Highland Games in Moray
Forres Highland Games
Grant Park
10 July 2010
Aberlour Highland Games
Alice Littler Park
7 August 2010
Dufftown Highland Games
Mortlach School Field
31 July 2010
The Highland Games are a popular attraction for locals and visitors alike. They evolved from the clan system where the clan leaders would encourage their men to compete against each other and provide entertainment which kept them fit for battle. In the 1800’s they became more organised and now there are games all over the world including Canada, USA, Australia and Japan! You can go to the Highland games in Forres, Dufftown and Aberlour,
Highland Games vary in content from town to town however sport, music and dance lies at their heart with market stalls and beer tents adding to the fun. The sporting contests include tossing the caber, hammer throwing, running and tog o’ war. Most of the events have traditional roots. For example, tossing the caber probably originated in Moray. Logs were thrown into the Spey to be floated down river to the shipbuilders further down.
The Highland Dancing contests are also popular. The Highland Fling may be a dance mimicking the dance of a Stag with the dancers arms and hands depicting the antlers. The Sword Dance has more gruesome roots - said to have been invented by a clansman who danced over his dead opponent’s sword.
Music, in particular the bagpipes, is a feature of the games. Once a banned instrument in Scotland, due to their reputation as an instrument of war, the skirl of bagpipe music is a stirring sound at the games. The combination of sport, dance and music as well as the stallholders selling their wares from kilts to handmade jewellery to traditional woodcrafts makes a great family day out.
Highland Games In Moray & Speyside
