Scottish Smallholding & Countryside Festival

Scottish Smallholding & Countryside Festival ⁠The Biggest Small Farming Show in the Country! 🚜 Saturday 17th October 2026 at the Royal Highland Centre. Tickets & info: festival.scot⁠

The Festival is held at the Royal Highland Centre, EH28 8NB. Opening hours for the public are 9.00am to 4.00pm. Supported by the Scottish Government, the event includes livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, alpacas), and equine shows and showcases; a rural skills area with a Garden, Craft and Food competition, demonstrations and workshops; a trade hall and local food and a programme of talks, dis

cussions and demonstrations, supporting the Festival's aims to "inform, educate and inspire". The Festival's website is at https://festival.scot/ where you can sign up for a newsletter that will keep you up to date with developments.

⭐ Meet Netflix Superstar Raven from Free Rein! 🐴🎬✨Calling all pony fans and young riders! This is your chance to step on...
05/09/2026

⭐ Meet Netflix Superstar Raven from Free Rein! 🐴🎬✨

Calling all pony fans and young riders! This is your chance to step onto the red carpet and meet a genuine screen legend in person.

Raven, the star of the hit Netflix original series Free Rein, is joining us at the Scottish Smallholding & Countryside Festival on Saturday 17th October 2026 at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston!

Brought to you by Steve Dent Stunt Horses and appearing alongside the thrilling Destria Stunt Horses, Raven will be available for special meet-and-greet photo opportunities throughout the day.

🎟️ Don't Miss Out—Get Your Tickets Today!
Kids aged 13 & under go completely FREE!
Advance tickets are available online now.

Spaces around the red carpet will be popular, so plan your family day out early!

👉 Book your tickets now at: festival.scot

05/09/2026

If you do one thing this weekend, it’s to get your entries in!
Our festival is coming round fast (Saturday 17th October is just 6 weeks away!)
Full details on our website: festival.scot

🏆 Competition & Showcase Entries Are OPEN—Don’t Delay! 🚜🐑✨Planning to show your stock, display your vintage pride and jo...
05/09/2026

🏆 Competition & Showcase Entries Are OPEN—Don’t Delay! 🚜🐑✨

Planning to show your stock, display your vintage pride and joy, or demonstrate your traditional skills this autumn?

Entries are in full swing for the Scottish Smallholding & Countryside Festival on Saturday 17th October 2026 at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston.

Between allocating ring space, ordering pens, and arranging tables, our team is busy putting the final plans together—and spaces are filling up quickly!

Showcase Your Best Across Our Sections:

🏆 Competitive Livestock: Classes for Sheep, Goats, Pigs, and Alpacas.

🦆 Poultry & Waterfowl: Dedicated classes and pens for bantams, large fowl, rare breeds, ducks, and geese.

🫏 Animal Showcase: While we don't run competitive classes for cattle or equines, we’d love to welcome your Highland cows, donkeys, and native ponies to our non-competitive breed showcase to meet the crowds!

🚜 Vintage Tractors: Bring your heritage machines along and share the story of rural life from days gone by.

🧶 Rural Skills & Heritage Crafts: Classes covering woodcraft, fleece, wool, preserves, baking, and traditional handicrafts.

Whether you are stepping into a competitive ring or bringing a friendly donkey along to fly the flag for your breed, our festival is a welcoming, supportive showcase for smallholders and rural enthusiasts alike.

⏳ Pens and display spaces are strictly limited, so please don't leave it to the last minute!

👉 Download your schedules and submit your entry forms today at: festival.scot

(🔗 Direct link also pinned in the comments below!)

02/09/2026

🐓 Poultry is Back at the Festival! 🦆✨

There was crisp autumn chill in the air this morning, which means we’re one step closer to the Scottish Smallholding & Countryside Festival on Saturday 17th October 2026 at the Royal Highland Centre!

After a challenging few years for the poultry community, we are delighted to welcome competitive poultry and waterfowl back to the show.

Thanks to the dedication of keepers, enthusiasts, and our experienced stewards, this year’s section is set to be a cracking showcase.

Whether you're a dedicated keeper or simply love rare breeds, ducks, geese, and bantams, this is your chance to get involved:

🏆 Show Your Birds: Classes are open across a wide range of poultry and waterfowl categories. Pen space is limited, so make sure to get your entries in before time runs out!

🎟️ Bring the Whole Family: Come along to meet breeders, learn about backyard flock care, and enjoy a brilliant day out celebrating Scottish rural life. (Kids 13 and under go completely FREE!)

👉 Enter your birds and grab your advance visitor tickets today at festival.scot!

(🔗 Direct links pinned in the comments below!)

30/08/2026

⏳ Make the Most of the Bank Holiday: Get Your Entries In! 🌾📋

We’re in the final planning stages for the Scottish Smallholding & Countryside Festival on Saturday 17th October 2026 at the Royal Highland Centre!

Between sorting out pens, tables, and rings, our team needs to confirm numbers—and time is quickly running out.

If you've got a bit of downtime this bank holiday weekend, grab a cuppa, pull up the schedules, and lock in your entries:

🏆 Livestock Rings: Sheep, Goats, Pigs, Alpacas & Equine (£12 herd entry fee!)
🏆 Poultry & Waterfowl: Dedicated pens across all breeds
🏆 Rural Skills, Crafts & Vintage Tractors

🎟️ Planning to visit? Advance visitor tickets are available online now (kids 13 and under go FREE!).

👉 Head over to www.festival.scot to download your schedules, enter online, and secure entry tickets today!

