An improved performance at last year’s Royal Highland Show helped the group return to profit following two years of losses.
The Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) reported an operating net income of £551,000 compared to losses of £1.8 million in 2024 and £3.1m in 2023.
The turnaround followed a plan aimed at reshaping the organisation’s finances which was put in place a year ago.
The Royal Highland Show provided an operating surplus of £404,624, compared with a loss of £837,009 in the previous year.
Sponsorship rose 24% to £865,234, with headline sponsor, Royal Bank of Scotland, extending its partnership with the Show through to 2028, making it the bank’s longest ongoing partnership.
The group includes the commercial subsidiary, Highland Centre, and the grant distributor the Royal Highland Society Development Trust (RHSDT).
Highland Centre Ltd, which trades as the Royal Highland Centre, hosted more than 100 events throughout 2025 and became the home once again to Edinburgh’s hugely popular Summer Sessions, which saw global stars Sam Fender and Chappell Roan perform sell-out concerts.
Edinburgh’s Summer Sessions will return this year, with Biffy Clyro, Florence & The Machine, The Prodigy, Lorde and The Cure lined up to perform in August.
As essential change to the group’s financial structure was the introduction of a new governance framework. It has streamlined decision-making processes and improved transparency and accountability.
The addition of independent non-executive board members on the HCL board and independent trustees on the Council have also helped to bring additional strategic input.
James Logan, chair of RHASS, said: “This past year has marked a turning point for RHASS with significant changes to improve the Society’s governance and financial performance.
“While we had planned to break even this year, the outcome has been better than we imagined and that’s all down to the hard work and dedication from the team, our directors, council members, and advisers for which we are extremely grateful.
“As with any major turnaround plan, our aim is to build on last year’s performance. There’s no doubt that there will be challenges ahead however, we have plans in place for how we grow income while remaining true to RHASS’s mission of supporting Scotland’s agricultural and rural communities.”
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