Out of Doors

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Out of Doors: Royal Highland Show 2023

Royal Highland Show 2023

BBC Radio Scotland - Out of Doors, Royal Highland Show 2023

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors.

The Out of Doors team are enjoying the Royal Highland Show 2023 this weekend, in Ingliston. It’s a sell-out this year, and aside from the human spectators, the event has summoned more than 5,000 livestock and equestrian entries.

Mark and Rachel chat with head of the show David Tennant about the logistics of the setup of an event which caters as much to the animals, as it does to the visitors. 

Goats are always a jolly hit at the Royal Highland Show, and new for this year is the Scottish Dairy Goat Show. Rachel kids with Gordon Smith, Chief Steward at the Goat Marquee, about all things goatling.

With science and innovation in farming a focal point of this year's Royal Highland Show, Mark visits a farm in Aberdeenshire where vertical farming is very much to the fore. Graham Warren is the co-founder and CEO of Vertegrow Ltd. 

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon gives Mark and Rachel an overview of the agricultural announcements made by the Scottish Government rural affairs department, over the course of the show. 

The Highland Pony Society is putting on a special re-enactment of the Tam O’Shanter, complete with stunts and props, to celebrate their 100th anniversary. Mark chats with the president of the Highland Pony Society, Sylvia Ormiston, about the occasion. 

The RHASS president Ian Duncan Millar MBE is heading up his home region of Perth, with ‘Science and its role in the food and drink industry’ as the primary theme for the year. Mark and Rachel chat about the latest innovations in the industry.

The Flock to Fashion runway show comprises of woollen garments, and farmer-come-catwalkers. Maud Start speaks with Joan from Galloway and Southern Ayrshire’s Unesco Biosphere about the gilet they’ve chosen for the catwalk. 

Audrey Aiken is woolhandling at the Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing and Woolhandling Championships. Mark and Rachel chat to her about the competition and what woolhandling actually entails. 

Rachel tries her hand at candle rolling in the Bee Marquee, and has a chat with the president of the Scottish Beekeepers Association, Matthew Richardson. 

The Pole Climbing Championships are a true highlight of the event. Rachel goes along to meet the climbers and take a look at the 90ft poles.

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