Animal rights charity Peta has said Scotland's biggest agricultural show should get rid of its animal displays and go vegan – replacing livestock shows with a "turnip beauty pageant".
The organisation claims that the Royal Highland Show is "outdated" for its practices of showcasing thousands of animals, including scores of cattle breeds, sheep, horses, goats and birds. Each event – the next of which takes place from June 22 to 25 – sees around 200,000 people descend on Ingliston near Edinburgh to see contests including show-jumping and sheep-shearing, which Peta brands "cruel".
Peta, which is known for its provocative and sometimes controversial campaigns, has proposed replacing the event with the Royal Highland Grow, an entirely plant-based event with no animal products, to encourage more environmentally friendly farming practices. It has released a "cheerful" logo for its would-be replacement, featuring new mascots Neep and Tattie – a cartoon turnip and potato.
