It’s not often that you get to go to work with over 6,000 cattle, sheep, horses and goats, not forgetting donkeys, alpacas, honeybees and sheep dogs! But that’s exactly what the Muckle team did this weekend when we took-up office with a view of hundreds of different breeds of cows at Scotland’s largest outdoor event, the Royal Highland Show!  

2025 is the second year we have managed the press office at this spectacular agricultural event which sees the crème de la crème of Scotland’s agri and rural communities gather to showcase their award-winning cattle and compete for prestigious trophies, cups, plates and prize money.  

While competitions have always been at the heart of the Show, which has run for 203 years, this historic event is about so much more than this. It’s where thousands of farmers and their families and friends gather annually for almost a week in June to socialise, catch-up, form new friendships and connections, discuss and take forward business opportunities and celebrate what is one of the sectors most long-standing traditions of coming together in person – something that most farmers or those working in the rural sector don’t get much chance to do when they’re working day and night looking after their animals and business at hand. 

And it’s not just for farmers. This year’s Show saw over 22,000 children attend with their families and with children 15 and under able to attend for free, it’s a popular choice for a family day out, where activities like axe throwing, forestry and mountain bike displays, live music and mini (Land) rovers can be experienced.  

It’s safe to say that the Show is one of the most heartwarming and wonderful sights to see. Set across 197 hectares – the equivalent of around 180 football pitches – it really is a location like no other where you can watch in awe as Scotland’s best livestock and horse riders compete, the country’s leading agricultural businesses showcase wonderfully big machinery and innovations and where the very best in Scotland’s food and drink providers share samples and new products all in one place. It’s where tradition meets modern ways of thinking and working, where you can see a hydrogen-powered engine displayed alongside a fourth generational farmer preparing an animal just as his great-great grandfather did.  

 So, after the team treading a combined 205,749 steps across four-days at the Show’s site at the Royal Highland Centre at Ingliston, here are some of our much-loved moments at the Show!  

1. Stalls, stalls, stalls

Yes, there are hundreds upon hundreds of stalls which help to house cattle during the Show but the stalls we’re talking about relate to the retail kind and 750 of them to be exact. 

Within Scotland’s Larder, businesses and start-ups stemming across Scotland’s food and drink sector set up shop for four-days to sample their wares and, importantly showcase tried and trusted, as well as new and emerging products to over 200,000 customers.  

It’s a platform like no other where suppliers, buyers and retailers join the trail to find the tastiest and trendiest delights. 

We absolutely LOVED hearing from the people and the stories behind social enterprise, Sea Buckthorn (https://www.seabuckthornscotland.co.uk/), Scottish moonshine company, Angus Alchemy (https://angusalchemy.com/), newcomer non-alcoholic spirit Naesip (https://naesipdrinks.com/), organic craft chocolate makers Chocolate Tree (https://www.choctree.co.uk/) and delicious berry brand, Angus Soft Fruits (https://www.angussoftfruits.co.uk/).  

2. VIP visits 

The Show is a hive of activity for grassroot discussions amongst farmers and local communities but also politicians and even Royalty. Across the four-days, the Show team was privileged to welcome the First Minister, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and HRH the Princess Royal. Yes, discussions touched on the key issues affecting the agricultural community but also saw John Swinney MSP making pizzas with young people in the RHET (the Royal Highland Educational Trust) Discovery Centre, which educates young people on activities and learning opportunities that align with the Curriculum for Excellence. Mairi Gougeon MSP met with many inspiring ladies at a Women in Agriculture Scotland breakfast to discuss the importance of women in Scottish agriculture and HRH Princess Royal watching the illustrious showjumping displays. 

3. A press office with a view  

In advance of the Show taking place, we helped to manage the accreditation for over 200 media from across the world! From navigating satellite trucks, to facilitating interview requests, sharing competitor information and imagery, the press office finally made it out of the chats and into reality when we set up our base above the Cattle Hall. Although noisy to start with the noise soon drowned out as the hustle and bustle of journalists began at 7am on Thursday morning!   

There’s nothing quite like the buzz of the media centre during a live event, and we absolutely loved seeing new and known faces and having wonderful chats about the industry, life and, as us Scots always do, the weather! We love nothing better than hosting everyone over the event, sharing amazing daily shots, assisting with filming requests and reading articles that perfectly capture the essence of the Show – pure magic! Our top reference to the Show has to be that the Royal Highland Show is like Glastonbury for the farming community (thanks Keith Findlay)!  

