Record crowds drawn to Ingliston offering

Atmosphere of positivity and vibrance prevails despite Brexit uncertainty

Scottish agriculture’s big annual bonanza drew to a close last night after pulling in a record crowd of 190,000 visitors during its four-day run at Ingliston.

Organisers of the Royal Highland Show believe they have found a winning combination which attracts fiercely competitive farmers, foodies, shoppers and urban dwellers who just want a convenient taste of rural life.

As the crowds poured homewards, show chairman Keith Brooke described the mood of the event as “upbeat and vibrant” despite the farming industry’s uncertainty over a future outwith Europe.

He said the show had attracted top farm machinery dealers and manufacturers at a time when they were pulling out of attending other agricultural events.

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society’s (RHASS) new chief executive, Alan Laidlaw, added that while pulling in record numbers was satisfying, it was important to keep the show “relevant” and he was pleased to see high profile visitors who included political heavyweights such as Environment Secretary Michael Gove, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s Rural Secretary Fergus Ewing and even Catalonia’s minister of agriculture.

However, he added it mattered just as much that there were 4,500 animals on the show field, with the highest entry of sheep for 10 years, and a recordbreaking 408 heavy horse entries.

The show also hosted the Aberdeen-Angus World Forum, which returned to the UK after 40 years.

“This year’s show has been a huge success which is in no small part due to the support we receive from volunteers, exhibitors and the public,” he added.

Mr Laidlaw said more than 7,000 schoolchildren visited the show on Thursday and Friday and “countless” others explored the Royal Highland Education Trust’s (RHET) discovery centre over the weekend.

He said the temporary members’ pavilion, which was constructed at a cost of £250,000 for the four days of the show, was reckoned to be a great success as member visitor numbers were higher and they stayed longer.

Show manager David Jackson congratulated the Aberdeenshire initiative that showcased food and tourism in the ‘Aberdeenshire village’, with more than 30 businesses offering a wide range of the region’s food and drink, as well as art and crafts.

The event is estimated to contribute around £50 million to the Scottish economy.

The food element, Scotland’s Larder Live, featured 120 food and drink exhibitors from across Scotland and the UK and staged the inaugural Scottish bread championships alongside the national cheese, butter and ice cream championships.

The show attendance figures were: Thursday 42,934 (42,495 last year), Friday 48,553 (48,941), Saturday 55,725 (54,617), and Sunday 42,788 (42,757).

Total 190,000 (188,810).