WHighland games are events held in spring and summer in Scotland and other countries with a large Scottish diaspora, as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. 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. 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 cultures.
WThe B.C. Highland Games is the second oldest continually running Highland Games in British Columbia, Canada. The games are run by the BC Highland Games Organizing Committee as a program of the United Scottish Cultural Society of Vancouver. The 2021 Games will be held at Town Centre Park on Sept. 3 & 4, 2021 in Coquitlam.
WThe caber toss is a traditional Scottish athletic event in which competitors toss a large tapered pole called a "caber" (/ˈkeɪbə/). 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 (4.9–6.1 m) tall and weighs between 90–150 pounds. The term "caber" derives from the Gaelic word cabar, which refers to a wooden beam.
WThe Cowal Highland Gathering is an annual Highland games held in the Scottish town of Dunoon, on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, over the final weekend in August.
WHighland dance or Highland dancing is a style of competitive dancing developed in the Scottish Highlands in the 19th and 20th centuries, in the context of competitions at public events such as the Highland games. It was created from the Gaelic folk dance repertoire, but formalised with the conventions of ballet', and has been subject to influences from outside the Highlands. Highland dancing is often performed with the accompaniment of Highland bagpipe music, and dancers wear specialised shoes called ghillies. It is now seen at nearly every modern-day Highland games event.
WThe Gathering 2009 was a two-day weekend event, celebrating Scottish culture, held between 25 and 26 July 2009, as part of Homecoming 2009. The event was held at Holyrood Park, Scotland, and attracted around 47,000 people from all over the world. Over 125 Scottish clans were represented in what was described as the largest Highland Games in Scotland's history. A clan convention also took place, also the largest recorded meeting of chiefs.
WThe Glasgow Highland Games are a regional highland games and Scottish heritage celebration held annually in and near Glasgow, Kentucky. The main festival grounds are located at Barren River Lake State Resort Park, about 13 miles (21 km) from Glasgow, while most other events are held in the city proper.
WThe Glengarry Highland Games consist of a series of traditional Scottish competitions held annually in Maxville, Ontario, Canada, usually held the first weekend in August. The games span three days and with an attendance of over 20,000, are the largest Highland Games outside of Scotland. The Glengarry Highland Games are primarily intended to be a showcase of traditional Scottish heavy events, Highland Dance, pipe and drum competitions.
WThe Highlander Challenge World Championships is a tournament that marries traditional Highland Games with more contemporary strength athletics. It was created to help reinvigorate Highland Games in Scotland by giving a modern and aspirational image while maintaining the tradition inherent in the history of the sport.
WThe Hororata Highland Games is an annual event held in Hororata, New Zealand. The Games began in 2011, following the 2010 Canterbury earthquake. The Hororata community had a desire to make a positive change following the damage of the Canterbury earthquakes. The annual event has increased in popularity with 10,000 people coming to the 2016 edition. It has since become New Zealand's biggest Scottish festival.
WThe Kentucky Scottish Weekend was a regional highland game held annually at General Butler State Resort Park in Carrollton, Kentucky. The weekend's mission was to celebrate the customs and traditions of Scotland. It was held each year on the second full weekend in May. First held in 1983, the weekend celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2012, its final year. It was the longest running highland game currently being held in Kentucky at the time it ended. It was held in Carrollton due to that location being nearly halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati. A Kentucky non-profit corporation—Kentucky Scottish Weekend, Inc.—held the event. The weekend was sometimes referred to as "KSW" for short.
WThe Mid-Maryland Celtic Festival is a one-day festival celebrating all things Scottish, held annually in Mt. Airy, Maryland, United States.
WA pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common.
WThe Scotland County, North Carolina Highland Games, or SCHG, are a Scottish event held in Laurinburg, North Carolina, United States. Each year, the games are held the first weekend of October at the John Blue House and Grounds in Laurinburg. The event was started in 2009 after the Flora MacDonald Games in Red Springs, North Carolina were discontinued.
WThe sheaf toss is a traditional Scottish agricultural sport event originally contested at country fairs. A pitchfork is used to hurl a burlap bag stuffed with straw over a horizontal bar above the competitor's head. Typical weight for the bag is 16 pounds. Three chances are given to each competitor to cleanly go over the bar. After all challengers have made their attempts, the bar is raised and all successful competitors move on to the new height. This continues until all but one athlete is eliminated.
WThe stone put is one of the main Scottish heavy athletic events at modern-day Highland games gatherings. Similar to the shot put, the stone put more frequently uses an ordinary stone or rock instead of a steel ball. The weight of the stone will vary from 16 to 26 lb for men depending on which type of stone put event is being contested and also on the idiosyncrasies of the event. There are also some differences in allowable techniques and rules.
WTwo sports have events that fall under the name of weight throw one being the track and field event and the other being the Scottish highland games events.