| What you will see at a Scottish Highland Games Venue |
| The Scottish Highland Games are annual festivals that celebrate Scottish culture. Highland Games can be found throughout the United States, Canada, as well as Scotland, of course. The Clan tents: The Clans are surname groups associated with a region of origin in Scotland. Many clans will sponsor a "clan tent" or information booth at the games. One of the most popular topics at the clan tents is genealogy. If you have Scottish ancestry, make sure you stop by the genealogy tent and find the clan that you belong to! The Clans usually march onto the athletic field at noon to officially open the games. This can be an impressive sight to behold! Vendors selling books, clothing (kilts, ties, hats, sporrans, in all sorts of tartans) weapons, jewelry, food and drink and other gifts. The Ceilidh (pronounced KAY-lee) is a dance held either indoors or out, usually the evening before the games. Patrons, special guests and other VIPs attend. Some wear formal Scottish attire. Advance ticket purchase is usually required however, some game venues hold these events free of charge. Most Highland Game venues have animal events which include sheep dogs herding a group of four or five sheep around the a course. These dogs are skilled in, and are sometimes judged on their ability to separate an individual sheep from the group and getting the sheep back in the pen. The dogs also herd ducks in similar fashion. Each game venues have their own unique combination of events and most have websites that provide more detailed information. The main event at the Scottish Highland Games are of course, the Games! (Heavy Athletics) Heavy athletics refer to the athletic events which require significant strength and power; as opposed to the light athletics, which require stamina, such as highland dancing, sprinting, running and jumping. Scottish heavy athletics should not be confused with "strongman" competitions, which involve lifting cars, loading kegs, ect; although some strongman competitions are held in conjunction with a heavy athletics competition, and some strongman competitions include highland game events. Scottish heavy athletic events are traditional events involving traditional equipment, while strongman competition have been invented recently, using modern equipment. There are two main categories of competition: Professional and Amateur. The Professional category are sponsored by the games they enter and/or by the Clans they represent and /or any other sponsors they can attract. They compete for prize money. The top American Professionals may be invited to compete in Scotland and around the world. The Amateurs do not receive prize money, although they may receive t-shirts, trophies, medals, free food, beer, and free admission to the games. General Rules for Heavy Athletic Events The athletes get three throws total for the throwing events, and they are eliminated from the tossing events after three consecutive misses. The athletes are put in an order of rotation, and each athlete takes one throw at a time, in order. The scoring is similar to track and field scoring of horizontal field events. The scoring of the "Sheaf" and "#56 Toss" is similar to the scoring of the track and field vertical jumps (pole vault and high jump). Where a athlete places is determined by the best throw. Ties are broken by the next best throw, ect. In the Sheaf and #56 Toss, first place ties are broken by fewer misses. In each event, the athletes get points according to their place. Ties split points. The lowest total points wins "athlete of the day" (wins the overall competition). Click on the links below for descriptions of most of the competitions you will see at a Scottish Highland Games event! Stones Hammer Throw The Sheaf Toss Caber |