The Royal Highland Show 2025 will be a memorable one for the Association. Through sweltering heat to rolling thunder and showers, our members shone whatever the weather, with our YF competitions drawing crowds across the showground. The show highlighted the importance of giving our nationβs Young Farmers a dedicated place in the event and we are so thankful to all those who pledged their support to our Big Build Project over the weekend. Here is a full recap of what went on across the four days:
Thursday
The sun shone on Ingliston as we opened our new temporary YF Marquee to the public. The Marquee which was provided by Myreton Marquees and generously funded by the Scottish Government, provided a great temporary space in the absence of our YF Centre to showcase our memberβs creative talents and promote our Association to the public.
This was the first chance for members and the public to see all the entries to our creative competitions. The sides and centre of the tent were dominated by the displays for our National Arts & Crafts Competitions (Sponsored by Dairyflow). It was a brilliant year for entries and the competitors truly outdid themselves with the variety of talents and skills on display. The winning entry in the Senior Section based on the theme of βShop Windowβ were the team from Mauchline with their pristine Bridal Shop display. Whilst in the junior section it was the display from Crossroads that came out on top, perfectly capturing the theme of βA Day at the Beachβ
A full run down of all the results from our weekends competitions can be found HERE.
We also had the entries to our National Craftsmanship (sponsored by Geyer Plant Services) on display in the tent. This year contestants were asked to craft the perfect βWelly Boot Holderβ, and they certainly delivered, not only creating stylish and functional entries but also showing brilliant creativity in the sourcing of materials, with horseshoes, machinery parts and even old fencing equipment being given new life through the challenge. The winning entry in the juniors went to Grant Dickie of Crossroads whilst ben Mackinnon of Bower claimed top spot in the Seniors.
Our Craftsmanship entries would have made the perfect holders for the entries to our next competition- National Decorated Wellies. This special competition brought a wonderful burst of colour to the far corner of our marquee with an amazing variety of decoration on display. The creativity was plain to see, from intricate painted designs to full sculpted scenes built onto the boots themselves. Well done to all our entrants and to our 2 winners, Ava Dunlop of Carluke in the Junior section and Sophie Steel of Crossroads in the Seniors.
On the opposite corner from these wonderful wellies was some equally fantastic photography. Our National Competition, this year sponsored by United Auctions, was appropriately themed around auction marts. And a look across the boards would take you to every angle of an auction day from animals waiting in the pens, auctioneers in action and even a busy morning market on the streets of India. Well done to Junior winners Lexie Wilson of Inverurie and our Senior winner Cody Chalmers from Harray whoβs auction day close ups really caught the judgeβs eye.
In the Marquee we were also joined by our friends from SGN and SPEnergy Networks, providing vital information on farm safety to all our visitors. Alongside this, our Young Farmer of the Year Top Prize ATV, generously provided by ATV Services was proudly on display on the front lawn.
Regular showgoers who were unaware of our location change were not at a loss though. For when they arrived at our boarded up YF Centre, they were greeted by the stewards on our dedicated Big Build Marquee. This was a space full of information about our planβs for SAYFCβs new home and all our fundraising efforts so far. Weβre thankful to everyone who dropped by to find out more, donate and tell us their favourite memories of the old centre. RSABI also joined us outside the centre, with their Health Hut, show competitions and promoting their #UseYourHead quadbike safety campaign and our joint #RESPECT campaign.
Elsewhere on the showground our top team were busy engaging with supporters and stakeholders old and new. Our Agri & Rural Affairs committee held a very successful joint Reception with NFUS Next Gen kindly hosted by the Scottish Government at their stand. Our main speaker, Agricultural Minister Jim Fairlie (MSP), talked to those gathered about the governmentβs commitment to our nationβs young farmers and new entrants and as a gesture of that support announced that the government will match our Big Build fundraising efforts from now until December, up to the sum of Β£98,000. We were blown away by this announcement and this statement of support not only for the association but for all our nation’s Young Farmers who Mr Fairlie called, “The bedrock to the industry”. The reception was also a chance to honour the hard work of another, as former National Chair and current National Board Member Lucy Mitchell was awarded the Outstanding Contribution Award. Lucy has been an integral part of the refocusing and restructuring of our National Board and Committees and her hard work has led to improved communication and teamwork at all levels, bringing great benefit to the Association and most importantly to our members.
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Friday
Friday was another sweltering hot day at Ingliston, and things were certainly heating up on the competitions side. The day began with our Sheep Shearers taking stage for our National competition sponsored by Buccleuch Estates. The level of competition was seriously impressive with our competitors making short work of their assignment of Mules and Scottish Blackfaces. Especially impressive as the competition was run either side of the showβs Junior Competition which meant some of our members spent most of the morning shearing. Strathearnβs Jack Simpson took first place in the Mules whilst Murray McHarg of Ayr claimed top spot in both the Blackfaces as well as the the Overall Championship, writing his name onto the iconic silver handpiece.
Whilst the shearers were going blow for blow, over at the Forestry Arena some of our members were about to get a whole new view of the show in our Battle of the Regions. A pair of members from each of our three regions lined up to take on the daunting pole climb, with the bragging rights going to the region with the fastest combined scores. But our members soon learned just how difficult the task was with three of the challengers failing to reach the top and gaining a new appreciation for the professional climbers. The day was won by Callum Simpson of Garioch who took to the climb like a squirrel to the branch, scampering up the pole in an impressive 1 minute and 20 seconds! Winning the challenge for the North. It was then the turn of our national chairs. Jillian Kennedy facing off against her Vice Euan Bremner. The race was close with both climbers putting in there all to reach the top, but it was Euan who hit the buzzer first and claimed the victory.
