The Royal Highland Show

Every year a little bit of the Scottish Countryside decamps to the outskirts of Edinburgh. Animals are groomed for the occasion, produce is perfected and strange bits of farm machinery materialise for ruddy-cheeked men to talk knowingly about. The event in question is the Royal Highland Show.

Going to the show has always been a bit of a family tradition for my family. My dad grew up on a farm so he has a stock of tales of his exploits growing up to regale me with. As a small boy there was also the added advantage of there being tractors to play on.

The show was on again a couple of weeks ago and again I paid a visit to my parents and we went for a look round the show. Along with displays of farm equipment and copious amounts of livestock on show, the best bits of rural Scottish living are also showcased. This includes acres of tweed (including tweed mini-skirts of all things), Barbour jackets, Hunter wellies and various craft stalls. There were also demonstrations of rural skills such as shooting, fishing, falconry and horse shoeing.

The reason a write up of the show is appearing in these pages is that it is a bit of a haven for foodie types. One of the big attractions for me is the truly enormous food hall where artisan food produces ply their trade. The variety of food and drink available is mind-blowing. As well as the haggis, pies and black pudding, there are some slightly more unusual options. Gourmet oils seemed to be very much in vogue this year along with cheddar cheeses that have been flavoured in various ways. Jams, pickles and other preserves were also very much in evidence. Naturally, plenty free samples were tried which resulted in many not-so-free samples being bought to take home. I also had the opportunity to try the beer from the Eden Brewery in St. Andrews. but more of that in a later post.

Lunch at the show is always good fun. Unlike the token greasy burger and bacon sandwich wagon that appears at most events, the stalls at the show are all very much on the gourmet scale. Venison burgers anyone? Or if that doesn't tickle your fancy then why not a hog roast. You can pick the breed of the hog... naturally. I'm certain I saw bits of wild boar on sale somewhere!

As far as food goes, my favourite food experience is the same this year as it has been every year previously. The fresh doughnut stall. I have always loved hot, fresh doughnuts to be eaten outside the stall from a paper bag as they cascade sugar. Although these stalls aren't unique to the Royal Highland Show, it is here that I have the strongest memories of them. I have always loved nibbling at the crispy periphery as the fluffy interior cools enough to be edible. There was also the challenge of eating a whole one without getting covered in sugar (a challenge I have yet to succeed at). Finally there is a slightly giddy sugar high after eating one too many. Lovely!

Despite the high quality of the food, the show was stolen by another event entirely (although slightly food related if you squint a bit). Mordor Gundogs is a company, based in \Perthshire that breeds and trains gundogs (see, they fetch fame birds which are then eaten). They put on a display with some of their dogs. Seeing these beautiful and beautifully trained Labrador and spaniels in action was an absolute joy. The ultimate show stoppers amongst the group were the two eight week old black labrador puppies. Enough said!

TFB