Highland Games

The origin of these gatherings goes back to the Middle Ages when clan chiefs wanted to see who were the most talented or strongest men in his clan to recruit them as bodyguards, musicians, dancers, or wrestlers. Today it is a sports competition and a reason for coming together. One of the most famous gatherings is held each year at Braemar in Aberdeenshire during early September, opening with a spectacular march of kilted clansmen accompanied by pipers playing the bagpipes. The events are the following:

Tossing the caber

The caber looks like a telephone pole. It ranges in weight from 30 to 120 pounds, and can be anything from 12 to 19 feet long. To "toss the caber" the contestant lifts the pole vertically and rests it on his shoulder. He takes a few steps forward, then flips the caber up and forward. The idea is to spin the log so that it falls straight ahead. This event requires much skill, and is not just brute strength. Each contestant starts with the lightest, shortest caber, and if they successfully toss that, go on to the next size, until either they are eliminated or they win.

The Stone Put

Like the conventional Shot Put, only a stone is used instead of a metal shot. Men throw a 17 pound stone (7.7 kg), women a 11 pound stone. The technique is different too from athletics. The putter must keep one foot stationary, and cannot move across the throwing circle. The world record for a stone put in this Braemar style of putting is around 63 feet (~20 m).

Weight For Height

The metal weight (usually 56 pounds for men (25 kg), 28 pounds for women) has to be tossed, using one hand only, over a high cross bar.

Weight For Distance

A hammer type of weight (28 pounds, 13 kg) has to be thrown one handed over as long a distance as possible. The thrower is only allowed one and a half revolutions of his body before releasing the hammer.

Track Events

The track events are usually the following: Running, Cycling, Jumping and of course Tug-o-War.

Piping

Visitors to Highland Gatherings will see and hear two types of competition piping - solo piping and that of the large Pipe Bands. In the competitions, bands play a mixture of marches for three to nine minutes, dependent upon the grade in which they are competing. In solo piping the most valuable prizes are usually for Piobaireachd (pronounced peebroch and in writing, Anglicised to pibroch) which although meaning simply pipe music, has come to be applied to the classical music of the bagpipes.

Dancing

The Sword Dance - Gille Calum or Gille Chaluim

Said to have originated in 1054 when King Malcolm Canmore clashed in battle near Dunsinane with one of Macbeth's chiefs. Having slain his opponent, Malcolm crossed his claymore with that of his opponent to make the sign of the cross and danced in exaltation over them. After this time, it is said, clansmen would cross their swords prior to battle and if they could complete the war dance without touching the swords, it meant that they would be the victors.

The Highland Fling

Together with the Sword Dance, the Highland Fling is probably the most famous of Scottish dances. Thought to have originated in about 1790, legend has it that an old shepherd was giving chanter lessons to his grandson on a hillside when he saw a stag rearing and wheeling in the near distance. He asked the boy if he could imitate the stag's dance which he did, and hence the steps and the graceful curve of the arms and hands depicting the stag's antlers. The dance is performed on the same spot throughout and this is held to be because the clansmen of old danced it on their targe (leather-covered shield).

source and credits

Highland Games Website