The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) has appointed Lord David Thomas Kennedy, 9^th Marquess of Ailsa, as Society President.

Having just taken up his position in late July, Lord Kennedy will preside over the 176^th Royal Highland Show in 2016 with his home region of Ayrshire the ‘host’ area.

Lord Kennedy farms near Maybole in Ayrshire where he has produced early potatoes, early cabbage, carrots and broccoli, daffodil blooms and bulbs, as well as wheat, barley, oats, oilseed rape, beans, fodder beet, turnips and maize.

In 2004, he was the Scottish winner of the Silver Lapwing award and later that year became a LEAF demonstration farmer.

Joining Lord Kennedy on the RHASS board will be four Vice Presidents from the Society’s Ayrshire Area: Alexander Wilkie, Director of Marketing with Müller Wiseman Dairies; Hugh Guthrie, a past RHASS Chairman and retired dairy farmer; Jack Lawson, ex Director of SMMB and now Independent Director at the Cattle Information Service (CIS); and John Cunningham, Managing Director with Border Biscuits.

Also appointed to serve for one year as Extraordinary Directors are:

Borders: Neil G C Thomson, Caverton Mill, Kelso

Aberdeen: Bryan Chalmers, Loganlea, Turriff

Highland: Isobel McCallum, Belmaduthy, Munlochy, Ross-shire

D&G: Russell Kingan, Criffel House, Kirkbean, Dumfries

Stirling: Colin MacPhail, Gartmore Farm, Gartmore, Stirling

Perth: Fiona Roebuck, South Strathy, Aberuthven, Auchterarder

Lothian: Mary Munro, Pencaitland, Tranent, East Lothian

Strathclyde: Alex Bankier, Springwells, Fernieshaw, Cleland, Motherwell

Reverend James Miliken, of Portland Parish Church, Troon will take up the chaplaincy.