Royal Highland Show Announces New 75 Million Developments

The Royal Highland Show 2009 closed yesterday with a record attendance for the four days. The attendance was increased by 15% with the highest ever visitor figure on Saturday of 51,307. This may, of course, have been aided by a series of Royal visits including HRH the Queen on Friday to the Show.  Added to this success was the general consensus of opinion among traders and farmers, of a feel good factor towards business conducted. Machinery sales held and in many opinions were much healthier than expected, stock sales were also up.

"The Royal Highland show has now become the Premier and largest agricultural show in the UK"  Ray Jones the Chief Executive said at the final press conference yesterday as he announced a new 75 million development over the next few years, which includes the building of a new 180 bedroom four star hotel, a new thirty million pound arena, a partnership venture which would be funded fully by the partners in the venture.

An extension to the existing Quality hotel of a further seventy bedrooms at a cost of five to six million, would also be part of the new development again not funded by the society but by the partner in the venture.

Ever since the withdrawal of the CAA plans for the extension of Edinburgh airport. The Royal Highland Agricultural Society has been looking at rebuilding the MacRobert Centre. The Society now have a net surplus due to excellent trading figures in the last few years, which will allow them to develop the Lowland Hall and put together a link extension to the Central Hall.

The new MacRobert Centre which will cost 6million pounds, will have three floors, be state of the art and could become the premier exhibition centre in Scotland. Building will start after next year's 2010 show, the fiftieth anniversary of the Royal Highland Show. All of which bring a wind of confidence by the Society to Scottish Farming, that may just provide a welcome credence boost to Scotland's beleaguered businesses.