For the third year running, Scottish Rural Action partnered with a fantastic range of organisations to deliver the Community Showcase at The Royal Highland Show 2026. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to The Scottish Government and The Scottish Rural Network for making this collective opportunity possible.
The Royal Highland Show (RHS) takes place every year at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, bringing together hundreds of thousands of people in a vibrant celebration of rural life. The goal of the Community Showcase is to place ‘community’ at the heart of the RHS, alongside the traditional sectors — agriculture, forestry, and fisheries — that have long shaped the event.
The Friday Events – 19th June
For the first time, SRA and partners will collectively hosted two events within the Scottish Government Marquee (Avenue Q):
Event One: Rural & Island Communities – Brilliant, Resilient & Leading the Way
A breakfast reception to celebrate exciting news about the Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) programme, and the 6th session of the Scottish Rural & Islands Parliament.
➡️ 9.45am–10.45am
Event Two: Community Wealth Building – Ideas that Travel Home with You
Community Wealth Building brought to life through inspiring examples from rural and island Scotland.
➡️ 2.30pm–3.30pm
Together, these events aimed to strengthen engagement with policymakers, amplify community voices, and highlight how rural and island communities are driving innovation, resilience, and local action across Scotland.
The Weekend Community Showcase – 20th–21st June
This year, the weekend Community Showcase explored the theme of “play”, building connections between nature, climate, creativity, and community action. Our creative partners, Imagine If, led a range of engaging activities designed to spark conversation and collective storytelling, while partners hosted stalls, games, and activities throughout the weekend.
The showcase programme included:
✴️ Fun, interactive performances from The Walking Theatre Company, as their green flower fairies made magic and mischief!
✴️Hands-on learning and play from SRUC, plus interactive water-themed activities with the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University — exploring climate, sustainability, and community innovation.
✴️ Testing your geography skills by placing magnetic Scottish islands in their correct locations on a map of Scotland!
✴️ Live music from The Balquidder Whistlers and The Woodsmoke Ranters.
✴️ Stands packed with activities, temporary glitter tattoos, and games for all ages 🎨
✴️ STEM challenge: pupils from George Watsons College and Lochgelly High School raced to build and dismantle a kit car
We were proud to work with a wide range of organisations, including:
Scottish Community Alliance, InspirAlba, The Scottish Rural & Islands Transport Community (CIC), Borders Community Action, Reforesting Scotland, SRUC, The Poverty Alliance, FEL Scotland, Youth Action Fife, Outer Hebrides YLAG, Community Woodlands Association, Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Strathclyde, Forth Valley & Lomond YLAG, SCOTO, Imagine If, Open Aye, and The Walking Theatre Company.
Scottish Rural Action Social Media Accounts: