typical Highland Games Day programme

Times may vary and are subject to change.

12:30hrs
Coupar Angus Pipe Band
12:45hrs
Open piping Marches (main board)

Local Heavyweight
14:00hrs
Under 12 dancing

Under 16 dancing

Open Dancing

Open Heavyweights

28lb stone

16lb hammer

28lb weight for distance

Piping (Reels & Jigs) on piping board
15:00hrs
Coupar Angus Pipe Band
15:15hrs
Heavyweights Caber

Heavyweights 18yrs and under
16:00hrs
Children’s races
16:30hrs
Mount Blair hill race

Tug O’ War

Come and join Helmie the Helmsdale and District Games mascot on Saturday 18 August 2018.

This is a fantastic day out for all the family starting with the Local Heavy Events and the Children’s Mini Highland Games at 10.00 am in the Couper Park, Helmsdale. The piping and dancing competitions start at 10.30 am and 11.00 am.

The Games Parade from the village to the Couper Park starts at mid-day followed by the installation of Julian Innes as the Games Chieftain, the Official Opening and the Raising of the Games Flag.
There follows an afternoon programme of Highland Games heavy events, track and field events, Scottish Championship Hill Race, Pipe Band Parade, Tug of War, Trade Stands, Side Shows and various other fun events.

There is Live music in the Games Bar from 5.00pm followed by a Dance in the Marquee on Couper Park from 10.00pm.

The Official Home of Stirling Highland Games
Stirling Highland Games is one of the City of Stirling’s signature annual events welcoming visitors from around the world to central Scotland to see our traditional Highland games competitions.
Our games field is located behind Stirling Sports Village and offers spectacular views over to the Wallace Monument, Cambuskenneth Abbey and Stirling Castle. We have a full programme of traditional Highland games competitions on offer including Running, Youth Running, Cycling, Highland Dancing, Heavyweights, long jump and triple jump. We will also showcase several Piping Performances throughout the day.
We look forward to welcoming you on Saturday 18th August 2018 and have made sure there is plenty to see, do and taste. Our Traders Village will showcase a delicious range of food and coffee servers, craft and whisky stalls and activities to take part in. We also have an onsite bar so you can enjoy refreshments throughout the day whilst enjoying Games Day with friends.
Tickets can be bought at the gate on the day or at a discount in advance through our online shop.

Events:
Running
Cycling
Heavy Weights
Solo Piping
Light Field
Highland Dance

Getting to the Games
You can’t miss Oban. As a busy ferryport, it is signposted from all over Argyll. The Games Field however, is not as easy to find – unless of course, it is Games Thursday, when you just follow the crowd by joining in with the Stewards March. As the official start of the Games, it sets off around 10.30am from Argyll Square next to the harbour. Led by the gold medal winning piper, competing pipers and our President, the Duke of Argyll, it makes its way colourfully and loudly, to the Games Field.

THE OBAN GAMES
Every year, on the fourth Thursdayin August, the people of Argyll gather with family and friends in their central town of Oban. In a land as vast and remote as this, it’s a rare chance to meet new people and socialise; but above all to celebrate the skill, strength and endurance of the Highlander.
As one of Scotland’s premier Highland Games, world class challengers from across the globe flock to Oban to do battle; heavyweights with the caber, stone or hammer, lighter athletes on the track, field and hill. Amid the emotive skirl of the pipes and the flash of clan colours on kilts, the rich history and traditions of this noble people is told in Scottish music and dance

TIMETABLE
10.30am
March of the stewards led by a band formed of the competing pipers
10.45am
Presentation of the piping gold and silver medals
11.00am
Artie’s Tartan Tales
12pm
Artie’s Tartan Tales
12.30pm
Fun Races – Kilted, Veteran & Children’s Races (for non competitors)
1.00pm
Lunchbreak

Kintail Birds of Prey – Demonstration
Music by Oban High School Pipe Band
2.00pm
Artie’s Tartan Tales
2.45pm
Fun Races – Kilted, Veteran & Children’s Races (for non competitors
4.00pm
Presentation of Trophies
4.30pm
Pipe Band March off Field, back to town centre

Events:
Running
Cycling
Heavy Weights
Solo Piping
Light Field
Highland Dance

Contact Details:
Angela Cunningham (Secretary)
2 St Ninian’s Wynd, Dunkeld, PH8 0AT
01350 727799
ajacunningham@outlook.com

Glenurquhart Highland Games include the traditional events performed by the heavyweight athletes – throwing weights and hammers and tossing the caber. In addition, there is the Glen Challenge, hill race, track running for adults and children, solo piping and the very popular tug o’war. A select number of trade stands will cater for your shopping needs.
Competitors should note that admission will be charged to the Games, unless they have an admission ticket.

