As the Royal Highland Show celebrates its bicentenary, Scotland’s famous rural extravaganza celebrates looks forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to Ingliston over four days in June.
It's back with a bang. Scotland’s biggest outdoor event – first staged in 1822 the site that is now home to the Scottish Parliament – returns as a full show for the first time for three years – and what a treat awaits visitors who have missed their annual pilgrimage to this very special rural extravaganza.
The four-day event provides a unique opportunity for visitors to get up close to prize livestock, taste an amazing array of premium food and drink, and experience rural life at its most vibrant.
With a big wheel, newly-redesigned food and drink hall – Scotland’s Larder – a bustling Countryside Area, loads of activities for the kids, machinery exhibits, exciting displays of farriery and forestry, not forgetting shopping opportunities aplenty, there’s something for everyone.
From Valais Blacknose and Dutch Spotted sheep to cattle, goats, heavy horses, Shetland ponies and show jumping, this year’s Royal Highland Show is shaping up to be a cracker.
To celebrate the show’s 200th anniversary, a range of special commemorative rosettes, prize cards, sashes and medals will be awarded. including medals with gold finishing in a change from the usual bronze version awarded in other years.
Meanwhile, the impressive Fletcher McDiarmid Trophy, an incredibly ornate and historic award, will also return this year to be presented to the Overall Beef Champion.
A thrilling addition to the showground is a big wheel, offering visitors a bird’s eye view of all the action. Dubbed the “Ingliston Eye”, it will be located in the Lifestyle Village. Also coming to show this year is The Big Top, located outwith the main showground and well away from areas where livestock and horses are stabled, penned or stalled.
Of course, there will also be the usual entertainment offerings across the Royal Highland Show itself – expect everything from pipe bands and ceilidhs to choirs and pop music.
The Royal Highland Show will also take to the small screen to livestream this year’s 200th anniversary event across the globe.
In what has been described as a “game-changer” for the show, the organisers have secured £200,000 of funding from the Scottish Government to drive this groundbreaking initiative.
The free-to-view RHS TV will see a dynamic mix of live and pre-recorded content broadcast throughout the four days, featuring the perfect balance of livestock judging, equestrian classes, culture, interviews, food and drink and, of course, the grand parade.
In another move taking the show experience digital, this year will also see the launch of the Royal Highland Show app, which will enhance the experience for showgoers.
Showcasing Scotland’s amazing food and drink, the show’s food hall experience has been completely redesigned with Scotland’s Larder as it is known offering an unrivalled showcase for the very best produce from Scotland and around the UK.
With a focus, of course, on Scottish produce of course – over 75% of exhibitors in Scotland’s Larder are based in Scotland – there will be a focus on Nairn and Inverness in the Highlands.
This new area has been designed to enhance the food and drink experience at the show, easing congestion and providing more opportunities to stop and savour the flavours and tastes on offer – look out, too, for the Scottish Championships for dairy, bread and honey products in Champions’ Corner.
Another new feature for 2022 is the dedicated Kids Zone in the Countryside Area. This interactive is sure to delight kids and parents alike, and will feature activities such as a nature trail, featuring outdoor play equipment and John Deere mini tractors!
Children will be able to take part in activities and find out more about the history of the Royal Highland Show in a fun, interactive way.
This is in addition to the ever-popular Discovery Centre, run by the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and designed to help curious young minds learn more about the countryside and where their food comes from!
To help celebrate the 200th show this year, RHET is producing the ‘Great Big A-Z of Food and Farming’ story.
The RHET Discovery Centre will also host a grand finale for the charity’s ‘Year of Beef’ project, creating several interactive experiences for families and school pupils around beef farming.
RHASS Chairman Bill Gray commented: “To be able to celebrate the 200th anniversary of that first show is really special – not just for us as directors, staff and members of the society but also for the wider communities that have missed the opportunity to get out and about and meet one other.”
Supported by Royal Bank of Scotland, the Royal Highland Show will take place at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, from June 23-26 June.
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