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.