The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Royal Highland Show will be sorely missed
This year’s showpiece may have been cancelled but the RHASS Technical Innovation Awards will go ahead – with judging online
The 2020 Royal Highland Show had been shaping up to be a fitting tribute to mark the 180th event and Scotland’s biggest ever celebration of food and farming.
The show’s cancellation has been a major economic and social blow to rural and townspeople alike, but to no one more than Bill Gray, the chairman of show organisers, The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), who confirmed the landmark investments such as the new members pavilion and initiatives will be held over until 2021.
The stars of the show – the 6,000 cattle, sheep, horses, goats and poultry that travel from far and wide for the chance to take home a prestigious show rosette – will be staying at home this year, together with the equestrian contingent, which includes the mighty Clydesdales which took centre stage at last year’s event.
The Royal Highland Education Trust Discovery Centre is key to delivering an inspiring insight into working in rural Scotland, food production and farming and is working on how to take some of the initiatives online now that the event is not taking place.
However, the RHASS Technical Innovation Awards, which recognise design and innovation across agri-sector machinery and equipment, are still going ahead.
The awards are usually presented at the show with winners having the opportunity to exhibit at a special area, but since this isn’t possible this year, the society is waiving the £100 entry fee.
Mr Gray said: “The awards support and encourage innovation within the agri and rural industry and while entries will be judged virtually, we see this as a great opportunity for businesses to be innovative in how they present their machines to the judges.”
Entries for the Royal Highland Technical Innovation Awards are invited for machines, appliances, technical components or important ancillary equipment.
The equipment has to demonstrate a benefit to agriculture horticulture, equestrian, forestry or estate services and they should be available to purchase or prototypes in development.