One of the highlights of the Scottish farming calendar has fallen victim to the coronavirus crisis.
The Royal Highland Show, which was due to take place in June, has been cancelled following Scottish and UK Government advice on gatherings and social distancing.
Chairman of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, Bill Gray, said the decision had been made with “deep regret and huge personal disappointment”.
He said: “The show is Scotland’s largest outdoor event attracting up to 200,000 people each year and is the premier showcase for the food, farming and rural industry.
“Plans for the 180th show are at an advanced stage but given recent and ongoing developments, the directors and I have taken the only course of action open to us.
“Thankfully, the sector is nothing but resilient and while this will no doubt test us, I am confident that some good will come from what is a bleak and worrying time for us all.
“To that end, we are calling on the industry and wider partners to work with us to support each other to ensure we weather the storm.”
Anyone with tickets should contact Ticketmaster for a refund, while the RHASS will contact exhibitors and sponsors in the coming weeks.
RHASS chief executive, Alan Laidlaw, said: “It would be naïve to underestimate the massive impact the cancellation will have on the charity, but with the industry’s support, I have little doubt that we can, and we will, get through this.
“But in these unprecedented times we must focus on the wider issue, support the vulnerable in our communities and ensure that Scottish agriculture plays ts essential part in achieving this.”