 4. Majestic animals 

Over 6,000 livestock were welcomed, including 700 cattle, 2,000 sheep, 400 heavy horses, 1,700 light horse entries, from 2,500 competitors! To be able to witness some of the spectacular events, from the Heavy Horse Turnouts (horses and carts), to the Grand Parade (the champion livestock), and the Young Handler competitions is always a great honour and this year didn’t disappoint. The Young Farmer tug of war is just as fun and there were some great fights on the field fought and won! In amongst all of the competitions are a series of wonderful awards that are given out each year. The Sir William Young Award is one of the top honours at the Show and recognises a lifelong dedication to the wider agricultural industry. This year, the award was presented to Jimmy Wilson, a renowned sheep breeder from Aberdeenshire. With his family by his side, it was an emotional moment that really reminds everyone the historic importance and legacy of an event like the Royal Highland Show, holds.  

5. Trophies for days 

With over 300 trophies handed out across the four-day event, it’s no mean feat preparing these for their new owners. Each trophy takes around an hour to polish, meaning it takes a full 40 days to get the trophies ready for the Show. This year, Jordan Zaccardelli of Links Engraving, has taken on the mantle of what you could say, is one of the most important jobs within competitions. Following the Show, all trophies will get engraved for the newest champions across all the Show’s categories.  

The Royal Highland Show 2026 dates have already been confirmed – 18th-21st June. If you’ve never been or can’t wait to go again, then make the most of early bird tickets now! We’re passionate about the Show and supporting our client, RHASS, organisers of the event. If you would like to link up with RHASS or be part of a future Show, please reach out to us.   

Creative communications agency Muckle Media has appointed Mike Alexander as Account Director to lead new business development and support the agency’s continued growth.  

Mike brings a wealth of experience to the newly created role, having previously worked at one of the UK’s leading business development consultancies, Future Factory (part of The Ingenuity Group).  

With expertise in lead generation and defining agency propositions, Mike is joining the team of 35 to work with loved brands and deliver clever and creative campaigns that drive success. The agency currently works with a range of high-profile brands including Galloway Cheddar, Isle of Harris Distillery and Popeyes, to name a few. 

Mike will work closely with creative director Jacquelyn Whyte to continue building relationships with exciting brands across Scotland and beyond.  

 Jacquelyn Whyte said; “Mike joins the team at such a pivotal time in our growth journey as we seek to continue to win work with major household brands on a global stage. Mike’s proven track record for lead generation and his passion for creative communications will help us continue to scale with purpose, while bringing even more exciting brands into the Muckle group. We remain committed to aligning our work and values to the triple bottom line through all our hires; people, profit and planet, moving towards a regenerative and more sustainable future.” 

Mike Alexander added; “I’m looking forward to contributing to Muckle Media and its bold, values-driven approach to communications. The agency has built a strong reputation for creative and impactful work, and I’m looking forward to helping shape its next chapter of growth.” 

The appointment comes after Muckle Media acquired 100% of Spey’s shares last year, making it a fully owned subsidiary, a further step in Muckle Media’s ambitious growth plans. 

Muckle Media was named no 27 in PR Week’s Top Agencies Outside of London list for 2025 and recently took home five PRCA DARE Awards as well as a Gold, Silver and Bronze award at the Marketing Society Scotland Star Awards. 

Muckle Media and Spey are once again celebrating after winning a trio of awards at The Marketing Society Scotland Star Awards 2025, including a gold, a silver and a bronze in what was a highly competitive night with some exceptional campaigns.

As the vibrant marketing community in Scotland came together, it was a night of celebrating enlightened thinking, innovation, and creativity.

A Vehicle for Change Taking Galloway Cheddar and FareShare UK on a Scottish Road Trip, Spey’s community-based campaign that saw over 90,000 meals donated across Scotland secured the gold award for brand experience. Also in brand experience, ‘Oh No Blu didn’t: A Perfect Pantomime Partnership’ came silver, with Muckle Media engineering Radisson Blu Hotel Glasgow’s sponsorship of the King’s Theatre pantomime.

The Royal Highland Show must go on, an integrated campaign delivered by Muckle Media and our agency friends at Lane and Lane Media for RHASS secured bronze in the hotly contested Tourism, Leisure, Culture & Sport category.

In total Spey and Muckle Media were shortlisted for seven awards, with our client entries for Essential Edinburgh and the Loch Ness Centre also shortlisted in the chairman’s SME awards list.

Nathalie Agnew, founder and Managing Director of Muckle Media, said: “The Marketing Society Star awards are the pinnacle of the Scottish creative and marketing sector and we are beyond pleased with our performance. Just for us and our clients to be shortlisted nine times across such competitive categories was a big win for us and to bring home a gold, silver and bronze really was the cherry on the top. This years theme ‘steal the limelight’ really came to life on the night and we were delighted to be front and centre on stage with Spey and Galloway.”

