Travelling Scotland: The (Skye) Highland Games

Imagine school sports day for adults. Then imagine world class athletes mixing with the kid who forgot his kit. Then imagine that for every second you are watching, there is the sound of at least one bagpipe. That my friends is The Highland Games. And they are utterly brilliant.

The Highland Games take place in many towns in the Highland and Islands of Scotland. We attended the Skye Highland Games which were held on Portree. 

The morning is taken up with locals only competing against each other including the 2, 4 and 8 lap race for men and women (the circular lap is approximately 150m), the long jump and hop, step and leap (into a sand pit) and high jump (with no mat so 'old' style scissor jump is de rigour) and throwing events like the heavy and light stone and throwing a weight backwards over a height. 


What was brilliant about this was that some of the competitors looked nothing like sportsman, one young lad competed in jeans, Timberland shoes and a sweatshirt.

Meanwhile, there were local dancing and piping competitions taking place simultaneously, helping to ensure not one moment would pass without the sound of bagpipes. We were also entertained by the excellent Isle of Skye Pipe Band throughout the day.

The afternoon was an 'open' competition and this is where we saw some of the professional athletes. But, for some events it was open to all so we enjoyed some tourists competing too... also in their normal clothes.

The most popular competition in the games is 'tossing the caber' where competitors have to throw an enormous log in front of themselves which needs to land on it's tip before tipping over and hopefully landing straight in front of them, at 12 o'clock. 

used with permission from lauracookphotography

used with permission from lauracookphotography

used with permission from lauracookphotography

So, just to re-iterate. 

Imagine school sports day for adults. Then imagine world class athletes mixing with the kid who forgot his kit. Then imagine that for every second you are watching, there is the sound of at least one bagpipe. That my friends is The Highland Games. And they are utterly brilliant.