About Highland Games | Scotland.org (2024)

FAQs

What are the three main events in the Highland Games of Scotland? ›

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.

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.

The Games are also noted for their unique sporting and athletic events many of which involve throwing and lifting. These include the shot put, tug-o-war, caber toss and hammer throw - collectively known as heavy events. We take a look at some of the traditions and typical features of any Highland games.

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.

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.

The village of Ceres, in Fife, claims to host the oldest Highland Games in the world. In June 1314, the legendary Battle of Bannockburn took place 80 km/50 miles to the west.

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.

Nowhere in the New World is there a place more reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands than the home of America's grandest Highland Games—Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina.

Kilts: The kilt is the quintessential symbol of Scottish heritage and is widely worn at the Highland Games. Traditional kilts are made from tartan, a patterned wool fabric representing specific Scottish clans or regions. If you have Scottish ancestry, consider wearing a kilt that reflects your family's heritage.

What is the weight over the bar in the Highland Games? ›

Weight Over Bar -- Also known as weight for height. The athletes attempt to toss a 56 lb weight with an attached handle over a horizontal bar using one hand. For master's the weight is 42 lbs and women 28 lbs Each athlete is allowed three attempts at each height.

You are welcome to bring chairs, picnic baskets, blankets, coolers etc. We simply ask that you do not bring anything that would obstruct the view for others like a pop up canopy or tent.

There are Highland Gatherings throughout Scotland just about every weekend from May through September. The best of the bunch is the Cowal Gathering, held in Dunoon in late August every year. One of the best of the rest is the Lonach Gathering, held in Strathdon on the fourth Saturday in August.

Nowadays there are more descendants from the Highlanders living outside Scotland than there are inside. The results of the clearances are still visible today if you drive through the empty Glens in the Highlands and most people still live in villages and towns near the coast.

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 Scottish Heavy Events are composed of eight separate events that test both strength and power. Events include the Sheaf Toss, Caber Toss, Stone Put, Hammer Throw, Light Weight Throw, Heavy Weight Throw, Weight for Height, and Weight for Distance.

Some believe the roots of the Highland games date as far back as the 11th century, when King Malcolm III called a foot race to the summit of Creag Chòinnich, near Braemar, in the hopes of finding the fastest runner in the land to become his personal courier.

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.