Highland Games, Read about Highlander Games

[CelticRadio]

Highland games are traditional competitions originating in the highland areas of Scotland and still held there and in other parts of the world where Scots have settled. The largest Highland Games in North America are held yearly at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. The competitions are best known for traditional competitive athletic heavy events.

Read more from the full article and then discuss it here!

http://heraldry.celticradio.net/history.php?id=1

[jesstuss]

These sound neat!!! I would so totally love to see the Scottish hammer throw, as it sounds backbreaking and entirely wild. And not just one harp, but musicians all in a circle???

Oh wow!!!

Would love to just put my Belgian Sheepdog into the mix of herding dogs, just for the fun of seeing how he'd do.

It sounds like so much fun. Has anyone been to them in either country?

[Sekhmet]

I keep threatening to have an SCA event that would be for all intents and purposes a highland games. I've been studying them to figure out the feasibility of it for awhile now...they'd be a blast.

[Emmet]

The Games are a blast; I look forward to them all year long, and our local Games (the oldest (41 years) south of Grandfather Mountain) are the highlight of our season. Our "Games Week" also features dinners, clan receptions, a tattoo, piping and dance workshops, a whisky tasting (where I pipe in the first barrel of seasonal "Highland Games Ale" from our local brewery), and a haggis hunt. Our heavy athletics club has a "challenge stone"; 100 lbs. or so, which I think is the heaviest in North America. I believe the record so far is held by a professional linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks; a tad over 14 feet.

One thing the article didn't mention was "Clan Row", where the clans set up informational and hospitality tents; a great opportunity to meet new friends and discuss history over a dram with folks who care passionately about such things.

If you appreciate piping, closing ceremonies usually feature massed bands; all of the pipe bands in attendance on the field at one time; often well over a hundred pipers playing in unison, a sight seldom if ever seen outside of Highland Games.

Oh yes; and let's not forget the beer tents; where often some of the best piping and fiddling takes place after closing ceremonies; not for medals, but just for fun over a few pints. Many Games host a ceilidh the evening afterwards, too.

Wi' a hundred pipers, an' a', an' a'...

[jesstuss]

Hmm. What month is this in? I feel a vacation coming on...

[TheCarolinaScotsman]

You can go to http://www.usscots.com/events/usa/california.html to find a highland games near you. This has a listing of all the games and highland festivals in the US.

I participated in the heavy events at Grandfather Mountain (years ago when I was "young"). I wasn't that good, always finished somewhere in the middle of the pack. But participating is SUCH a blast. If you are able, I highly recomend giving it a try. My brother was much better than I, and his son won the highland wrestling there several years in a row. Watching is nice, but participating in some form or fashion infintely multiplies the experience. This could be in athletics, music or one of the numerous caleidhs that are always held in conjuction. Meet people, get involved, talk about Scottish history, culture or genealogy. Someone is going to have the same interests as you do. Go, have fun, learn. Oh yeah, and you can SHOP.

[Sekhmet]

I go to the Mountain when I can...hopefully this year I can get away. Otherwise I go to the Ligonier Highland games. Which is actually a four day weekend if you're in the right loop.

[TandVh]

A few years back my Son surprised me by ordering enough material to make himself a great kilt. He researched the heritage of his name and found that he was primarily of Scottish descent and that there was a local highland game held just a mile or so from where we live. In May of 2004, he decided to attend and participate in the local games so he put his homemade great kilt on, and we all went to the Rhino Games to watch him in the events. Of course, he did very poorly in the competitions, however, we were all so very impressed with how he did all of this that he was aa true winner in the Henderson houselhold.
His enthusiasm rubbed off on me, and we both ordered kilts from Sportkilt and started practicing for the next years games.
I must say that the competition is too stiff for me- I,m 54 yrs old and can't keep up with him in the events. I find the caber toss to be especially challenging and refuse to embarass myself in front of everyone by doing it at the games, but, I am so glad to have shared this learning experience with my son.

The highland games are certainly a great way to indulge our obsession with our Scottish heritage and i would encourage eeveryone to at leaast go and visit one if there is any within reasonable driving distance.