For tens of thousands of people, a trip to the Royal Highland Show is an annual pilgrimage. It’s an opportunity to meet up with friends, share farming experience, find out about the latest developments in agricultural equipment, see some of the country’s best livestock, sample some of the nation’s finest produce and, of course, have a bit of a gossip.
The show’s now in its 174th year and continues to go from strength to strength. It is definitely an added bonus when the sun is shining. It was great to see so much passion and enthusiasm for Scotland and all things Scottish and the show really showcased the best of rural Scotland. I was pleased that DEFRA ministers Owen Paterson and George Eustice were also there to witness this.
A first at the show this year was the Scotland Office stand, giving people an opportunity to find out more about why we believe Scotland should remain in the UK. I spent some time on the stand earlier today and enjoyed meeting people who were hungry for more information about the indyref debate.
Visitors to the show were also able to get advance copies of our door drop booklet - What staying in the United Kingdom means for Scotland – which will begin dropping through letterboxes throughout Scotland from Monday.
If you’re going to the show over the weekend and want more information, then please do visit our stand – it’s in the Lifestyle Village on 1st Avenue. And I’d thoroughly recommend a visit to the food hall as well. It is easy to forget just what a range of high quality food and drink Scotland can boast. Seeing so much of it brought together under one roof demonstrates that magnificently.
The UK Government has worked, and continues to work, with many food producers, exploring export opportunities and making the case for them in the EU when seeking protection for our own premium brands.