Our SAYFC offices were busy with receptions for our members and former members. Our international travel committee welcomed our 2025 travellers as well as our visiting exchangees. It was a great for the travelling groups to mingle, swap advice and hear from the exchangees about their experience in Scotland.
We also hosted receptions on Thursday and Friday for our Friends of Young Farmers where former members as well as supporters gathered to hear about the latest updates from our Big Build project and share their memories of our YF Centre.
The day was capped off with some of our members taking the stage at Highland Hoolie to lead the crowd in a quick ceilidh dance. Thanks to the show for having us on and for the crowd for joining in with our members and giving it the old heel toe, here we go.
Saturday
This is always our biggest and busiest day of competition at the show with our National Stockmanship (Sponsored by QMS) and Tug of War (Sponsored by Davidson & Robertson) taking place. Thatβs why it was great to get the day started the right way as members of our Development & Wellbeing committee joined FarmStrong for their early morning Yoga session. Refreshed and ready to go we then joined our senior Stockjudgers as they gathered in the Highland Hall, ready for the dayβs competition. The absence of our usual YF Building was very apparent as the competition was spread across the showground with the Highland Hall, our current offices and even some hastily erected gazebos filling in for our usual dedicated space. Luckily, this did not phase our competitors, who took to the day with their usual focus and determination. Itβs always brilliant to see the crowds of white coats moving around the showground and drawing crowds of interested onlookers to side of the sheep and cattle rings. The competition ran well with the morning judging and reason giving going smoothly and our scorers hard at work figuring out the placings for the afternoon session.
We were delighted to be joined by ninety-four young stockjudgers from America who competed in their own competition alongside our members throughout the morning. Itβs always enlightening to hear their thoughts on our format of the competition and to see their unique delivery and style when presenting their reasons to the judges. Once the morning session had drawn to a close and the results were counted and recounted, the contestants gathered to hear who had made it through to the final stage.
Meanwhile around the corner in the Food Hall there were more members in action, as our National Country Cooks Champions Karen and Iain Shepherd of Kilmaurs showcased their culinary skills in a live cookery demonstration. They had one hour to recreate their winning dish from Februaryβs final, all in front of a live audience and whilst fielding questions from the floor. They performed amazingly, showing the same calmness under pressure that had gained them the national title.
After the announcement of our senior stockmanship finalists, they headed out alongside our junior competitors for the afternoon session. Each of our senior finalists had to judge classes of dairy, beef and sheep before giving their final sets of reason to judges in the Cattle Rings. Once this stage was complete it was down to a nervous wait to the announcement of the final results at our Grand Prize Giving that evening.
Whilst our Stockjudgers waited anxiously, the waiting was over for our Tug of War Teams as it was time for their competition to begin. Four ropes were set up in the main cattle ring as ten gents teams and ten ladies teams from clubs across the country prepared to do battle. This competition (sponsored by Davidson & Robertson) always draws a crowd, with hundreds of members and supporters lining the side of the ring to get a view of the action. Despite a slippery surface from the recent rain, our pullers put on a brilliant show, with many of the bouts going into the third end and even being so tight that only a build-up of faults from the pressure being exerted separated the teams. In the end there were two teams left on top. in the Womenβs competition, the team from Strathbogie overpowered their opponents showing great grit in their second end to seal the victory. Whilst it was a similar story with the men of Strathearn who refused to give up in a seesawing final end and battled to their first national title in nineteen years.
The day ended with our grand prize giving at the MacRobert Theatre. Crowds gathered to cheer on our members and learn the results of our final competitions. Our National Member of the Year Ailsa Buchanan was on hand to present the prizes. Katie McCall of Kilmaurs was crowned Junior Young Farmer of the Year 2025 (supported by Lantra), after submitting an informative farm plan and an essay exploring her future ambitions to become an Animal Nutritionist. Strathearn continued their super Saturday when they were announced as this yearβs National Club of the Year, a brilliant end to their 80th year celebrations. They were recognised for their impressive charity work and member engagement throughout the year.
It was then onto the Stockmanship results (A full round up of results and scores can be found HERE). We were delighted to have Sarah Millar of QMS on stage to present the prizes for this competition. The top prized team in the junior competition went to Ayrshire A, with team member Gregor Brown claiming the honours in the individual competition. In the seniors it was a heated competition with pair, teams and individual prizes spread throughout the districts. But there was no doubt when it came to our final prize of the evening, the prestigious Stockman of the Year award. After claiming wins in the beef pairs and individual and as the only competitor to break the six-hundred-point mark on the day, this yearβs title went to Stephen Taylor of Clyde and Central. A fantastic achievement for Stephen in his final year of competition.
Well done to all our prize winners and a massive thank you to everyone who attended our prize giving. The energy and support from the gathered members, family and friends is truly what the Young Farmers movement is all about.
Sunday
The Final day of the Highland Show is always a chance for reflection for the hardworking volunteers and staff. As we welcomed our final round of visitors to our marquees and our members began to make their way back to their homes across the country we looked back at the highlights from this yearβs show. Through their competitions and volunteering, our members have once again showcased the very best of Young Farmers to the agricultural community and wider public. Highlighting the hard work, creativity and teamwork we look to foster in the young people of our Association. Our Big Build Project has gained fantastic momentum, and we would like to thank everyone who came to ask questions, swap stories and contribute to our fundraising efforts, this weekend has really put our dream of building a new home for Scotlandβs Young Farmers firmly into reality. We would like to thank all our members, supporters and staff for helping to make this show such a success. Hereβs to 2026!
