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Press and Journal
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Press and Journal
Five-week countdown to Royal Highland Show
Excitement is building for the 2025 Royal Highland Show (RHS). Scotland's premier agricultural event is now just over five weeks away. And to highlight the drive to get show-goers to use public transport to get to and from the event, two lambs, a Highland coo and her calf, and a miniature Shetland Pony took a trip on an Edinburgh tram. RHS will take place at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, over four days next month. It starts on Thursday June 19, running through to the Sunday. The annual event is focused on agriculture. But there's always plenty of food, drink, trade and lifestyle stands, and great entertainment to keep 220,000-plus visitors busy. To mark the countdown to the show, lambs Hatton Morton and Hatton Maple, miniature Shetland pony Milday Ferregamo, and Highland coo and calf duo Siusan Ruadh 67th and Siusan 1st of Ar Leirsinn, hopped aboard a specially decorated tram. The animals were joined by two-year-old Arthur Tennant and his mum and dad, Carol and David Tennant. David, head of show for the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), said: 'As the UK's largest agricultural show and biggest fundraising event for RHASS, the week of the show sees the event site become the sixth-largest population centre in Scotland, bigger than Paisley and Dunfermline, with over 220,000 people expected to attend. 'With such big crowds anticipated, we would encourage visitors to utilise public transport as the quickest and easiest way to get to the event.' Tickets for the show are selling quickly, David said. He added: 'Our family activities will include lots of exciting additions, such as the Mini Rovers and Land Rover Experience in the Motor Zone, and the already popular BMX rider demonstrations and RHET Discovery Centre, which provides educational experiences for children to learn about everything from robotic milking to butter-making.' Education and learning about agriculture and rural life for families remain at the heart of the show, which children 15 and under can attend for free when accompanied by a paying adult. This year's event includes an extended family offer on the Sunday, June 22nd, with more details to be revealed over the coming weeks. David continued: 'Visitors can look forward to traditional livestock competitions and thrilling displays in the forestry arena which will include axe throwers, chainsaw carving, and pole climbers showcasing their impressive skills. The kids' zone will feature fun and interactive activities like live falconry, gundog displays, and hands-on crafts for younger visitors. The Royal Highland Hoolie returns this year with an exciting lineup of music. Edinburgh Trams head of service dlivery Sarah Singh said: 'While we won't be sending many trams out with a 'heilan coo' on board, the eye-catching wrap will certainly attract plenty of attention ''The Royal Highland Show is one of the highlights of our calendar – and we'll be busy during all four days to ensure customers can get to and from the event quickly and safely. 'As well as the extra trams running to the nearby Ingliston Park and Ride, additional staff will be on hand to direct visitors to the showground… and a free shuttle bus will also provide a link to the east gate. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit
Press and Journal
01-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Royal Highland Show society reports narrower losses
The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) has reported a halving of trading losses in 2024. Its latest annual report shows a deficit of about £1.8 million last year, compared with losses of £3.5m in 2023. Total income for the charity behind Scotland's largest agricultural event, the Royal Highland Show, topped £13.5m in the latest period, a 15% increase on the year before. Total expenditure during 2024 came in at nearly £15.4m. Meanwhile, governance changes to boost transparency, while also modernising and future-proofing the business were passed at an annual general meeting in Edinburgh. The changes needed 75% of members to vote in favour, but they got 99.55% backing. A new governance structure will take effect from July 16. It will feature a council of trustees and directors of both the Royal Highland Show and RHASS Highland Centre. The council of trustees will be responsible for the RHASS Group strategy, finances and property, while also guiding its charitable objectives. Up to 54 directors will remain focused on the development, delivery, budget and charitable impact of the Royal Highland Show, and they will be elected and appointed in the same way as now. RHASS said these governance changes were not only beneficial but essential for future-proofing of the group. It added: 'The move supports the five-year strategy which was presented during the RHASS member engagement tour earlier this year and at this year's AGM. 'The plan has been focused on securing future financial stability, economic sustainability and enhancing operational efficiency. 