When I applied for an internship with Muckle Media, I expected to gain experience in media relations and campaign planning. What I didn’t expect was how quickly I’d feel like part of something meaningful or how much I’d grow both personally and professionally during my time here.

As a master’s student in Strategic Communication and Public Relations at Queen Margaret University, I came equipped with plenty of theory under my belt. But being part of a dynamic, fast-paced agency taught me that no amount of classroom learning can fully prepare you for the thrill of a live campaign or the buzz of securing media coverage for a client.

To say I was nervous on my first day would be an understatement, but the team at Muckle Media made me feel welcome straight away, throwing me into projects with real impact, but never without guidance. I supported everything from researching influencers and writing press releases, drafting media pitches, and contributing to campaign brainstorms. These tasks weren’t just given to me to tick a box, but were real opportunities to contribute meaningfully.

The Muckle Media culture is genuinely supportive. I felt encouraged to ask questions, try new things, and reflect on what I’d learned each day. There’s a real sense that everyone, from interns to directors, is valued and heard. And in a field like communications, that kind of internal alignment makes all the difference.  

This internship showed me that PR is the right career choice for me. It’s the perfect mix of strategy and creativity, and when done right, it makes a real difference. I’ve gained skills I’ll carry into every future role, and I’m grateful to Muckle Media for showing me what smart, values-led public relations really looks like.

My time at Muckle Media didn’t just unlock new potential but helped me realise that I already had it. I just needed the right environment to bring it to life.

We’re still riding high after taking home five golds at last week’s PRCA DARE Awards Scotland. From purpose-driven projects to powerful storytelling, it was a night that recognised bold thinking, big ideas and the brilliant people behind them. 

Rising Star of the Year – Olivia Messina 

A standout moment was our very own Olivia Messina being named Rising Star of the Year. Since joining Muckle Media from New York in 2022, Olivia has carved out a name for herself in our food, drink and hospitality division, ‘Taste’.  

In under three years, she’s risen from Senior Account Executive to Account Director, leading creative experiential campaigns and headline-grabbing restaurant launches across Scotland. 

Low Budget Campaign – The Loch Ness Centre: The Quest for Nessie 

Turns out, going smaller was the key to going global.  

To mark the 90th anniversary of Sir Edward Mountain’s iconic surface watch for Nessie, we launched The Quest 2.0, a modern take on monster hunting with a twist. 

While the brief encouraged us to think big, our insight told us to also go small — and using state of the art equipment we captured incredible images of ‘micro-monsters’ in the famous loch. The result – global press coverage, sold-out tours, and smashed sales targets for the newly refurbished attraction. 

Diversity, Inclusion & Purpose – Spey x Galloway Cheddar 

Our Spey team picked up gold for a powerful, community-led campaign with Galloway Cheddar and FareShare UK. 

The Galloway Gathering Project tackled food insecurity and social isolation by hosting ten pop-up food truck events across Scotland, each serving up cheesy goodness with the option for customers to donate a meal to someone in need.  

Add in MasterChef winner Gary Maclean dishing out mac and cheese at FareShare hubs, and a strong media push, and the result was a campaign that not only raised awareness but delivered meaningful impact. 

Team Culture & Community Award 

We’re incredibly proud to have been recognised for our team culture and community, it’s crucial to us that we’ve built an environment where people feel valued, supported and empowered to thrive. Our inclusion on the UK’s Best Workplaces™ 2024 list and ranking at #41 in the small business category is proof that happy teams do great work.

Large Consultancy of the Year 

Being named Large Consultancy of the Year capped off a dream night.

With major new business wins including the Orkney Island Games, Dean Banks Group, Popeyes, The Royal Highland Show, and Graham’s Family Dairy, alongside continued partnerships with iconic brands like Continuum Attractions, Barrhead Travel, and The Old Course Hotel, we’ve solidified our place in the UK’s PR landscape. And it all comes back to our team’s talent, creativity and commitment. 

Here’s to pushing boundaries, telling better stories, and always thinking bigger, or sometimes, smaller, when it counts! 

I sometimes wonder – has conversation become a lost art?

In a world where emails, WhatsApps, Teams calls and DMs dominate our daily lives, it’s easy to overlook, and perhaps forget, the power of a proper, face-to-face natter. But for me, conversation is everything. It’s one of the reasons I love working in PR – I love people! I love hearing their stories, understanding what makes them tick and finding the golden nuggets that bring their brand to life.

Being a great communicator isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ in PR – it can be the secret ingredient. Whether it’s chatting with clients, catching up with journalists, or collaborating with suppliers, good communication builds stronger relationships, creates better opportunities and ultimately, leads to bigger wins for everyone.

