Highland Games

On Saturday, July 23rd, we left the boat at a dock on Loch Ness and took the bus back to Inverness to watch the Highland Games.

According to the official program, the "Scottish Highland Games are traditional annual Scottish themed outdoor community events with a multiple-activity format." So what's involved?

These games are a bit like the Olympics-Scottish style. In fact, the founder of the Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was inspired by the Highland Games held at the Paris Exhibition of 1889 which he visited. This experienced shaped his vision for the Olympics, which was first realized when the Olympic Games of 1896 became the first of the modern era.

The program for a Highland Games is divided into two categories featuring a combination of "essential" competitions, displays and rituals and "optional" competitions, rituals and displays. The "essential" parts of the program consist of the five traditional heavy throwing events contested by competitors known as "heavies" and two cultural events. The "essential" throwing events are Tossing the Caber, Putting the Stone, throwing the Hammer, throwing the Weight for Distance, and Throwing the Weight over the Bar. The "essential" cultural events are Highland dancing, piping, and an assortment of rituals or ceremonies which at some point during the day will involve a Games Chieftan. These events are defined as "essential" because, without them, a Gathering would be viewed as lacking all the necessary ingredients to be considered a true Highland Games.

The "optional" competitions, rituals, and displays which also take place at a Highland Games can include any combination from a menu of various other activities such as track and field athletics, tug of war, cycle races, hill and road races, wrestling, musical entertainment, local competitions, and parades.

I've posted some pics above so you can get a feel for the day. Enjoy!