types of livestock — in 2006 it was awarded to the best animal in the 162 strong goat section. At the 2015 show there were: * 20 breeds of 1,000 beef and dairy cattle * 1,500 sheep * 2,000 horses * 100 goats * More than 500 birds

Exhibition and trade

The Royal Highland Show is a showcase for Rural and Agricultural products and produce. There are large exhibits of

agricultural machinery Agricultural machinery relates to the mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture. There are many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractors and the countless kinds of farm implements that the ...

and supplies, equine supplies and outdoor sporting goods. A wide variety of rural, agricultural and environmental associations set up stall to promote themselves. The Highland Showground's exhibition halls provide indoor spaces for a shopping arena and a food and drink arena. Both areas are dominated by Scottish producers, but there is a significant presence from other parts of the United Kingdom and form further afield; for instance European wine makers, German salami makers etc. The food and drink arena offers considerable opportunity for taste-testing and has a demonstration kitchen offering visitors suggestions on home to prepare and serve the products on offer. The shopping areas are extended into the main showground by market-style stalls. Other businesses, including banks, supermarkets and food producers have their own arenas to promote their commitment to farming, food production and agriculture.

Competition

Outside of the exhibition halls and livestock rings, there are a wide range of competitive and display events, including international

sheep shearing Sheep shearing is the process by which the woollen fleece of a sheep is cut off. The person who removes the sheep's wool is called a '' shearer''. Typically each adult sheep is shorn once each year (a sheep may be said to have been "shorn" or ...

show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrianism, equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, Show hunter, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including th ...

driving Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and bicycles. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to fol ...

tug-of-war Tug of war (also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war, rope pulling, or tugging war) is a sport that pits two teams against each other in a test of strength: teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal being to bring the rope a certa ...

, dog obedience trials,

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

falconry Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. Small animals are hunted; squirrels and rabbits often fall prey to these birds. Two traditional terms are used to describe a person ...

farrier A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjus ...

y and other rural pursuits.

Music

Different bands and musical groups play at two bandstands; bands have included the band of HM Royal Marines and many

pipe and drum A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland bagpipe, a ...

bands. Typically over 50 different bands and musical groups, including school and rock bands, play at the Show.

Visitors

Along with attracting up to 190,000 visitors annually, The Royal Highland Show has a history of attracting VIP visitors. Some more prominent names include: *

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

attended mulitiple times. The First time was in 1960 for the Official opening of the new Ingliston site, the second time was in 1984 for its 25th anniversary, again in 1992, with her final visit in 2009 *

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...

attended in 1954 and 1964. *

attended in 2008 and 2015. *

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, as well ...

attended in 2006 *

Mariann Fischer-Boel Mariann Fischer Boel (; born 15 April 1943, in Åsum) is a Danish politician, serving as European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development from 2004 to 2009. A member of the party Venstre, she had previously been minister of agric ...

, ex-European Agriculture Commissioner

Gallery

File:Terrier Racing,Royal Highland Show - geograph.org.uk - 1375409.jpg, Terrier racing,Royal Highland Show File:Macrobert Pavilion, Royal Highland Show - geograph.org.uk - 82799.jpg, Macrobert Pavilion, Royal Highland Show File:Lothian Buses for the Royal Highland Show, 20 June 2015.jpg, Lothian Buses for the Royal Highland Show, 20 June 2015 File:JumpingRHS2018.jpg, Jumping in the main ring at the Royal Highland Show 2018 over a jump in the shape of the

Forth Rail Bridge The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, west of central Edinburgh. Completed in 1890, it is considered a symbol of Scotland (having been voted Scotland's greatest man-made wonder in ...

. File:DunkeryWigeon2018.jpg, Exmoor stallion, Dunkery Wigeon in the Mountain and Moorland pony championship at the Royal Highland Show 2018, ridden by Hayley Reynolds

References

External links

Royal Highland Show
{{coord, 55, 56, 27.59, N, 3, 22, 26.44, W, display=title Agriculture in Scotland

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

Tourist attractions in Edinburgh 1822 establishments in Scotland Recurring events established in 1822