The Royal Highland Centre (or Royal Highland Showground) refers to the exhibition centre and showgrounds located to the west of Edinburgh, Scotland, adjacent to Edinburgh Airport and the A8. Purchased by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) in the late 1950's, the Royal Highland Centre now welcomes over 1m visitors annually to a wide range of events. The largest event is the Royal Highland Show, which attracts over 150,000 visitors each year.
The future of the Showground is threatened by the proposed expansion of Edinburgh Airport, under a UK government white paper which foresees the need for the Royal Highland Centre site to be used for airport use by 2013. These expansion plans are vigorously opposed by the RHASS, who argue that the Royal Highland Centre and Edinburgh Airport were both established at the same time, and hence neither should take priority over the other in their land needs. Also, it is unlikely that a similar site with suitable transport links could be found for the Royal Highland Centre within central Scotland.
