Peter Ranscombe takes a look at how communities are gearing up for this summer’s Highland Games.
VILLAGES, towns, and cities throughout Scotland are getting ready to host their Highland Games this summer.
For many organisers – including those in Aberdeen – it will be the first opportunity to hold their events in-person since the pandemic began.
Hazlehead Park will host the Granite City’s games on 19 June.
Loch Lomond is expecting competitors from as far afield as Canada and the United States to take part on 16 July.
More than £12,000 in prize money will be up for grabs at the Moss O’ Balloch Park, with competitors having until 9 July to sign-up for dance, track and field, and solo piping, with heavies able to enter on the day.
Killin will mark its return on 3 August at Breadalbane Park.
The games – which are held on a Wednesday to avoid busy weekend changeover days for tourists – include an amateur hill race up the nearby Sròn a’Chlachain.
Entries are also now open for Aboyne on 6 August.
The event is marking its 155th birthday by holding 98 competitions, with up to 10,000 spectators expected to attend.
Visitors, atheletes, and traders at Stirling on 20 August are being asked to donate £6 to Trees for Life in order to offset their carbon dioxide emissions.
Matt McGrandles, president of the games, said: “We are trying to make it easy for everyone involved with the games to help us offset the event and lower the carbon emissions.
“It’s an opportunity for us all to stand up and be counted and as far as I know we are the only Highland Games [that] is doing this.”
Read more stories on Scottish Field’s outdoors pages.
Plus, don’t miss our readers’ family-friendly retreat reviews in the July issue of Scottish Field magazine.
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