The various clan societies make the Highland games one of the main focus of their seasonal activities, usually making an appearance at as many such events as possible. Foremost among these are the clan tents and vendors of Scottish related goods. There were several traditional dances that were danced along to traditional music.Īt modern-day Highland Games events, a wide variety of other activities and events are generally available. Many such events offer fiddling, harp circles, Celtic bands and other forms of musical entertainment, the latter usually spiced with a healthy amount of bagpipe music. Music at Highland games gatherings takes on a variety of forms. In addition to the massed bands, nearly all Highland games gatherings feature a wide range of piping and drumming competition, including solo piping and drumming, small group ensembles and, of course, the pipe bands themselves.īut the pipes and drums are not the only music which can be heard at Highland games. It is, in fact, the music of the bagpipe which has come to symbolise music at the Games and, indeed, in Scotland itself. The result is a thunderous rendition of traditional favourites Scotland the Brave or Amazing Grace, and other crowd-pleasing favorites. Normally held in conjunction with the opening and closing ceremonies of the games, as many as 20 or more pipe bands will march and play together. Regardless, it remains true today that the athletic competitions are at least an integral part of the events and one - the caber toss - has come to almost symbolize the Highland games.Īlthough quite a range of events can be a part of the Highland athletics competition, a few have become standard.įor many Highland games festival attendees, the most memorable of all the events at the games is the massing of the pipe bands. Though other activities were always a part of the festivities, many today still consider Highland athletics to be what the games are all about - in short, that the athletics are the Games, and all the other activities are just entertainment. In their original form many centuries ago, Highland games revolved around athletic and sports competitions. However, the modern Highland games are largely a Victorian invention, developed after the Highland Clearances. From this letter, it is believed that the competitions would have included feats of arms. They were to arrive wearing Highland coats and 'also with gun, sword, pistill and dirk '.

There is a document from 1703 summoning the clan of the Laird of Grant, Clan Grant.

This event is currently held Labor Day weekend in Pleasanton, California. Worldwide, however, it is dwarfed by two gatherings in the United States: the 50,000 that attend Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina and the even larger gathering-the largest in the Northern Hemisphere-that has taken place every year since 1865 hosted by the Caledonian Club of San Francisco. The Cowal Highland Gathering, better known as the cowal Games, held in Dunoon, Scotland every August, is the largest Highland games in Scotland, attracting around 3,500 competitors and somewhere in the region of 15–20,000 spectators from around the globe.

While centred on competitions in piping and drumming, dancing, and Scottish heavy athletics, the games also include entertainment and exhibits related to other aspects of Scottish and Gaelic culture. Certain aspects of the games are so well known as to have become emblematic of Scotland, such as the bagpipes, the kilt, and the heavy events, especially the caber toss. Highland games are events held throughout the year in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands.

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