“It is a blessing and a curse,” David Tennant says with a smile.
‘It’ is the Royal Highland Show, and this is the fourth year that Mr Tennant will be leading operations at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston.
Now in its 204th year, the Show is an incredible feat of organisation, bringing together more than 200,000 people, 6,000 animals, and 700 trade stalls over four days.
That is the blessing.
The curse? There is so much to do, it has become difficult to advertise the myriad of events.
So I spoke to the man behind the magic to get the inside scoop of what to expect at the Royal Highland Centre this year.
Mr Tennant quips that his team have come up with 101 different things to do over the four-day event in June (they actually have; activities range from visiting Scotland’s Larder and watching the national Ice Cream Championships to enjoying the view high atop the Big Wheel and dodging flames from live circus performers).
“If you come to the show for four days, you can have four completely different days,” he says. “You can do your business in one day, you can have your family day on the next, you can have your social day on the next one and then your rest on the day after that.
“There's so much to do at the Show and our challenge is making sure that we are telling people how much is on and the breadth and the variety of activities you can see at the Show,” he adds.
Mr Tennant is keen to tell me how he got involved with the Show in the early 2010s.
“I started working at the show as a summer temp about 15 years ago,” he says. “I started off packing rosettes for the livestock and competitions team and did that for four summers before I went through university.
“When I came out the other end, there was a job. That was 10 years ago.
“A decade later, I'm still here and I've kind of just worked my way up. I'm from a farming town, but not from a farming background, but I definitely got the bug when I started working.”
It is clear there is little doubt in Mr Tennant’s mind about the importance of the work he is doing.
Indeed, there is an air of reunion each summer when the Show rolls around, as old friends gather in the fields near Edinburgh Airport, ready to show off their produce and livestock.
“Anyone you meet in the agricultural industry, they've generally got a story they want to tell you about the Show,” Mr Tennant tells me. “They might have met their partner there, they might meet friends that they only see once a year.
“It's such a social event and it's so important for agriculture because it can be quite an isolating industry. A lot of these guys work independently and isolated.
“So it's a great opportunity for them to come together and let their hair down."
The Show also plays a massive role in educating urban Scots about where their food comes from.
“It's massive. It's that showcase of everything, of all the hard work that those farmers put in all year round,” Mr Tennant says. “A massive part of the show is educating the urban population of where their food comes from.
“The connection between inner city people and where their food comes from seems to be widening all the time. So the show plays a really important part in connecting those dots.
A key aim of the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland, the charity behind the Show, is to educate children and young people about agricultural life.
I am told that children under the age of 15 can attend the festival for free.
Mr Tennant remarks: “Over the four days, kids 15 and under go free, which is one of our key [commitments] and is really something that's really important to us.”
He goes on to say: “The show is the main way that we fulfil our charitable remit and education is a key part of that. We work closely with one of our partners, the Royal Highland Education Trust.
“They bring the vast majority of the kids. They have around 200 pupils who attend the show on Thursday and Friday.
“Educating that next generation about where the food comes from, but also the opportunities in agriculture as a career, [is really important].”
What is at the top of the to-do list for this year’s Show?
The addition of The Reeling, which will make its Edinburgh debut on June 20 during the festival’s Saturday evening music slot, is hotly anticipated.
Mr Tennant explains: “We have The Reeling this year, which is very exciting. We’ve partnered up with The Reeling, which used to be held in Rouken Glen Park in Glasgow.
“We’ve got a great full Scottish lineup for people; Dougie McLean, Elephant Sessions, and Skippinish will all be there.
Another key element is the family day, scheduled for Sunday, June 21.
“We have rather real focus on our Sunday, making that a real family day. So this year we've introduced a family ticket, which gets two adults and two kids in as a combo,” he says.
“We're currently working on a dedicated Sunday programme, which will have some elements dedicated to families.”
Read more:
- Time to support Scotland's farmers, boss of nation's largest agricultural show says
- Outdoor music festival relocates from Glasgow park to Edinburgh arena
- Royal Highland Show launches writing competition for kids
Other highlights include a food & drink hall, live sheep shearing, musical entertainment, show jumping, and educational experiences.
Mr Tennant tells me that he is something of a guardian of memory for the generations of farmers who travel to the Show each year.
“It means so much to the agricultural community. It is the highlight of their year,” the Show maestro says. “It is a real celebration of Scotland and its produce and its agriculture and its rural heritage.
“I feel like a bit of a custodian of it. Everyone has a story about when they came to the Show as a kid, and it’s my job to make sure that the next generation is telling those stories in 20, 30, 40 years time.”
Tickets for the Royal Highland Show begin at £45.00 per day for adults.