Not everyone is a natural-born communicator, but great communication isn’t about being the loudest in the room – it’s about being personable, memorable and bringing a little warmth into every interaction. It’s about finding your own style – whether that’s dry wit, playful sarcasm, high-energy enthusiasm or a calm and considered approach.

So, what makes a great communicator?

Active listening
Truly listening (not just waiting for your turn to speak!) makes all the difference. Paying attention to people’s stories, their interests, and their challenges. Remember the little things, how their daughter’s new job is going or how their weekend trip was. Make a tracker if you need to, but a thoughtful follow-up can turn a conversation into a real connection.

Confidence & friendliness
A warm, approachable attitude goes a long way. People want to talk to people who make them feel at ease and who they can trust. Having a genuine interest in others – whether it’s their brand, their article, their editor’s opinion – shows that you care. Speaking and writing with confidence boosts credibility and strengthens these relationships. And empathy, showing you care makes you approachable, and who doesn’t love a friendly face in a fast-paced industry!

Curiosity is key
Some of the best PR stories come from asking the right questions. Many clients don’t realise they’re sitting on storytelling gold – it’s just ‘normal’ to them! Being inquisitive, digging deeper and uncovering those hidden gems can turn the ordinary into something extraordinary.

Be proactive
PR is still a people – first industry. While digital communication is great, there is something that can be said for an in-person meeting, coffee catch ups with journalists or the buzz of an event. In the rapidly changing media landscape, one thing that remains constant is people need people.

At the end of the day, PR isn’t just about press releases and strategies – it’s about relationships. So, smile, be yourself and start a conversation. You never know where it might lead!

For any restaurateur, breaking into a new market is thrilling – whether it’s your very first venue or the latest addition to your restaurant empire, there’s a world of possibility with a whole new audience of potential customers at your doorstep, hungry for their next best meal.

But it takes more than flipping the sign to open to bring those eager diners through the door. And if those first few weeks don’t start strong, recovery can be near impossible.

On our Taste team, working with chefs and restaurants to make a memorable debut in a new region is (quite literally) our bread & butter, and across Scotland.

A strong, localised communication strategy ensures that your brand resonates with the local community. Even for brands with a massive global PR engine, partnering with a local agency can make all the difference, offering expertise, established media relationships, and a deep understanding of regional dining trends.

Every March we celebrate B Corp Month to recognise the people and the businesses redefining how we deliver impact out in the world. This year, I had the privilege of partnering with my fellow B Local Scotland Co-chairs, Muckle Media’s fabulous leader Nathalie Agnew and the inspiring Mehalah Beckett. Together, we hosted Scotland’s largest ever gathering of B Corps since the movement began in 2007.

Last Tuesday, B Corp and Beyond: Scotland’s purpose led business fest connected over 200 purpose-driven  leaders across three events in a single day. With only two months to pull it all together, the response from the Scottish B Corp community exceeded all expectations. It was a powerful reminder that connecting people with shared values and staying committed to better business is more critical now than ever.

The evolving business landscape
The environment in which businesses operate is changing rapidly. Intense geopolitical conflicts, DEI rollbacks, rising operational costs, shifting timelines for environmental and social impact reduction present huge challenges. With so many obstacles, it’s natural to ask: Is it still worth it? Are the odds stacked against us? Can we still create a positive impact in the face of such adversity?

My answer is a resounding yes. We can.

Frameworks and certification processes like B Corp are essential for helping us stay the course toward a future where every business is a force for good.

More than just a logo
B Corp certification is often viewed as a badge of honour – recognition of a company’s commitment to balancing people, place, planet and profit. But for us, it’s much more. It’s a vital operational framework that guides our continuous improvement for the benefit of our people and our community. From the clients we choose to work with to our four-day working week, and the suppliers we choose to work with, B Corp values are embedded in our culture and DNA.

B Corps are leading the charge
Leaving the world a better place than we found it isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good for business. B Lab UK, the certifying body for B Corps, recently revealed that B Corps outperform non-certified businesses in key areas including revenue growth, talent acquisition and social/environmental impact. Purpose-led businesses see tangible commercial benefit from doing things the right way.

The importance of communicating your values
In times of global uncertainty, communicating our values and expanding our community has never been more crucial. It’s easy to feel disillusioned by global setbacks, but we can’t let that discourage us. Instead, we need to surge forward and double down on our efforts, advocating for and embodying the change we want to see.

B Corp and Beyond reminded us that any contribution, no matter how small or imperfect, matters.

