Number
of visitors since
April 1999
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History
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History of the Scottish Games
Scottish men have tested their strength against each other at Highland
gatherings for centuries. King Malcolm Ceanmore, who began his reign in
1057, is credited with initiating crude forms of today's Scottish
Highland Games' athletic competition as a means of improving the
abilities of his military. While the games had become festive occasions
by the sixteenth century, they were still seen as a way for kings and
chiefs to choose the best men for their retinues.
The equipment currently used for he Highland Games
has evolved from
items locally available to the early Scotsman. A Blacksmith's hammer or
a mell for driving fence posts has become the 22# hammer. Woodsmen
produced the 'caber' (Gaelic for 'tree') for their own event. Thrown
for height and distance were 56# and 28# steelyard weights. Tossing a
sheaf with a pitchfork likely emerged from agricultural regions. A
rounded riverbed stone made the ideal 'clachneart', and still does
today.
Today's Scottish Highland Games athlete combines strength,
skill and endurance to compete in these time-honored events. In the
spirit of the affable Scot, these competitors combine the attributes of
the athlete with the fellowship of clansmen to promote and perpetrate
the heart of the Scottish Festival the Highland Games
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