RUMOURS of unrest have hit the Royal Highland Show, as it has come to light that show manager, David Jackson is 'going to be out of the Society for some time'.

This comes in the same year that saw the show's two trade stand managers leave their positions in the week directly running up to the 2018 event.

Commenting on the developments, a Royal Highland Show spokesman said: "I can confirm that David Jackson is not currently at the Society. We cannot comment any further as we must respect employee confidentiality.

"Two other members of the RHS team have not been at work for an extended period of time – again we cannot offer any further details at this stage.

"The wider RHASS management team and the experienced RHS team have taken over responsibility for delivering the 2019 Show. The Society has robust processes and procedures in place that will ensure a seamless 2019 event."

The RHS spokesman continued: "With regard to the financial position of the Society, I can confirm that expenditure is planned and approved by the RHASS Board and it is in line with our ongoing investment in the showground. The multi-million pound members area has received planning permission. We are in the process of appointing a contractor and plan to start early in the new year as planned.

"The Society is in a robust financial situation and is well positioned to continue our investment in the showground in order to deliver a sustainable charity for the benefit of the agriculture sector."