The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Crafty gifts to celebrate Show’ s special birthday
Alimited edition gin and a range of official Royal Highland Show merchandise have been designed exclusively to mark the show’s bicentenary.
The show has partnered with craft distillers Avva Scottish Gin to create a product which contains botanicals from the eight regions the show traditionally visited before it settled at its current Ingliston showground in 1960.
The recipe includes dandelion, mint, nettle, red clover and honey which are combined with traditional botanicals including juniper, citrus peels, angelica root and a few secret ingredients to create a classic Scottish gin.
The bottle artwork features archive paintings of historic Highland Show winners – a Leicester tup, painted by John Sheriff in 1844, plus a Clydesdale stallion from 1866 and a polled Angus from 1843, both painted by Gourley Steel.
All three artworks are displayed at Ingliston House, headquarters of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) which organises the show.
RHASS chairman, Bill Gray, said: “Avva Scottish Gin is a perfect example of a brand that is innovating and using their position in the Highlands and Islands to their advantage – their unique location allows them to create a delicious, high-quality craft spirit.
“The eight regional botanicals blend perfectly with one another and we hope Highland Show fans will join us in raising a glass to 200 years of this very special show.”
Jill Brown, distiller and director at Moray Distillery Ltd, added: “The Royal Highland Show is an event I’ve attended for around 20 years, initially to help show North Country Cheviot sheep and since 2016 with my company, which was an idea borne out of visits to the food hall at the show.”
Meanwhile, a textile print has been created for the show by Scottishborn designer, Karen Mabon.
The range includes cotton pyjamas and silk scarves and will be available to buy at the showground during the show at the official Royal Highland Show shop, situated underneath the sponsors’ lounge opposite the main ring.
The show’s marketing manager Amy Briggs said: “These are truly beautiful designs that will be fun mementos for Royal Highland Show and animal lovers alike.
“The designs bring together everything we love about the show including farmyard animals, winners’ rosettes and of course tractors!”
In addition to the pyjamas and scarves, the Royal Highland Show has curated a range of other items for sale to commemorate the bicentenary year.
These include T-shirts and hoodies created in partnership with Hoggs of Fife as well as historical show posters.
The range of garments and the gin can be purchased by visiting the online shop at royalhighlandshow.org