Tug o’ war competition

Highland Games fun Facts

Between May and September over 60 Highland games take place throughout the country every year. The atmosphere and excitement draws in thousands of locals and visitors – why not make it part of your vacation in Scotland?

Games and sports have been part of Perhaps the games’ most Scottish culture for centuries. Some iconic event, the caber toss, believe the roots of the Highland is rumoured to have stemmed games date as far back as the 11th from the need to toss logs over century, when King Malcolm III chasms. Nowadays, however, called a foot race to the summit of it is judged on style rather than Craig Choinnich, near Braemar, in the distance: competitors aim to flip hopes of finding the fastest runner a log weighing up to 11 st so that in the land to become his personal it falls away from them as close courier. to the ‘12 o’clock position as possible’. The length it travels is In the modern format we know entirely unimportant. today, Highland games have been celebrated around Scotland since World records are regularly the 1800s and regularly draw in broken at Highland games in crowds of thousands. Amongst Scotland and beyond. Last year the most historic is the Braemar a new Guinness World Record Gathering, which was awarded was set at the Masters World Royal Patronage by Queen Victoria Championships in , and is still regularly attended by when the most cabers were Her Majesty The Queen and other tossed at the same time. members of the Royal Family. Over 160 kilted athletes took part, with 66 cabers being An authentic Highland games successfully tossed in the combines sport, fun and culture, all allotted time. with a unique Scottish twist. Heavy contests like the hammer throw see competitors put their muscles to Ryan Dolan lifts Paul Craig, the test, while field events such as Scottish Backhold Wrestling the hill race test speed and stamina. at Cowal Gathering 2014 Pipers show off their skills in both solo and band competitions, while The Weight Over the dancers give dazzling displays Bar competition at the of fancy footwork in set pieces Inverness Highland Games including the sword dance and the famous . Highland dancing at the games was Every year, the world Championship originally an all-male event, and it haggis eating competition takes Highland dancers wasn’t until the late 19th century place at Birnan Highland Games. A © Grant Paterson that women started to enter. The fun, yet fiercely competitive event, Cowal Gathering is renowned for the winner is the competitor who the quality of its Highland dancing, finishes eating a pound of haggis in drawing in the best performers the quickest amount of time. from around the globe as they compete in the Scottish and World You never know quite what you’ll Championships. see at a Highland games. Often one of the highlights of the local For many, one of the most community calendar, they usually memorable sights of the Highland include a range of side shows, games is the massed bands, when such as livestock events, parades, hundreds of pipers from different pet shows and even bonny baby groups come together to play and competitions. At the Aberfeldy Show march in unison. Look out for the and Games in Perthshire, you can solo piping competitions, where even watch the more unusual sport competitors play in a range of styles, of terrier racing! including the pibroch, which is considered the classical of the Several games have boasted famous bagpipe. Pibrochs tend to be slow, chieftains, including the singer stately and complex. Susan Boyle, who was Chieftain of the West Lothian Highland Games in 2014. Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, Trainspotting) was named Chieftain of the games in his hometown Crieff in 2001, and fellow actor Dougray Scott (Desperate Housewives, Mission Impossible: II) has held the honour at the Markinch Games in Fife.

Open Hammer competition Weight for Distance competition Did you know that Baron Coubertin, The Scottish Highland Games the founder of the modern Olympics, Association, who represent over 60 was so greatly impressed by a Highland games in Scotland, state Highland display he saw at the 1889 that all competitors in open heavy Paris Exhibition that he introduced events must wear a kilt when they the hammer throw, shot put and the compete. Great news for kilt makers, tug o’ war to his competition? The and fans of the tartan look! former two are still included to this day. Competitors in the heavy events use a range of techniques to Haggis hurling began as a practical improve their chances of winning. joke in the 1970s but is now a One movement in the weight for popular event at many Highland height event goes by the somewhat games – there’s even a World Haggis surprising nickname of ‘the handbag Hurling Association dedicated to the technique’, because the starting sport! The current world record was position is similar to where one set at the Milngavie Highland Games would hold a handbag. in 2011, when Lorne Coltart hurled a haggis an impressive 217 ft. For full details about specific games and where they take place, Highland games now take place visit the Scottish Highland Games all around the world. The mostly Association’s website. northerly are held in Finnmark, Norway and the furthest south in Dundedin in New Zealand. The US and Canada host hundreds of Highland games, and there’s even a Latin American edition of the event in Brazil’s Sapucaia do Sul each year.