158th Scottish Highland Gathering and Games (2024)

FAQs

How many Highland Games are there in Scotland? ›

More than 60 Highland Games are held across Scotland throughout the season, from the Carmunnock Highland Games in the south all the way up to the Durness Highland Gathering in the very north of the mainland. Below are just some of the most notable and best-known Highland Games events that take place every year.

Meat pies, bridies, Cornish pasties, sausage rolls, sausage links and scones are part of the traditional Scottish food served at Highland games.

The Ceres Games in Fife, which started in 1314, are the oldest Highland Games in Scotland, and they have been continuous and highly successful ever since inception.

It is said that King Malcolm III of Scotland, in the 11th century, summoned contestants to a foot race to the summit of Craig Choinnich (overlooking Braemar). King Malcolm created this foot race in order to find the fastest runner in the land to be his royal messenger.

SCOTLAND'S MOST ICONIC HIGHLAND GAMES

The Braemar Gathering, held in September, is the biggest and most prestigious Highland Games event and enjoys the annual attendance of the Royal Family.

Scotland's Highland games are usually one-day events taking place in outdoor spaces across the country. They feature traditional Highland sports such as the caber toss, tug o' war and the hammer throw, Highland dancing and music, and lots of family fun such as food and craft stalls and games.

There is no official dress code at the games, but many people like to show off their Scottish heritage. There are a sprinkling of women wearing tartan skirts and of course many men wearing a tartan kilt or a modern utility kilt.

For almost 200 years, the Braemar Gathering has been a highlight of the sporting calendar in Scotland. Nestled beneath bucolic, heather-strewn mountains, it is the most prominent and well-attended Highland games in the world, drawing vast crowds from across the globe.

Highland Games are as iconically Scottish as bagpipes, kilts and whisky – all of which feature heavily at any gathering.

tossing the caber, a Scottish athletic event consisting in throwing a “caber,” a straight, approximately 17-foot- (5-metre-) long log (from which the bark has been removed) so that it turns over in the air and falls on the ground with its small end pointing directly opposite the tosser. See Highland Games.

How old do highlanders live? ›

Highland cattle also have a longer expected lifespan than most other breeds of cattle, up to 20 years.

The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games is a Highland games event that has been held annually since 1956 at Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina. Celebrating the history and culture of Scots in North Carolina, it is among the first and largest modern Highland games established in the United States.

The Scottish Hammer is a spherical, metal ball weighing 16 or 22 lbs that is fastened to the end of a wooden handle and is thrown for distance. The athlete has his back facing in the direction of the throw.

The Royal Family started attending the games during the reign of Queen Victoria, who also purchased Balmoral. The annual event was a firm favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth.

Some sources estimate that there are over 1,000 different clan names associated with Scotland, while others suggest that there are closer to 200 distinct clans. One of the most widely recognized sources of information on Scottish clans is the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, which lists around 140 distinct clans.

The world's biggest Highland Games are the Cowal Games held in Dunoon, Argyll, Scotland. These games are also home to the World Highland Dancing Championship where dancers gather from the US, Canada, Australia and South Africa to compete in this form of traditional Scottish dance in its homeland.

The season stretches from May to September up and down the country. Annual agricultural shows and country shows are another occasion for the local community to gather and celebrate their successes so we've included them on this page. You may wish to read our blog about the history of Highland Games.