Promotion of Scotland’s farming, food and rural life to global audience at Royal Highland Showcase
30th May 2021
The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) is gearing up to host their livestreamed ‘behind closed doors’ event – the Royal Highland Showcase in Partnership with Royal Bank of Scotland.
Taking place over the week of 14th to 20th June, the Showcase, a first of its kind event in the UK, will see the best in livestock judging, equestrian, food & drink and rural skills streamed live and in high definition from the Ingliston showground in Edinburgh to a global audience online.
The Showcase was created following the cancellation of the Royal Highland Show earlier this year.
Thousands are expected to tune in online to watch farm animals, witness Scotland’s delicious larder and experience the country’s vibrant culture including music, traditional crafts and rural skills – all from the comfort of their home.
All online access will be free, and with four live streams providing nine hours of action on each of the seven days, the Showcase will give the audience an unprecedented view of the finest livestock in Scotland and also provide greater insight into the world of judging than has been possible before.
It will also have hours of on-demand content which can be accessed throughout show week.
RHASS chairman Bill Gray commented: “Our farmers never stopped through the pandemic, and neither will we. We know how much the Show means to our members, the wider agricultural community and the show-going public.
This innovative event will act as a bridge between the no-Show year of 2020 and the planned 180th Show in 2022, the bicentennial anniversary of our very first Show.”
The Showcase will include pre-recorded features on the Scottish Championships for Bread, Dairy & Handcrafts alongside Sheep Shearing, Forestry and Farriery skills, and a range of presentations and industry talks provided by our partner organisations.
Educational content from the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) will include engaging videos, suggested activities to do at home or the classroom, a teacher-focused webinar, and meeting their volunteers. Over 5,000 schoolchildren have already signed up to participate in the Showcase direct from their classrooms.
The announcement follows detailed planning in collaboration with the Scottish Government to develop an event that highlights the best of farming, food and rural life, both for a domestic audience and internationally, reinforcing Scotland’s reputation as the ‘perfect stage’ for major events.
Work will continue in the run-up to the event to ensure that strict Covid-19 protocols are in place for staff and participants making the event happen.
All content will be free to view and can be accessed via www.royalhighlandshow.org from Monday 14th June.