29/08/2026

🐐 Living Their Best Life! Meet the Goats at This Year’s Festival 🌾✨

Look at this lively bunch clearing the woodland and living their absolute best life! 🌳

Goats are always a huge crowd favourite, packed with personality, curiosity, and boundless energy. If you or the family love goats, you won’t want to miss our dedicated goat section at the Scottish Smallholding & Countryside Festival on Saturday 17th October 2026 at the Royal Highland Centre!

Come along to meet different breeds, watch the live ring judging, chat with passionate breeders, and get up close with these wonderful animals.

⚠️ GOAT KEEPERS & BREEDERS: Entries Filling Fast!

Thinking of bringing your herd? This is your reminder not to leave it too late!

Spaces Are Limited: Penning and ring entries are filling up rapidly across dairy, Boer, Pygmy, and mixed classes.

Unbeatable Value: Enter your stock with our flat £12 herd entry fee.

Whether you're stepping into the ring or looking for a fantastic autumn day out (kids 13 and under go FREE!), we’d love to see you there.

👉 Submit your goat entries or grab your advance visitor tickets today at festival.scot!

🎟️ https://festival.scot/entrance-tickets/
🏆 https://festival.scot/product/goat-entry/

29/08/2026

🐴 Calling All Horse & Pony Fans: The Ultimate Equestrian Day Out! 🌾✨

If you have a pony-mad kid in the family or love horses yourself, this is one festival day you genuinely cannot miss!

We’ve packed the Scottish Smallholding & Countryside Festival on Saturday 17th October 2026 at the Royal Highland Centre with incredible equestrian action, hands-on fun, and unforgettable meet-and-greets.

🌟 What’s in Store for Horse Lovers:

🐎 Ride Duke the Mechanical Horse: horsescotland is bringing Duke along! Jump in the saddle, test your riding balance, and have a go with their fantastic team.
🐴 Hobbyhorse Arena: Grab a hobby horse and tackle our fun mini-course—perfect for energetic young riders!
🎥 Meet Screen Star Raven: Step onto the red carpet to meet and grab a photo with Raven, the famous equine star of Netflix’s Free Rein, courtesy of Steve Dent Stunt Horses!
🎪Thrilling Stunt Displays: Watch the sensational Destria Stunt Horses showcase high-energy horsemanship and trick riding in the Main Ring.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Meet All 4 Native Scottish Breeds: Get up close and chat with breeders of our magnificent Clydesdales, Highland Ponies, Shetland Ponies, and rare Eriskay Ponies (plus 8 other heritage breeds!).

🎟️ Book Your Tickets Now—Kids Go FREE!

Pack up the family for a full day of horses, demonstrations, crafts, and countryside fun.

Kids aged 13 and under go completely FREE!

Advance tickets available online now.
👉 Grab your tickets today at festival.scot!
(🔗 Direct ticket link also provided in the comments below!)

25/08/2026

🌾 Martin’s Musings: An Update on the Bluetongue Situation
On today's morning walk, our festival chair Martin Beard addresses the topic on every livestock keeper’s mind right now: Bluetongue.
With cooler autumn temperatures beginning to set in, the hope across the agricultural sector is that declining midge activity will help slow any potential spread. In the meantime, both the Scottish Government (gov.scot) and APHA continue to issue clear, up-to-date guidance and vaccination advice for keepers.
🏛️ What Does This Mean for the Festival?
Business as Usual: Our current planning for the Scottish Smallholding & Countryside Festival on Saturday 17th October 2026 continues as scheduled.
Monitoring Closely: The festival committee is closely following all official updates from the Chief Veterinary Officer and APHA.
Keeping You Informed: If any government movement restrictions or regulations change over the coming weeks, we will communicate clear updates immediately to all exhibitors and ticket holders.
📚 Stay Informed
We encourage all keepers to stay up to date through official channels:
Check the latest guidance on gov.scot
Keep in close contact with your local vet regarding flock/herd biosecurity and vaccination options.
We'll keep you posted as the season progresses. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you at the Royal Highland Centre this October!
(🔗 Official government information linked in the comments below.)

🐴 Meet the Breeds: All 4 Native Scottish Equines & More! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✨Calling all horse lovers and equestrian enthusiasts! Ou...
22/08/2026

🐴 Meet the Breeds: All 4 Native Scottish Equines & More! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✨

Calling all horse lovers and equestrian enthusiasts!

Our Equine Showcase at the Scottish Smallholding & Countryside Festival on Saturday 17th October 2026 at the Royal Highland Centre is shaping up to be truly extraordinary.

We currently have 12 incredible breeds confirmed, including all four native Scottish breeds!

🌟 Who You’ll Meet in the Equine Ring:

⭐️ The Scottish Native Four: Shetland, Eriskay, Highland, and the mighty Clydesdale (featuring both ridden and driven displays!).
⭐️ Heritage & Native Favourites: Exmoor, Dartmoor, Fell, Welsh Section A, Cleveland Bay, New Forest, Connemara, and Icelandic.
⭐️ Special Features & Demos: Meet the amazing team from Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), plus thrilling performances and stunt magic from Destria Stunt Horses (including a special appearance by Netflix star Raven!).

Get up close, meet the horses and ponies, and chat directly with passionate owners and breeders to learn all about the history, temperament, and versatility of each breed.

🎟️ Book Your Tickets—Kids Go FREE!

With 12 breeds to discover, thrilling ring demos, and a packed countryside festival floor, this is the ultimate day out for equine fans of all ages.

Kids 13 & under go completely FREE!
Advance adult tickets available online now.

👉 Secure your tickets today at festival.scot!
(🔗 Direct ticket link also in the comments below!)

Address

Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston
Kirkliston
EH28 8NB

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