Visitors to next year’s Royal Highland Show, if it is permitted to go ahead, are likely to see changes to its format and scale.
That was the message from Bill Gray, the chairman of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), which organises the four-day event.
He said the society’s directors were “hell bent” on holding a show in 2021, and various difference
Visitors to next year’s Royal Highland Show are likely to see changes to its format and scale if the show is permitted to go ahead.
That was the message from Bill Gray, the chairman of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), which organises the four-day event.
He said the society’s directors were determined to hold a show in 2021, but this would be dependent on Covid-19 restrictions and whether or not a second wave of the virus occurs.
He admitted it was unlikely the show would be able to host the same number of people as in previous years – the 2019 show attracted a record-breaking audience of more than 192,000 people across four days.
“We don’t know what restrictions will be in place next year,” said Mr Gray.
“To have nearly 200,000 people on a traditional format for the Royal Highland Show is unlikely to be allowed.
“We are looking at options to offer as much as we can, such as separating out the elements to reduce the number of people visiting on one day.”
RHASS chief executive Alan Laidlaw said: “We fully expect to be one of the last groups out of lockdown. For the RHASS board, the Royal Highland Show will change to focus on charitable activities and pure agriculture.”