SRUC celebrates successful Royal Highland Show 2026
SRUC welcomed thousands of visitors to its stand at the Royal Highland Show 2026, engaging visitors, industry leaders, policymakers and prospective students.
The SRUC stand featured a packed programme of interactive demonstrations, expert discussion and family-friendly activities, highlighting the organisation’s impact across rural Scotland, education, research and consultancy.
A major highlight of the event was the launch of SRUC’s new prospectus, which generated significant interest from prospective students and their families.
The prospectus outlines opportunities across further and higher education and demonstrates SRUC’s commitment to developing the future workforce required to support a sustainable, productive and resilient natural economy.
Visitors enjoyed hands-on experiences throughout the four-day event, including the popular virtual welding simulator, the interactive Data Lab and the SRUC-led Digital Dairy Chain. Funded through UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Strength in Places programme, the Digital Dairy Chain demonstrated innovations in milk analysis and sustainable composting, highlighting the role of research and collaboration in supporting a productive and sustainable dairy sector.
Saturday’s Alumni Farmers Market celebrated businesses founded by former SRUC students, while former student Nicola Wordie received the prestigious Fordyce Maxwell Award for Agricultural Communications. On Sunday, SRUC partnered with Horse Scotland to host an equestrian drop-in day focused on accessibility, equine welfare and participation.
Throughout the show, SRUC experts led well-attended discussions on rural policy, climate resilience, sustainable farming, agricultural innovation and Scotland’s research landscape. Highlights included Allan Wilkinson from HSBC, who explored the challenges and opportunities facing the agriculture sector, and SRUC’s annual evening reception, where the new Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, Gillian Martin, praised the organisation, telling guests that “SRUC occupies a distinctive and invaluable place in Scotland’s institutional landscape.”
Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive said: “This year’s Royal Highland Show was a tremendous success and a fantastic opportunity to showcase the impact of SRUC’s work across education, research and consultancy.
“It was a pleasure to welcome so many visitors to our stand where they experienced our research, met our staff and students and explored the opportunities available through SRUC. Thank you to everyone who visited and helped make this year’s show a success.”
The Royal Highland Show 2026 provided an invaluable platform for SRUC to strengthen industry partnerships, inspire future talent and demonstrate its commitment to supporting Scotland’s natural economy.
Posted by SRUC on 29/06/2026
