Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland

Name

Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland

Legal name

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland

Website

https://rhass.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1784

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland is a 1784-founded Royal Charter charity that supports Scottish agriculture through events, funding, education, and advocacy, serving farmers, rural communities, and partner charities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural charity and event services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGALAD

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

Keywords

• Agricultural show events
• Agricultural charity funding
• Event venue operations
• Farming membership services
• Rural community programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Royal Highland Show: The flagship fundraising event of RHASS, hosting over 217,000 visitors annually with ticket sales, exhibitor fees, and commercial activities generating primary revenue for the charity.
2. Highland Centre Ltd Operations: Commercial arm operating the Royal Highland Centre venue, hosting over 150 events annually including concerts and corporate events, drawing over 600,000 additional visitors and generating commercial income.
3. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions providing access to Royal Highland Show privileges, director election rights, and exclusive benefits. Membership tiers include standard (£135), under 18 (£75), senior (£80), 10-year (£1495), and life membership (£4500).
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from the Royal Highland Show and various events, with the 2024 show generating £708,672 in sponsorship.
5. Donations: Charitable donations from supporters to fund rural and agricultural projects across Scotland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

RHASS is a Scottish agricultural charity that runs the annual Royal Highland Show and operates the Royal Highland Centre venue, while distributing funding, awards, scholarships, and educational programmes to support Scottish farmers, rural communities, and the agricultural sector. Its commercial subsidiary Highland Centre Ltd runs year-round events at the venue, and its activities are funded primarily through membership subscriptions, event ticket and venue fees, corporate sponsorships, and donations.

Product overview

RHASS operates as a charitable membership organization centered around the Royal Highland Show, its flagship annual agricultural event. The organization offers a portfolio of products and services including the Royal Highland Centre venue management, RHASS Funding Programme providing grants up to £10,000 for agricultural projects, Local Show Engagement Fund supporting regional Scottish shows, RHASS Awards recognizing excellence in farming, Nuffield and Roy Watherston Memorial Trust scholarships, and the Cultivating Leaders Programme for young farmers. Supported partnerships include Farmstrong Scotland (mental health), RHET (education), RSABI (hardship support), and SAYFC (young farmers). The organization also maintains a digital archive and publishes the 240 Stories initiative documenting Scotland's agricultural heritage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Royal Highland Show Scotland's premier agricultural event held annually at the Royal Highland Centre, serving as the primary fundraising platform for RHASS and attracting over 217,000 visitors with livestock competitions, food and drink showcases, entertainment, and exhibition space.
• Royal Highland Centre

Quantifiable outcome

• £545k invested in rural and agricultural projects across Scotland
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, key and minor.

• DiageomajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 February 2025Major sponsor of the RHASS Presidential Initiative Charity Dinner. Donated Lagavulin 200th Anniversary Single Cask Edition 1991 and distillery tour for 4 as auction prizes.
• RHET (Royal Highland Education Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRHASS supports RHET, a charity focused on educating children and young people about food, farming, and the countryside. RHET works with Scottish schools to organize farm visits, classroom activities, and educational events to help young people understand where their food comes from.
• Farmstrong ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRHASS supports Farmstrong Scotland, a personal development initiative helping farmers, crofters and their families improve wellbeing and mental resilience. RHASS funding was match funded by Movember, enabling employment of Programme Director, Community Specialist, and Programme Coordinator.
• RSABI (Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRHASS supports RSABI which provides financial assistance, practical support, and emotional guidance to individuals and families working in Scottish agriculture who are facing hardship or crisis. The Strathclyde Presidential Initiative donated £39,000 to RSABI.
• SAYFC (Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRHASS provides financial and venue support for SAYFC's Cultivating Leaders course and the Big Build project for new headquarters at the showground. The Strathclyde Presidential Initiative donated £39,000 to SAYFC's Big Build.
• NuffieldkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerRHASS provides funding for either a full or half support for one of Nuffield's Farming Scholarships annually. Current RHASS Nuffield Scholar Jock Gibson is researching Enhanced Meat Eating Quality from 100% Grass & Forage Fed Systems.
• Roy Watherston Memorial TrustkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerRHASS collaborates with the Trust to offer education travel awards to support young people to embark on study projects overseas. The Trust was established to commemorate Roy Watherston, an outstanding farmer and breeder of Shorthorn cattle.
• Royal Bank of ScotlandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Royal Highland Show.
• Dunbia Highland MeatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of the RHASS Presidential Initiative Charity Dinner.
• Parks Motor GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of the RHASS Presidential Initiative Charity Dinner.
• Malcolm GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of the RHASS Presidential Initiative Charity Dinner at the Donald Malcolm Heritage Centre.
• Loch FyneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor of the RHASS Presidential Initiative Charity Dinner.
• ScottishPower RenewableskeyGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Champion of Champions award at the Scottish Agriculture Awards.
• ThorntonsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Mixed Farm of the Year award at Scottish Agriculture Awards.
• Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerRASC is the voice of agriculture in the Commonwealth with mission to enable exchange of ideas on agriculture between nations. RHASS sends representatives to RASC conferences and collaborates on travel scholarships.
• The Princes FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Robert Lovie serves as Director for The Princes Foundation as part of the Aberdeenshire Presidential Team.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB): Statutory levy-funded UK body supporting agriculture through research, knowledge exchange, and industry development. Comparable in serving the UK agricultural sector with funded programs and sector-wide initiatives, though operating under a different funding model.
• Country Land and Business Association (CLA): UK membership organization representing landowners, farmers, and rural businesses with policy advocacy, advice, and events. Comparable membership-based service model serving the rural sector, though broader geographic scope and different core focus.
• NFU Scotland: Scotland's leading farming union and lobbying body, also a membership organization serving Scottish farmers and crofters. Overlaps significantly with RHASS's advocacy and farmer-services remit, though focused more on policy representation than events and grants.
• Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS): Scottish umbrella body for agricultural co-operatives, providing support, training, and development services to farmer-led organizations. Comparable Scotland-focused remit and member-services orientation, though with a co-op development focus rather than events.

Direct peers

• Royal Ulster Agricultural Society: Northern Ireland's Royal Charter agricultural society operating the Balmoral Show and similar member-based support, education, and funding programs for the agricultural sector. Directly comparable UK-jurisdiction peer with similar governance model.
• Royal Bath and West of England Society: Historic UK Royal Charter agricultural charity running the Royal Bath & West Show, year-round event venue, education programs, and grants for farming and rural communities. Directly mirrors RHASS's combination of flagship show, venue, education, and funding.
• Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF): UK membership-based charitable organization supporting the dairy farming sector through events, awards, training, and policy advocacy. Comparable membership-charity structure and focus on a specific agricultural sub-sector with events at its core.
• Royal Welsh Agricultural Society: Operates the Royal Welsh Show, an annual four-day agricultural event in Wales, and runs membership-based programs supporting Welsh agriculture, education, and rural development. Closely comparable in structure, charter, and mission to RHASS's Royal Highland Show operations.
• Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth: International federation of national agricultural societies of which RHASS is itself an active member and conference participant. Highly comparable mandate around agricultural exchange, scholarships, and cross-jurisdictional collaboration.

Others

• Farmstrong Scotland: Mental health and wellbeing initiative for Scottish farmers that RHASS supports as a key partner. Thematically aligned around farmer wellbeing and rural mental health, but operates as a supported initiative rather than a peer organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RoyalHighlandShow
• Instagraminstagram.com/royalhighlandshow
• Xx.com/RoyalHighlandSh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJYLzOy7g6q9EhZlG-XqLOg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhass

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland