Q&A with RHASS Chairman Bill Gray

What is different about the Royal Highland Showcase?

The first event of its kind, the Showcase will be live-streamed from the Ingliston Showground in Edinburgh. This innovative TV-quality broadcast will not only allow our regular show visitors to get their fill of rural life, but will introduce a new global audience to Scotland’s rural businesses and exhibitors.

It has been a tough year for the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), but this year has helped shape the future of the Show, hasn’t it?

Yes, the RHASS, the Scottish charity behind the Royal Highland Show, has much to consider and one of our main concerns was how best to use our new live-stream technology to create a lasting legacy. I firmly believe the substantial investments we have made in digital infrastructure will further our global reach year-on- year.

The Royal Highland Showcase would not have been possible without financial backing from its funders, please tell us more…

That is correct and I would like to thank the Scottish Government for its support in this new initiative, as well as all of our sponsors, including Royal Bank of Scotland. Most of all, thanks to our supporters and RHASS members, without whom the 2021 Showcase simply would not have been possible.

What are your hopes for the Showcase this year?

I hope the Showcase will provide a welldeserved release for rural entrepreneurs and viewers alike. I also hope everyone enjoys this year’s unique spectacle from the comfort and safety of their own home.