What Are The Scottish Highland Games?
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. 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 culture.

The annual Games, a blend of spectacle and fun, take place on the first Sunday after the first Saturday in September in beautiful Perthshire.
The games this year will be held on Sunday 3rd September at Bogles Field, Essendy Road, Blairgowrie. PH10 6QU
We are always open to comments and happy to answer any questions you might have, so feel free to get in touch via the Contact Us page.
Whether you’re a local visitor or a tourist from overseas, you’ll find a very warm Highland welcome awaits you.

A Bumper Day at Pitlochry Highland Games – to give you an idea of what to expect
The phrase “saving the best till last” is certainly one that can be attributed to Pitlochry Highland Games. The Recreation Ground once again provided a fitting finale to the 2014 Games season on Saturday.
An appreciative and enthusiastic crowd of over 6,000 surrounded the arena cheering every heavy, runner, cyclist, dancer, pipe band and probably the loudest for the tug o’ war teams. Commentator Colin Liddell informed everyone that this was the biggest assembly of competitors seen at any Highland Games in recent times, with almost 200 track and field athletes taking part, as well as a large contingent of dancers and the 19 Pipe Bands. For most of the day, all were bathed in warm autumnal sunshine.

Nowhere else on the Highland Games circuit does the crowd interact with the competitors as they do at Pitlochry. The spectators cheered as Lorne Colthart (Blair Atholl) again broke three ground records in the Local Heavy events, just as he did last year. They lifted 67 year old Sam Bates (Tullibody) over the line in the 800 metres to win his first race at Pitlochry in over 20 years of trying. They were on their feet again as they roared home the diminutive 10 year old Hannah Jordan (Clydesdale), who was competing at her first Games, as she hung on determinedly to hold off over 30 rivals in the girls’ 400 metres.
From the opening inter-schools relay to every throw of the shot, hammer and caber to the Massed Parade of the Pipe Bands, everyone received their share of appreciation.

There were record entries for all the track and field competitions. The Scottish Junior Jumps Championship, which was first held last year, again proved popular, with Ewan Bradley (Inverness) taking the overall title and SHGA Scottish Championship medal and the local Sir David Butter medal too.
In the dancing, Claire McLaughlin (East Kilbride) won the adult section, whilst Jillian Kennedy (Aberfeldy) won the PHGA Dancing League.
Entries for the Scottish Athletic Clubs junior relay championship have been increasing year on year. This year three heats had to be run, and the final saw the 1st & 2nd positions from 12 months ago reversed with the Innerleithen Runners quartet beating the team from East Kilbride.

Running at his local Games, Craig Robertson (Pitreavie AC) won the SHGA and Championship of the Highlands 1600 metres title for the sixth year in succession after a thrilling last lap battle with Robert Bough (Edinburgh AC).

The biggest track prize of the day goes to the winner of the Open 90 metres handicap and it was won for the second successive year by a female athlete, Chloe Mason (East Kilbride AC).
Sarah Ross (Pitreavie AC), who travels hundreds of miles on public transport to compete on the Games circuit, was rewarded with her fine win in the 200m final.

The 400 metres races have produced some of the closest finishes on the circuit this season and the Pitlochry instalment proved no exception when, after consulting the photo finish equipment, a dead heat was announced between Cumbie Bowers (Glenrothes) and Willie Bates (Tullibody).

Glasgow cyclist Stevie Jackson has had a great season on the Games circuit and that continued at Pitlochry where he won the 3,200 metres Championship of the Highlands.
The Youth’s cycle events saw Kyle Cartwell (Forres) win the 800 metres and Marco Caira (Markinch) the 1600m.

A big field of Heavy Event competitors thrilled the crowds all afternoon, and the PSPC Heavy League was won by Stuart Anderson (Lochearnhead).
The ‘save the best to last’ theme continued in the tug o’ war as, once again, the Pitlochry contest proved to be one of the best on the Games circuit, with the crowd who were at that part of the ground almost 8 deep enthralled and vociferous, watching until the final pull of that competition went to a close finish in the early evening, with Mount Blair emerging as winners.
The Pipe Band Championship saw a clean sweep for the local Vale of Atholl Pipe Band, winning the Grade 1 competition, the drumming competition and the marching and smartness of turnout parade sponsored by Edradour Caledonia.

Events:
Running
Cycling
Heavy Weights
Solo Piping
Light Field
Highland Dance