Highland Games Sports | 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Football. Football is, without question, the number one sport in Scotland and every great sport is not complete without a rivalry to match.

Stone Put. This event resembles the modern day shot-put but with a 16-18 lb. stone picked from a local river. The throw takes place from behind the “trig” or toe board and is thrown for distance.

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 hammer throw in the Scottish games? ›

Hammer throw

The hammer throwing event features a hammer made from a metal ball weighing around 22 lb for men or 16 lb for women, attached to a wooden pole or handle. Participants use the handle to whirl the hammer around their head and then throw it as far as they can.

It is normally practised at the Scottish Highland Games. In Scotland, the caber is usually made from a larch tree, and it can be between 16–20 feet (5–6 metres) tall and weigh 90–150 pounds (40–70 kilograms). The term "caber" derives from the Gaelic word cabar, which refers to a wooden beam.

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

The Cowal Highland Gathering, better known as the Cowal Games, is held in Dunoon, Scotland, every August. It is the largest Highland games in the world, attracting around 3,500 competitors and somewhere in the region of 23,000 spectators from around the globe.

Highland Games are thought to have originated from the great gatherings and fairs held by Scottish Highland clans since medieval times, where the clans would compete against each other in feats of strength and skill.

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.

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 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.

The Highland Games originated from King Malcolm III, who challenged his kingdom to a race up a mountain; in order to find the fittest and fastest runner to be his personal messenger. Lots of non-sporting events feature at the games including best dressed pets, mock-battles, sheepdog trials and ceilidhs.