The Inverness Highland Games: A Grand Day Out
by - Written: Jul 24 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great music, interesting exhibition of local events, food and culture, can't beat the people-watching opportunities
Cons: Hard to avoid spending lots of money on victuals, wassail and souvenirs
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| largemarge's Full Review: Scotland |
Last weekend, we took advantage of a last-minute free flight and spent two days in the Inverness area, enjoying gorgeous scenery, perfect weather and warm hospitality. One of the highlights of our trip was an afternoon at the Inverness Highland Games. Although we'd seen Highland games in a few other locations (my husband even made a cheerful attempt at the caber toss after an afternoon of elbow-bending), seeing the real thing in the Highlands' unofficial capital city was a unique and rousing experience.
The Games were held in Bught Park Stadium, a venue across the river from the main old-town area, which has wooden spectator stands, a running track and show field reminiscent of the sheepdog competition in Babe or the footraces in Gallipoli. Ample free parking was available in an adjacent field. Entrance to the Games was 3.50, half-price for older children, and kids under six free. Our tickets included several coupons which could be turned in to various sponsor tents for prize drawings or discounts on merchandise, and entitled us to leave the stadium and return without an additional charge. This last feature came in handy, since many activities, carnival rides and food booths were located in another field outside of the stadium.
Throughout the afternoon, runners competed in different age, gender and distance categories, while groups of Highland dancers performed at the far end of the field, accompanied by single bagpipers. Several tug-of-war competitions were held, including a few which solicited participation from the crowd. Just as we arrived, the master of ceremonies was inviting Americans and Canadians from the stands to come down to the field and do battle -- the Canadians won two out of three, amidst cheers and roaring from the crowd. We just missed the shot-put competition, but caught several different marching bagpipe groups' performances.
Maybe it's just their association with funerals and sad moments in movie scoring, but bagpipes always make me a little teary. Hearing a dozen in synchrony, played by a nattily-dressed group (mostly middle-aged men, but plenty of younger folks as well) in full tartan regalia, it was all I could do not to sob out loud. As we listened, it struck me, as it often does while traveling, what a shame it is that we can only be from one place; I wanted very badly to be a Scot right then.
The highlight of the afternoon was the much-hyped caber toss. In case you were wondering, a caber is a long, heavy log roughly as thick as a light pole. Participants shoulder it, run forward and heave it with one arm; the far end hits the ground, it flips over, and the toss is measured from the closest point. There's something wonderfully ... primal about this, especially when carried out by a bunch of hulking men in kilts and muscle t-shirts.
Towards the end of the afternoon, a stunt biplane performed over the field for about fifteen minutes, leaving a looping smoke trail and coming dangerously close to rooftops and trees. I was truly convinced he was going to crash, and could hardly keep watching after the first panic-inducing midair stall.
In addition to the main events, numerous booths around the field offered beer, wine and whisky; all sorts of food from soft-serve ice cream, chips and burgers to haggis and poached lobster tail; clothing, jewelry and hats; local crafts, including candles, wood carvings and needlework; face painting; and an odd miscellany of completely unrelated concerns, from a large RSPCA exhibit to a Body Shop clearance table (doing amazing business in sunscreen that day) to several charity rummage tables with bizarre odds and ends. A local motorcycle group had several antique bikes on display, and a raptor rescue organization featured half a dozen tame birds of prey. Much to my daughter's delight, there were several carnival rides set up just outside of the stadium: basic and advanced bouncing castles, a kids' merry-go-round and a more nauseating tilt-a-whirl type of ride.
Despite crowds in the thousands, the Games seemed very orderly and well-supervised, and the stadium's restrooms were relatively clean and well-stocked. Parking in particular was highly organized, with volunteers and police directing traffic to avoid inconveniencing nearby residents.
If you'd like to sample the Highland spirit, (or spirits, as the case may be, considering the availability of local single malt whisky at the festival), enjoy an afternoon of music and people-watching, I recommend you plan your Scotland travel to include the Highland Games.
Recommended:
Yes
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