Originally, the Royal Highland Show travelled between the eight RHASS member regions across Scotland, rotating to a new location every year before settling at its permanent home in Ingliston in 1960. Serving for one year, the Presidential Team is comprised of representatives from these 'host' areas and work across the year to promote and showcase all their region has to offer. 

Representing Stirling this year, the Presidential Team will oversee their own Presidential Initiative, which will culminate at the 2024 Royal Highland Show. 

This year's RHASS President is Robin Gray, serving alongside Vice Presidents Alistair Donaldson OBE (FRAgs), Maimie Paterson, Alastair Logan and James McLaren, with the Reverend Gary J. McIntyre returning as Chaplain.  

A successful businessman and entrepreneur, at the age of 23, after working on a dairy farm for five years, Robin Gray set up a business specialising in transportation for agriculture goods. Over 30 years, the H&R Gray brand has grown to employing over 140 staff in the Stirling area, and more recently they have added an Ifor Williams trailer business based at United Auctions. He was Chairman of Callander Young Farmers and believes that the skills that he learnt back then have stood him in good stead for the modern challenges of today. He is still heavily involved in the day to day running of the family farm. 

Alistair Donaldson OBE (FRAgs) brings a wealth of experience from the meat and agriculture industry. After college, he spent four years in Uganda on a land development project, before spending 30 years at the Meat and Livestock Commission, latterly as Managing Director. Thereafter he was appointed Technical Director of the newly-formed QMS, and on retirement became Executive Manager of The Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers. His roles have been many and varied - board member of QMS, Chairman of the Scottish Panel in CARAS, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Butchers and a Church of Scotland Elder. 

Maimie Paterson is the main administrator in the family business, which bides at Auchenlay Farm near Dunblane. The enterprise is run by Maimie's husband Robert, along with their son Rab and his wife Kirsty. The farm consists of a very successful British Blue cattle herd which run alongside Charollais, Beltex and crossbred ewes. She has served two terms as Chair of the Beltex Sheep Society and two terms as their President. Presently, she is a council member of the British Blue cattle society and vice chair of NSA Scotland. The family have been huge supporters of the show circuit for over 50 years and have exhibited successfully at the RHS for many of these. She is a passionate supporter of Scottish and British agriculture and is quite happy to put pen to paper to argue her case in the public domain. 

Alistair Logan, known to all as Ally, he has recently retired from auctioneering after 44 years with Caledonian Marts in Stirling. The family name has been synonymous with the RHS for many decades in the dairy section, however today the family is now seen more frequently in the Highland Cattle lines. He was Chairman of Scotsheep in 2010 when it was held at the Graham's family of Mains of Burnbank and was a 1-year Director of RHASS in 1993-94, as well as stewarding for several years at the RHS. Today, he can be heard as an after-dinner speaker, but more regularly he has been the auctioneer at many charity events for over 25 years, raising funds for a variety of causes. 

James Mclaren farms a 550-acre mixed beef and sheep unit at Murrayshall Farm, Cambusbarron, Stirling. He also has a thriving equine stabling business, which lies alongside an agritourism enterprise. James has also ventured into renewables, with solar, wind, and hydro power-sources all featuring on the farm. A lifetime member of RHASS, he was a Director of the Society for 14 years, rising to become chief steward of Main Ring and serving on the PR&E committee. His dedication to Scottish agriculture is further underlined by serving two years as Chairman of the Forth Valley Countryside Initiative and he has sat on the Stirling Show committee for 35 years. 

A Campbeltown man through and through, Reverend Gary J. McIntyre was inducted in 1998 to St Ninians Old Parish Church, Stirling. He has a large contingent of the farming community in his parish and is very familiar with the challenges faced by farmers and has a high regard for the work they do and the invaluable contribution they make to society as a whole. Gary also served as Chaplain in 2006/7, setting him in good stead for serving us across the next year. 

RHASS Chairman, Jim Warnock said:  

"The RHASS team is pleased to welcome our new Presidential Team for the 2023/24 session, who will act as ambassadors of the Stirling region and all it has to offer – as a Stirlingshire man myself, I know all too well the amazing farming heritage of this beautiful region. 

"It will be exciting to see what the team has in store to exhibit the region, not only at the Royal Highland Show next year, but in the months leading up to the event. It will be important in shining a spotlight on both the Show and the Stirling area at large." 

RHASS President Robin Gray added: 

"It is a great honour and privilege for me and the Vice presidents, including our Honorary Chaplain, to represent the Stirling area and be part of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland for the forthcoming year. We look forward to delivering an initiative that will promote the Stirling area together with Scottish agriculture and enhance links with RHASS."