Royal Highland is disease victim

11 April 2001



Royal Highland is disease victim

By Isabel Davies

THE Royal Highland Show, which last year attracted around 145,000 visitors, has become the latest casualty of the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

The show societys board of directors confirmed on Wednesday (11 April) that a decision to cancel the show had been taken.

A spokesman for the society said a statement would be released later. The event was due to take place at Ingliston showground, Edinburgh on June 21-24.

A statement on the Royal Highland Shows website said the situation had been monitored closely since the outbreak was first confirmed.

“The Society hopes there will be an early end to the current crisis and that the farming and rural community of Scotland can return to some normality as soon as possible.”

The cancellation of Scotlands premier exhibition of agriculture is not unexpected given a decision to cancel the Royal Show in England.

Organisers of the Royal Show said they considered holding the event without livestock – a decision not seen since another foot and mouth outbreak in 1952.

But the idea was eventually dismissed on the basis that the show was meant to be an exhibition for the whole industry.