THE ROYAL Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland’s art trail heads to its last locations across Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Scottish Borders.
The Flock to the Show trail features over 35 specially designed sheep sculptures, decorated by artists from across the UK.
The campaign celebrates the return of the Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing & Woolhandling Championships to the Royal Highland Show.
The art trail will be in the area until June 4th, when it will return to Ingliston for the Royal Highland Show during the Golden Shears in June this year.
This will be the only time the sheep sculptures will gather together in one location.
The art trail features 38 spectacular sheep sculptures, decorated by artists from across the UK and transported around the country.
The trail will also raise awareness of different causes related to farming, including regenerative agriculture, rural isolation and climate change.
Portuguese artist Adriana De Matos moved to Edinburgh in 2014, where she immediately fell in love with the beauty of Scotland’s flora and fauna.
Adriana was inspired by the concept of the ‘Black Sheep’, when creating her sheep ‘Sheep Will Rock Ewe’.
Painted as a fabulous rock star, the sheep echoes the Glam Rock and Metal bands Adriana idolised as a rebel teenager, during her very own ‘Black Sheep’ phase.
Edinburgh-based artist Alasdair Couzens was born in Cumbria and grew up in a farming community.
Inspired by old-school livestock breed posters of British farm animals that he had on his wall as a child, ‘The Breeds’ celebrates the diversity of sheep breeds found across the UK.
Multi-disciplinary artist and designer Gerry Gapinski created ‘BaaAT – BEE’ as an homage to his time cycling through the Scottish farmlands on forgotten and hidden cycle paths.
Beyond sheep painting, Gapinski is a renowned musician in the Edinburgh scene.
‘Marigold’, designed by Edinburgh-based artist Sarah Richmond, explores the natural colour-saturated designs found in the hedgerows lining our fields and roads.
As seen on her sheep, Sarah’s designs are characterised by their cheerful and lively colours.
The flock will be auctioned in September this year to raise funds that will support projects in the rural sector dedicated to mental health, sustainability, and women in agriculture.
The art trail features a diverse range of designs, from abstract works to spectacular Scottish landscapes.
James Logan, Director at Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) said: “Flock to the Show has reached its final leg and this is everyone’s last chance to see these fantastic sculptures out and about across Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Borders.
“Raising awareness not only of the great charitable work that RHASS does, the trail is also highlighting some important causes in the rural sector.”
Donald Harvey, Managing Director at Galloway McLeod, said:
“Flock to the Show is a brilliant initiative, raising the profile for the Royal Highland Show and the Golden Shears World Shearing Championships.
“RHASS is providing a platform for stakeholder engagement for rural Scotland, agriculture, equine and I suppose life, demonstrating sustainable, economic, low carbon food production.
“Looking after our planet and producing high quality food is at the top of the agenda for British Agriculture and this can be seen in full at the Royal Highland Show.”
Linda Tinson, Partner and Head of Rural Business, Burness Paull LLP, and Vice President of the RHASS Presidential Team, added: “We’re delighted to sponsor Ava. She’s the perfect nod to this year’s theme ‘the Science of Food and Drink: Berries and Beyond’.
“The Show is a major date in the agri-rural calendar and we’re proud to support as lead sponsor of the Presidential Initiative.
“My team and I joining Burness Paull has further cemented our commitment to rural business in Scotland.
“Our expanded offering will allow us to continue to meet the diverse and evolving needs of those in the sector.
“The show celebrates everything going on in the world in which we work, and we’re really looking forward to it.”
