The caber is a large wooden pole, similar to a telegraph pole, which is usually between 5 and 6 metres long and can weigh anything up to 60 kg. Tossing the caber is the most popular of the athletic events. Some other dance competitions will include the Flora MacDonald, the Scottish Lilt, the Earl of Erroll, Highland Laddie, and the Blue Bonnets. The Highland Fling was originally an imitation of a courting stag, so historically, Highland dances were danced only by men.īut a woman named Jenny Douglas entered a Highland dance competition in the late 19th century, and there’s been several female World Highland Dance Champions at the Cowal Gathering since 1948. This is a very technical dance form, requiring a lot of practice and training over a period of several years to perfect the intricate footwork. With great fun and the great food (and drink) that’s usually on offer, combined with the grandeur of the Scottish scenery, the Games are a ‘must-see’ visitor attraction. Nearly all the games feature a range of piping and drumming competitions, caber tossing, highland dancing, athletic events, and individual pipers and drummers. The massing of the pipe bands is probably what people remember most, but pipes and drums are not the only music to be heard at a gathering. In their original form the Games revolved around sport and athletic competitions, which remain an integral part of the events, symbolised by the caber toss, designed to build the muscle. The Highland Games developed in Victorian times after the Highland clearances, when many highlanders came south to Glasgow and other parts of the country, and many more made their way to America, Canada, and many other countries around the world. Today, in addition to the Games all across Scotland itself, there are more than 200 annual games and gatherings across the US and Canada, with games also in New Zealand and Australia.ĭiscover the Highland Games taking place in Scotland this year on visitscotland.Celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture, Highland Games are held not only in Scotland, but in many other countries throughout the world. The Caledonian Club of San Francisco held its first Games in 1866 and boasts the oldest continuously running Games in the USA with the St Andrews Society of Detroit hot on its tail. ![]() Highland Games have been picked up across continents with the first Highland Games in the USA happening in New York in 1836. The competitive element is a major attraction in its own right but when combined with the spectacle of Highland dancers and pipers and the colour and grandeur of the Scottish scenery which forms their backdrop, Highland Games become a must on any visitor's Scotland itinerary.ĭiscover more about the bagpipes and Scotland's traditional music on ĭiscover more about traditional music festivals and gigs on Highland Games across the world The clan chieftains pitted their pipers against those of other clans and the prestige that came from success was considerable. There was a competitive element here too. Dancing, piping, fiddling, and playing the clarsach (Gaelic harp). The Games, of course, are as much about music and dancing as they are about sports. Today, the games remain a stirring celebration of Scottish identity and cultural pride which have endured through centuries of political turmoil and upheaval. This event is commemorated to this day in two famous Edinburgh landmarks – George Street and George IV Bridge. After its repeal the Games started to revive and the fortunes of the national customs were given a tremendous boost with the visit to Scotland in 1822 of George IV. ![]() The act outlawed Scottish dress, customs and gatherings and was in force for almost 40 years. Over time the Games grew in number and popularity but suffered a mortal blow with the Act of Proscription in 1746 following the crushing of the Jacobite Rebellion. From major towns and cities to tiny villages and far-flung islands, wherever you are in Scotland, you can be sure there is somewhere nearby which hosts its own games.ĭiscover more about highland games events at. Highland games events take place almost everywhere in Scotland each year. ![]() The contests of strength – jumping, running, throwing and riding – were introduced by Malcolm Canmore in 1040 as a means of selecting the most able men for soldiers and couriers. The Braemar Gathering, held in September, is the biggest and most prestigious Highland Games event and enjoys the annual attendance of the Royal Family. It's said the Highland Games originate from Ireland in 2000 BC and that they crossed the water to Scotland with the fourth and fifth century migrations of the Scotti into Dalriada (Argyll) and beyond. Here are some key pieces of trivia about the Highland games which are a highlight in the Scottish summer calendar and one of the country's oldest and most treasured traditions.
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