It’s essential that our stakeholders, partners, and clients understand why we do what we do and how we’re striving to create a better world. By openly sharing our commitment to purpose-driven practices, we build meaningful connections with others who share our ethos and find ways to learn from and support one another.

More than just messaging
Communications isn’t just about crafting the perfect message. It’s a tool to achieve your business objectives. Whether you’re aiming to increase revenue, attract talent, enter new markets or raise funds, your communications strategy should always support your core business goals and the purpose for which your organisation was founded.

Beyond selling a product or a service, clearly communicating why your business exists helps attract loyal customers, engaged employees and committed partners. It’s about building lasting relationships that are based on shared values, not just transactions.

For us, communicating our values—through social media, our website, or direct client engagement—is how we align our purpose with our bottom line. It shows the world that we’re not just in business for profit, but to make a difference.

Maintaining momentum As we reflect during B Corp month, we’re reminded that our work doesn’t end here. Being a B Corp is an ongoing journey of accountability and improvement. We’ll continue to make decisions that align with our values, communicate our purpose clearly, and connect with like-minded businesses that are striving for the same balance of profit, people, and planet.

For me, our event served as an important reminder of the role that individuals can play in improving our impact. My personal commitment is to connect as many impact leaders and organisations as possible, share ideas and stories that demonstrate the power of purpose, and do everything I can to capitalise on the momentum we have built.

Let’s keep pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a business that makes a difference.

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Those words from a passage in Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll are an apt way of illustrating the importance of knowing what you want to achieve both in life and work.

They can also be applied to those leading the charge for businesses. Purpose led leadership. Words that are used often and can sometimes sound nebulous, but if you’ve ever witnessed a leader who understands and lives their vision, and passes that enthusiasm and ethos to their employees, the impact is incredible.

Currently 19.1% of active UK companies are women led (almost one million businesses in the UK, according to Prowess UK), and women occupy over 43% of roles on company boards, according to a report released by FTSE Women Leaders Review and the UK Government.

Women-owned businesses have a positive spillover that goes beyond the financial and have a profound social and cultural impact. Women-led firms achieve significantly higher ESG scores and outperform non-women-led firms in terms of the likelihood of offering training opportunities to their workforce.

Purpose led and impactful leadership should be celebrated, as many choose to spotlight on International Women’s Day, which is marked in various ways by many people. Most recognise and use it is an opportunity to uplift and celebrate women and their achievements. Others feel that the meaning of the day has been lost, and this level of awareness should be being fought for each day, not on just one.

However you choose to mark International Women’s Day, it’s clear to see that while there is still a long way to go in gender equality, progress has been and is being made. Recent research from the House of Commons Library show that in the UK, the aggregate contribution of improvements in women participation to the UK’s GDP from 2011 to 2023 is at £74.4bn.

Women now also make up one-third of high-growth-oriented entrepreneurs, according to research from the GEM’s 2023/2024 Women’s Entrepreneurship Report.

At Muckle Media, led by our very own Nathalie Agnew, winner of Director of the Year at the 2025 Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Awards, we are lucky to work with a wide range of clients that share similar values to ours: Be kind, get results, and leave the world in a better place. These include women leaders that are driving their companies forward with purpose, at the forefront of their respective fields.

From pioneers in the animal health sector such as entrepreneur Dr Eve Hanks, who is on a global mission alongside her gender balanced team of experts, to improve health outcomes for animals through earlier disease diagnosis using revolutionary biomarker technology and artificial intelligence, to Carol McLaren, CEO of RSABI who leads the charity with passion and dedication, working to ensure vital support is available to farmers, crofters, and agricultural workers across Scotland when they need it most. Or how about Kirsty Talbot, director of the Orkney 2025 International Island Games, whose leadership has brought together athletes, volunteers, and the local community, to create a lasting legacy for the island that will inspire future generations. We’re also delighted to be working with Florence Rolland, a business negotiation specialist who has made it her life work to empower women to negotiate and advocate for themselves.

With the theme of ‘accelerate action’ leading 2025 International Women’s Day activity, we couldn’t write this blog without also mentioning What Matters to You. An approach supported through an investment from The Hunter Foundation and BBC Children In Need, the predominantly women led team work tirelessly to put community voice – many of who are women – at the centre of systems change.

These incredible women, and many others like them, are a living embodiment of action over rhetoric, and we love being able to support and amplify their voices, sharing their personal, and their companies’, achievements with the world.

We caught up with influencer engagement expert, Amy Anthoney, on how brands can successfully integrate influencers into their PR and marketing strategies. With years of experience navigating the ever-evolving social and digital landscape, Amy highlights her top five tips for achieving a strategic and thoughtful approach to influencer partnerships;