Rural Scotland at the Royal Highland Show

The Royal Highland Show which has been held at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Scotland for nearly fifty years is a most eagerly awaited annual event. If you think this is only about the cows and tractors of Scotland you are very mistaken as this year’s three day extravaganza had flamenco dancers and guitars, whiskey tasting and cookery demonstrations and even a fashion show! This is an occasion for visitors to Scotland to get a taste of rural life in the lovely country.

Over a hundred and fifty thousand people visit Scotland’s favourite Royal Highland Show and of course enjoy the usual thrills of top class show jumping and sheep shearing. Sheep-shearing contests include the British Isles International Five Nations Championship, plus the Scottish national championships and Royal Highland “open” competitions. The Five Nations sheep shearing competition for Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Ireland was a team event with three members in each team having to shear seven sheep each. It was a relay event and the hosts won at an incredible speed of less than one minute for shearing each sheep.

Highland cows, horses, goats and sheep are a pretty sight as they are judged for the coveted Royal Highland rosettes and almost £1 million in prize money and trophies. Thousands of cheering visitors watch the grand parade of prize-winning livestock. The ever- popular displays of tractors and combine harvesters is a favorite with boys of all ages. Travel all over the grounds in true country style on an old-fashioned tractor trailer taxi service.

The showground at Ingliston stretches to around 100 acres and the 150 acres car park for twenty five thousand vehicles is the largest car park anywhere in Scotland. The country’s largest temporary cattle shed, the Highland Hall, is the biggest single span building in Scotland and houses almost one thousand beef and dairy cattle at the show.

Ingliston is on the outskirts of Edinburgh, very close to the airport. There are numerous hotels and Bed & Breakfast establishments near by which can serve as a base not only during the show but to visit other parts of Scotland as well.