Jillian Lombardo
Words & photos by Jillian Lombardo
The North Florida Scottish Highland Games occurred this past month at the Clay County Fairgrounds. And if you’re anything like me, you immediately questioned the origin of this popular event.
I’ve enjoyed attending the Scottish Highland Games since I was a kid. I have participated in the banquets, I tried the haggis, and when I turned 21, I enjoyed the vast array of Scottish whiskey they offered. While my favorite events include ax throwing, Scottish dancing and watching people throw heavy objects, there truly is something for everyone, even if you have no Scottish connections.
Immediately upon stepping out of your car, you are immersed into a Scottish world. In the parking lot, you can hear the bagpipes and the chatter of people anticipating the day they are about to experience. In the field, you can listen to the grunts of those participating in the games and the clapping of dance shoes on the wooden stage floor. The smell of fish and chips and sticky pudding hangs in the air while the laughter of those drinking reverberates in your ears.
During the past 22 years, I have experienced many aspects of the Scottish Highland Games. I have walked in the parade, visited my clan’s booth, seen and touched the animals, and taken in the ambiance of these remarkable events. This past year, however, I decided to stay at the field where the games occur. I sat back and watched the hammer throw, the caber toss and the stone put with several friends who had never experienced the Scottish Highland Games. As this was my first time sitting down and taking a moment to appreciate every aspect of these remarkable athletic events, I pulled out my trusty phone to gain a better understanding of what I was witnessing.
Like the modern shot put, the stone put is where an athlete throws a round stone weighing around 18 lbs. The competitors stand behind a trig (board) and have three chances to throw the stone as far as possible. The hammer throw involves hurling a metal ball connected to a wooden handle as far as possible. Athletes swing the hammer over their head and then spin 180 degrees as they launch the hammer into the field. With the metal ball weighing up to 22 lbs, these athletes must wear boots with a long blade fixed to the bottom to keep them anchored to the earth. The caber toss is perhaps the signature game associated with the Scottish Highland Games. The game involves throwing a 20-foot-long caber (log) weighing around 150 lbs. This event challenges balance and strength as the athlete must balance the caber in their hands, run forward and then toss the log. The goal is to flip the caber and have it land, pointing at the athlete. Baron de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, introduced the hammer throw and stone and included it in the Scottish Highland Games.
The Scottish Highland Games dates to the 11th century during the reign of King Malcolm III. He created a Royal Contest to find the fastest and strongest runners to act as his messengers. The most famous of King Malcolm III’s games is the Braemar Gathering, which was awarded Royal Patronage by Queen Victoria in 1848 and is still regularly attended by the royal family. The Ceres Highland Games in Fife, Scotland, which began in 1314, is the oldest highland games competition. The games were originally all-male until the late 19th century, when a campaign for gender balance resulted in the inclusion of female competitors.
In addition to the food, the games, and the dancing, Scots pride themselves on their wardrobe. The tartan, though simple with lines and limited colors, signifies a great deal to those in Scotland. The colors and lines can be woven together to make many different kilts and scarves, all with a unique message. There are five clan tartans: ancient, modern, hunting, dress and weathered. Within those are subgroups such as ancient hunting or modern dress. The earliest evidence of the tartan in Scotland was found buried in a pottery jar along the Antonine Wall near Falkirk, dating back to 250 A.D. Today, roughly 3,000 types of tartans are on the official Scottish register.
The Scottish Highland Games had a long history of stability until the House of Hanover (a German Royal house) overthrew the House of Stuarts (a Scottish Royal house) throne in 1714. This overthrow began in 1701 after the British Parliament passed a law, the Act of Settlement, stating that only a Protestant could be king or queen of Britain. The Stuarts’ Protestant rule of England began in 1603 and ended when Queen Anne died in 1714. The rest of the Stuart line was Catholic. After the son of James II was overthrown in 1688, he attempted to re-seize the throne in 1715. His rebellion failed. The Stuarts made another attempt to regain power under the leadership of Prince Charles Edward Stuart in 1745.
Prince Charles, or Bonnie Prince Charlie as he was known, landed in Scotland with a handful of followers and some support from the Scottish clans in July of 1745. His entry into Scotland did not raise any suspicion until September 1745, when his army defeated the British army at Prestonpans, Scotland. Scotland’s largest weakness at the time was her inability to gather broad English support. While the Scots did gather support from France, the number of British troops increased exponentially after being recalled from the War on the Austrian Succession. When the Battle of Culloden occurred on April 16th, 1746, the Highland Army was dispirited, poorly supplied and suffering heavy desertion. The battle finally settled a contest for the monarchy that had lasted almost 60 years. But this was an unfortunate demise for the Scots. Between 1,000 to 1,500 men were killed, while the British side lost 50.
After the Battle of Culloden and its outcome, the British government was determined to destroy the Scottish Highlander’s way of life. The passing of the Act of Proscription in 1746 forbade the wearing of highland dress, the carrying of weapons, and the formation and meeting of clans. The British government considered bagpipes as weapons of war and instituted a ban on their ownership and playing. Finally, in 1822, The Great Tartan Revival began. King George IV, the new King of Great Britain, was the first king to visit Scotland after nearly two centuries of absence. On his arrival, he requested that those attending his welcoming wear their family tartans. This sparked the beginning of the revival of the tartan and a revival of Scottish pride and the Scottish Highland Games.
The Battle of Culloden marked a new beginning for the revival of the modern Scottish lifestyle. As the Scots gained a new national pride their traditions and cultures came to the forefront. In the 19th and early 20th century, Scottish Caledonian Societies began appearing throughout the world. The first Scottish Highland Games in the United States took place in New York in 1836. Three years later, the Caledonian Clubs of San Francisco and Nova Scotia held their first Highland Games. Later, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Brazil, The Netherlands, and Indonesia held their first games. More than 60 games are hosted annually in Scotland.
The next time you need a wee bit o’Scotland, I am sure a simple Google search will direct you to a Scottish Highland Game that is close to you … and don’t forget to pay homage to your clan on National Tartan Day, which takes place on April 6, 2024.
Follow FOLIO!