The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Royal Highland Showcase 2021
1
The competition is looking fierce! Over 1,100 entries were received for sheep, cattle and goats this year. Tune in to find out the winners – a production team of around 100 people will be covering all livestock classes daily through four livestreams.
2
Always exciting, always varied and always captivating, the Forestry category should be your first stop for witnessing athleticism and daring in action. Time the pole climbers and see if you can beat them!
3
Get to know more about this year’s ‘host region’, Dumfries and Galloway! Dumfries Veterans’ Garden has created short films offering a closer look at things like culture, community and food in the region. These will be live-streamed during the Showcase.
4
Everyone loves the miniature Shetlands – check them out on Thursday from 9.30am. Enjoy the little ponies traipsing around the ring in their own unique style as they compete to win in their category. Highland ponies will also be putting in an appearance. This event is perhaps one of the cutest the show will be staging.
5
Junior sheep shearers – the young ones show us how it’s done (Saturday from 9.30am) – this is one of the most entertaining and crowdpleasing parts of the show, as hundreds of onlookers gather. This year you won’t need to jostle for a space as the live-streaming of the ‘behind closed doors show’ will give you close-ups of all the action.
6
RSABI launched a #KeepTalking campaign at the end of May, which focused on helping those in the farming and crofting community to stay connected with each other. The week of the Showcase is also the last week of the campaign and RSABI is encouraging us to reach out to someone we haven’t spoken recently. Is there someone you could pick up the phone for and call?
7
We hope you have lots of food in to enjoy as you watch the Showcase, as you’ll likely be craving something delicious after watching the Scottish Bread Championship! What do you prefer – a slice of fresh sourdough? Maybe a hearty five grain loaf? Our mouths are watering already!
8
Not for the fainthearted – you may be glad this is a virtual event as you enjoy the axe-throwing competition from the comfort of your own home! Stand by and watch the skill involved from these trained axemen and axewomen as they compete as part of the Forestry event on Tuesday and Wednesday from 1pm.
9
Normally at the Royal Highland Show, the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) welcomes roughly 300 school groups. This year, teachers, parents and students across the country will still receive a warm welcome from the trust – but from the comfort of their home or classroom! Online videos, competitions and more will be on offer.
10
Are you a teacher? Don’t miss RHET’s practical webinar for teachers on Thursday. It’s all about how you can make the most of the great outdoors of Scotland, with demonstrations to help you turn the outdoors into an engaging learning tool.
11
With an aim of encouraging and promo ti ng innovation in the development of agricultural machinery, RHASS will present Technical Innovation Awards to a number of individuals and organisations this year. Log on to see who has been awarded the two gold medals, six silver medals and five commendations.
12
Ever wondered what goes into choosing the best cheese, ice cream or butter at the Scottish Dairy Championships? Well now you can find out, as for the first time, you’ll be given behind-the-scenes access to watch the judging process.
See if you can guess the winners of each category before they’re announced during the Showcase!
13
The Royal Highland Showcase may be a lot to do with farming livestock, but it is also a lot to do with food! This year, professional chefs Billy Hamilton (proprietor) & Gareth Gilder (head chef) of Buccleuch Arms; Neil Forbes of Café St Honore; Paul Newman of Errichel and Craig Wilson of Eat on the Green will be doing virtual cook-a-longs, so you can follow along and cook