'The new structure will also provide support and challenge the new RHASS chief executive, Alex Paterson, starting on May 14. RHASS chairman James Logan said 2024 was a year of 'significant change and decisive action'. He added: 'To improve our financial footing and safeguard our society, we will continue to deliver on our charitable objectives for generations to come. 'Having our members strongly vote in favour of our proposed governance changes sits at the heart of our future strategy. It will help to reduce complexity and streamline our decision-making. 'Most importantly, this fresh approach will ensure we can best serve our members and remain committed to our mission of continuing to support and champion Scottish agriculture and rural communities.' The 2024 Royal Highland Show saw a record-breaking 220,000 attendees and generated £708,672 in sponsorship for RHASS. More than 100 events were held at the Royal Highland Centre in 2024, drawing over an additional 600,000 visitors to the venue. RHASS has ambitions to grow its commercial arm, Highland Centre Ltd, with a focus on hosting world-class events – including music festivals – and corporate exhibitors. Mr Logan continued: 'The Royal Highland Show continues to be our flagship fundraising platform and, therefore, remains central to our charitable delivery and financial model. 'We are continually looking to build on the success of each show by refining our programme of activity to support both educational impact and commercial return. 'This year, we're introducing an expanded family offer on the Sunday, and the Royal Highland Hoolie will once again help to broaden audience engagement and enhance income diversification. 'We are at a pivotal chapter of RHASS' wonderfully rich history and we're very much looking forward to continuing to drive forward the ambitions of our great sector, together with our members.' This year's Royal Highland Show takes place over the four days from June 19-22. RHASS announced last October that Alan Laidlaw had stepped down as chief executive after eight years. His successor, Mr Paterson, was the CEO of Historic Environment Scotland from 2016 to 2024.
Glasgow Times
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Strathclyde school pupils invited to design competition
The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) and the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) are inviting primary and secondary pupils across the Strathclyde region to participate in two nationwide competitions. The initiative aims to educate young minds about agriculture and farming, and to celebrate RHET's Year of Dairy. Read more: Hollywood professionals to lead action-packed workshop in Glasgow Primary school pupils are being challenged to design a unique rosette that "stands out from the crowd". The winning design will be produced by Hazelden Rosettes and presented to the Dairy Champion from each section of the dairy classes. The winner will have the opportunity to present their rosette to a winning dairy calf at the event on Sunday, June 22. The top 10 shortlisted designs will also be showcased throughout the four-day event. Meanwhile, secondary school pupils (S1-S4) are being invited to design their own milk bottle brand. The winning design will be printed on a one-litre glass bottle by Seaways Services (UK) Ltd, and displayed at the Scottish Dairy Championships during the 2025 Royal Highland Show. The top 10 shortlisted entries will also be showcased. The winning pupils will each gain free tickets to the show on Sunday, June 22 for their family and friends, as well as a commemorative keepsake of their own design. David Tennant, head of the Royal Highland Show, said: "Each year, we aim to place skills, knowledge, and innovation at the forefront of the Show in the hope that we can inspire and encourage our next generation to explore more around agriculture, farming and the rural community. "The Show offers so much for young people to discover, including interactive workshops and experiential opportunities at the RHET Discovery Centre, which is why we're proud to offer free tickets for children under the age of 15. "The competition offers a unique opportunity to be part of the Royal Highland Show's rich history and so we hope that many pupils across the country get on-board to be part of it. "We can't wait to see the creativity and imagination from talented students across Scotland.' Read more: Glasgow charity given year of free broadband Katrina Barclay, executive officer RHET, said: "Throughout this academic year, we have been working with schools to share the journey dairy makes from gate to glass through farm visits and classroom-based learning. "These design competitions are therefore a fantastic and fun way to continue pupils' learning experiences, while celebrating the much-loved, family event, the Royal Highland Show. The competitions are a fantastic opportunity to showcase artistic flair to ensure designs stand out from the crowd. "We can't wait to review and judge the entries that are sent in!' All designs must be submitted by Friday, May 16. Photos of the designs can be submitted via email to RHScompetitions@
