Like many people at B&P, I have a farming background. I support my partner’s family farm and farm shop alongside our own sheep, so a heavy link to agriculture means one thing come mid-June: the Royal Highland Show.
My involvement in the rural community runs wider than the farm, though. I have been a member of Strathmore JAC, my local young farmers club, for many years, serving as club secretary in 2023–24 and as secretary of the Angus Tayside District ever since. And through my previous career as a paediatric nurse, working in A&E at Edinburgh Sick Kids, community children’s nursing, and latterly, as a senior staff nurse in paediatric palliative care, I became one of the Health Hut nurses for the rural charity RSABI. All of which meant that this year’s show week was, as ever, anything but straightforward.
Sunday: Arts, Crafts, and Après Ski
The Sunday before the show has always been a busy one. As the arts and crafts convener of my local club, I am responsible for assembling a team to enter the national competition. This year’s theme was ‘Après Ski’. In addition to coordinating the entry, I created the floral art display and was part of the two-person team that headed to the showground to set it all up. We didn’t win, but it is a great way to bring the club together and put our skills to use away from the day job.
Wednesday and Thursday: The RSABI Health Huts
RSABI (Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution) provides practical, emotional, and financial support to people working within the Scottish agriculture industry, with a mission to support and care for as many farming people as possible. One of the ways the charity does this is through health huts at local shows, livestock markets, and agricultural events across the country.
The huts offer blood pressure checks and on-the-spot support. As many of us know, farmers and those working in agriculture tend to avoid the doctor, so being able to get a blood pressure check at a time that suits them makes a real difference. There have been many success stories: people who had no idea their blood pressure was raised and have since come back to tell us they are now on medication and have made lifestyle changes. Some have been referred on to their GP and from there to the hospital for further tests and investigations. It is always wonderful to see people coming forward and to hear the follow-up from those who took action.
My Wednesday of show week was spent running our first health hut in the cattle lines, catching people in their final preparations before showing the next day. Thursday was on the main stand, speaking to stakeholders, friends, and new supporters of the charity. In line with the RHASS presidential initiatives, we had a strong focus on prostate cancer and spoke with many people who have been personally affected or who know someone currently going through treatment.
Friday: The Show Itself
Friday was finally the chance to see everything the show had to offer. We wandered around the cattle and sheep lines, taking in the best stock the UK has to offer, and checking on how our friends had placed. I am glad to say many came home with tickets.
After spending a bit too much on the bank cards, the late afternoon was spent catching up with friends in the members. It was lovely to walk about, enjoying the day and meeting people, new and old, for a yearly catch-up. I have been fortunate to travel around Europe through the Young Farmers organisation and meet some brilliant people along the way, and we use the Royal Highland Show as our yearly rally catch-up, both through the members and at the Young Farmers Ambassadors Drinks Reception on the Friday evening.
Saturday: Stock Leading, New Connections & a Broken Toe
With a full stock judging team in tow, I spent Saturday as a stock leader for SAYFC. Being what I thought was sensible, I opted to lead a dairy cow, assuming she would be easier to handle than the beef cattle and sheep I am used to at home. Leading someone’s prized cattle around for 200 young farmers competing for Stockman of the Year is quite a responsibility, but the sun was out and, on the whole, ‘Henrietta’ behaved herself. The judge placed her second in her class.
In the afternoon, I was back leading a different dairy cow for young farmers to carry out demonstrations on. My slightly broken toe will tell you how that one went. Still, a learning experience nonetheless.
With the sun still out, I took the opportunity to catch up with B&P colleagues at GAEL Energy and make new connections in the renewables sector, as well as take a look at the innovations and machinery that might one day end up on a farm of our own.
Saturday evening gave the young farmers a chance to come together and celebrate the week’s competition successes. The tug of war team performed brilliantly, and with juniors picking up tickets in the craftsmanship, it was a strong showing all round. We rounded off the evening in the members’, Pimm’s in hand, on a warm and sunny evening that felt like a fitting end to the week.
Sunday: The Final Stretch
Sunday is normally a quieter day at the show, but with the arts and crafts board still to collect, we headed in early to finish any last-minute shopping and take it all down. After five years of being handed the short straw on that particular job, I was pleased we managed it in record time.
We caught up with more friends, watched the heavy horses, and saw our neighbour place reserve champion for turnout. To round things off, we stayed for the showjumping Grand Prix. Not quite Silverstone, but engaging and tense all the same.
Why Shows Like This Matter
Shows like the Royal Highland are so important for everyone in the rural sector. They tend to land around silage time, which makes it all the more important to carve out time to step away, socialise, and reconnect with friends from all over. Rural isolation and loneliness remain serious concerns, with rates higher than ever, and events like this play a genuine role in helping to address that.
For those of us at B&P working closely with rural landowners and communities, weeks like this are a reminder of how much happens beyond the desk. The relationships, the understanding of rural life, and the awareness of the pressures people face all feed back into the work in ways that are hard to quantify but genuinely matter.
To find out more about RSABI and their Health Huts, visit: https://www.rsabi.org.uk/health-huts/