The 2014 Royal Highland Show could hardly have made a better start than it did yesterday, writes Ewan Pate.
There is nothing like the promise of sunshine to bring in the crowds, and that is exactly what happened as the Ingliston showground opened its gates for its four-day run.
Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead unofficially opened the show, as for the last seven years, at the Quality Meat Scotland breakfast. He was in a relaxed mood, having just last week delivered his CAP implementation plan.
He was also able to announce that he had a new title he is now Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment. The ‘Food’ has been included to emphasise the role of food and drink in Scotland’s future growth.
“The potential is huge and red meat is the jewel in the crown,” he said.
He said how pleased he was last week to have been able to announce £45 million of new funding in support of the Beef 2020 group.
There was some disappointment that he didn’t take the opportunity to outline more specifically how the money would be spent.
QMS chairman Jim McLaren, who chairs the group, gave no details either but said the initiative would be market driven and represent a “concept for change”.
QMS itself has undergone change, he explained, with resources moved from commissioning research to knowledge transfer.
There is no doubt the focus on food and drink was a real theme of the day around the Ingliston show ground. The supermarkets have a major presence but so too do hundreds of artisan producers.
For most show-goers, however, it was a day for enjoying the sunshine and the warmth.
Crops look good by all reports, harvest should be early and silage crops have been heavy.
What could possibly go wrong?
Attendance on the opening day was estimated at 38,300, almost exactly the same as last year.