If you are on the hunt for the perfect family day out near Edinburgh, look no further than the Royal Highland Show – for four days in June, the Ingliston showground comes alive with the sights, sounds and experiences of rural Scotland!
Kids aged 15 and under go free to the Show when accompanied by a paying adult, making it a fun-filled day that is also great value for money.
And there is plenty to keep the kids (and the young at heart) entertained – read on for our top 11 things for families to do at the Royal Highland Show.
Treasure hunters assemble! The Nature Trail will keep little minds occupied all the way round the Showground. Starting off at the RHET Discovery Centre, explorers will follow a digital trail, collecting code words from different stands to unlock a series of questions and be in with the chance of winning some great prizes!
Located in the Countryside Area, the fun-packed Kids Zone is an interactive area filled with activities to entertain and educate. Featuring outdoor play equipment and even John Deere mini tractors, children will also find out more about the history of the Royal Highland Show in an engaging, interactive way.
The number-one destination for families at the Show should be the Royal Highland Education Trust’s Discovery Centre. Every year, it is packed with fun, interactive activities for kids to get stuck into – while also learning about where their food comes from. Think milking a fibre glass cow, generating electricity by peddling a bike, and experiencing what it’s like to be a forester through a virtual reality headset.
Of course, the stars of the Show are the livestock, so animal-loving little ones are in for a treat. They can get nose-to-muzzle with a whole variety of four-legged friends – from adorable fuzzy Blacknose Valais sheep (known as the cutest breed of sheep in the world) to towering Clydesdale horses and magnificent Highland cattle. They can also watch the excitement in the equestrian rings, which are the perfect place to stop off and enjoy a snack.
One of the must-visit parts of the Showground is the Honey Marquee – this sweet-scented area tells you everything you ever need to know about honey and the bees who make it. Kids can learn the ‘bee dance’ these insects use to communicate, taste honey, make beeswax candles and spot a queen bee in a real hive!
If you’ve ever wanted to get up close to huge agricultural machinery – here is your chance! From top-of-the-line tractors to enormous telehandlers, and quad bikes to combine harvesters, for machinery-mad kids this is the place to be. You are allowed to get up close to the machinery, but remember please do not let little ones clamber on the exhibits!
The Highland Show is famed for its variety of displays of rural life, work and pastimes. In the countryside area, you can witness exciting displays of archery and watch birds of prey soar through the skies – if you’re lucky you might even get to take part! Elsewhere around the Showground, marvel at the fast-paced sheep shearing competitions and watch sparks fly in fiery displays of horse-shoe making in the Forge.
There is always plenty of action to be found in the Forestry Arena. From amazingly accurate axe-throwing to traditional horse logging, there are always lots of interesting things to watch throughout the day. This is also where machinery gets to show off, with classic brands such as John Deere showcasing the capabilities of its logging machinery. You can also marvel at the intricate skills of the chainsaw carvers who create amazing wooden sculptures out of tree trunks, including life-like owls and bears! Adrenaline rush Alongside traditional forestry demonstrations, the Forestry Arena is also home to other action-packed displays. Watch as extreme mountain-bikers put on a show, jumping from platform, flipping upside down mid-air, and hopping up tree trunks - all before landing gracefully! The pole climbing championships also take place at the Show every year, and these are an absolute must-see – behold these incredible feats of strength and speed as climbers sprint up a towering pole in a race to reach the top in the fastest time.
Once your herd starts to get peckish, there is plenty of fodder around to keep them going! The huge choice of top-quality food vendors around the Showground means you are never stuck if hunger sneaks up on you – the only problem is you won’t know what to pick! From artisan pizzas to succulent Aberdeen Angus burgers, there’s something for every taste. Plus, a visit to Scotland’s Larder will uncover a treasure trove of food and drink delights – the perfect place to stock up on Scottish produce to feed the family later!
Watch the Pony Club Games One of the most entertaining parts of the Show is one which not many people know about – the annual Pony Club games! In them, members from Pony Clubs from across Scotland compete for first place in a series of fast-paced, technical tasks – all done on horseback! Think dodging in and out of obstacles, a relay race where batons are passed at a gallop, and three-legged races which have to be completed before they hop back on their ponies!
Join us this June to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first Show – you can purchase tickets here.