Royal Highland Show organisers will introduce a number of new rules at this year’s show to crack down on antisocial behaviour.
Directors of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) have given the green light to a number of recommendations on how to manage the show following consultation with stakeholders, including Police Scotland and licensees. Among the changes are plans to zone the showground and a review of the size and structure of licensed premises on the site.
A new code of conduct will be introduced for the members’ area and visitors to the show will no longer be able to carry or consume alcohol when walking around the showground.
RHASS said it hoped the changes would “stamp out incidents of antisocial behaviour” which had led to negative feedback from a number of visitors to last year’s event.
The society’s chairman, William Gill, said: “These recommendations, which have been given signoff by the directors of the RHASS board, will ensure that the Royal Highland Show remains a world-class event that can be enjoyed by all those who attend.
“The aim is not in any way to detract from the social aspect of the show, but to moderate the behaviour of a handful of visitors that, if goes unchallenged, has the potential to damage the reputation of RHASS’s flagship event.
“Work now begins on implementing these recommendations, determining what the changes mean in practical terms and communicating RHASS’s code of conduct to visitors well in advance of the show.”
This year’s show takes place on June 23-26 at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh.