Royal Highland show enjoys record attendance

The Royal Highland Show is celebrating a record attendance of 176,522 with more than 15,000 extra spectators coming through the gate during the four days. Saturday was the busiest day in the show’s history with 51,307 visitors.

Highlights of this year’s show, which ran from 25-28 June, included visits from The Queen, Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra. The theme of the show was Homecoming Scotland, which is a Scottish Government initiative to encourage Scots and people of Scottish descent to come home to Scotland in 2009. Overseas visitor numbers were at twice normal levels with 3,000 individuals from 29 countries.

Show manager David Dunsmuir said: “We did set out with high expectations based on advance ticket sales but an attendance of that magnitude is a tremendous achievement. I must give credit to all of our staff and volunteers who coped so well with the large crowds.

“Homecoming was very much part of a robust marketing and advertising campaign and with increased exposure on television [terrestrial and RURAL TV], the show once again reinforced its position as one of Scotland’s top events. There may be a recession out there, but we are obviously offering something that’s in demand, both by the farming and the general public.”

RURAL TV launched in March 2009 and is available in the UK on Sky 279 and Freesat 403.

Visit: www.royalhighlandshow.org

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now