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A kilt is a type of knee-length men’s dress skirt non-bifurcated with pleats at the back, originating in the traditional dress of Gaelic men and boys in the Scottish Highlands. It is first recorded in the 16th century as the great kilt, a full-length garment whose upper half could be worn as a cloak. The small kilt or modern kilt emerged in the 18th century, and is essentially the bottom half of the great kilt. Since the 19th century, it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland, and more broadly with Gaelic or Celtic heritage. It is most often made of woollen cloth in a tartan pattern.
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of players and much terminology. The same game played by women is called camogie, which shares a common Gaelic root.
Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread in Scotland, and was even played in northern England into the second half of the 20th century and other areas in the world where Scottish Highlanders migrated.
The caber toss is a traditional Scottish athletic event in which competitors toss a large tapered pole called a "caber" (/ˈkeɪbər/). It is normally practised at the Scottish Highland Games. In Scotland, the caber is usually made from a larch tree and it can be between 16–20 feet (4.9–6.1 m) tall and weighs between 90–150 pounds. The term "caber" derives from the Gaelic word cabar, which refers to a wooden beam.
Highland games are events held in spring and summer in Scotland and other countries with a large Scottish diaspora, as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain aspects of the games are so well known as to have become emblematic of Scotland, such as the bagpipes, the kilt, and the heavy events, especially the caber toss. While centred on competitions in piping and drumming, dancing, and Scottish heavy athletics, the games also include entertainment and exhibits related to other aspects of Scottish and Gaelic cultures.
The sheaf toss is a traditional Scottish agricultural sport event originally contested at country fairs. A pitchfork is used to hurl a burlap bag stuffed with straw over a horizontal bar above the competitor's head. Typical weight for the bag is 16 pounds. Three chances are given to each competitor to cleanly go over the bar. After all challengers have made their attempts, the bar is raised and all successful competitors move on to the new height. This continues until all but one athlete is eliminated.
Highland dance or Highland dancing is a style of competitive dancing developed in the Scottish Highlands in the 19th and 20th centuries, in the context of competitions at public events such as the Highland games. It was created from the Gaelic folk dance repertoire, but formalised with the conventions of ballet', and has been subject to influences from outside the Highlands. Highland dancing is often performed with the accompaniment of Highland bagpipe music, and dancers wear specialised shoes called ghillies. It is now seen at nearly every modern-day Highland games event.
The aboyne dress is the name given to the prescribed attire for female dancers in the Scottish national dances, such as the Flora MacDonald's fancy, the Scottish lilt, and others. Male dancers wear the kilt for these dances, the kilt being a male garment. There are two versions of the aboyne dress in use. Some consider the aboyne as quite suited to the graceful movements of the National dances.
Inchmurrin is an island in Loch Lomond in Scotland. It is the largest fresh water island in the British Isles.
Sport plays a central role in Scottish culture. The temperate, oceanic climate has played a key part in the evolution of sport in Scotland, with all-weather sports like association football and golf dominating the national sporting consciousness. However, many other sports are played in the country, with popularity varying between sports and between regions.
Gung Haggis Fat Choy is a cultural event originating from Vancouver, Canada. The name is a combination wordplay on Scottish and Chinese words; haggis is a traditional Scottish food while Kung Hei Fat Choi is a traditional Cantonese greeting used during Chinese New Year.
A Highland Games event has been held each year since 1956 at Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina. Celebrating the history and culture of Scots in North Carolina, it is among the first and largest modern Highland Games established in the United States. Competitions and displays take place in Scottish styles of piping, drumming, costume, dance, and traditional sports.
The Glengarry Highland Games consist of a series of traditional Scottish competitions held annually in Maxville, Ontario, Canada, usually held the first weekend in August. The games span three days and with an attendance of over 20,000, are the largest Highland Games outside of Scotland. The Glengarry Highland Games are primarily intended to be a showcase of traditional Scottish heavy events, Highland Dance, pipe and drum competitions.
The Cowal Highland Gathering is an annual Highland games held in the Scottish town of Dunoon, on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, over the final weekend in August.
Bill Anderson was a Scottish heavyweight sportsman. He won the World Highland Games Championships in 1981 and the Scottish Highland Games Championships 16 times. He has also held every possible Scottish record in Highland Games.
The Kentucky Scottish Weekend was a regional highland game held annually at General Butler State Resort Park in Carrollton, Kentucky. The weekend's mission was to celebrate the customs and traditions of Scotland. It was held each year on the second full weekend in May. First held in 1983, the weekend celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2012, its final year. It was the longest running highland game currently being held in Kentucky at the time it ended. It was held in Carrollton due to that location being nearly halfway between Louisville and Cincinnati. A Kentucky non-profit corporation—Kentucky Scottish Weekend, Inc.—held the event. The weekend was sometimes referred to as "KSW" for short.
The Highlander Challenge World Championships is a tournament that marries traditional Highland Games with more contemporary strength athletics. It was created to help reinvigorate Highland Games in Scotland by giving a modern and aspirational image while maintaining the tradition inherent in the history of the sport.
Throwing sports, or throwing games, are physical, human competitions where the outcome is measured by a player's ability to throw an object.
The Hororata Highland Games is an annual event held in Hororata, New Zealand. The Games began in 2011, following the 2010 Canterbury earthquake. The Hororata community had a desire to make a positive change following the damage of the Canterbury earthquakes. The annual event has increased in popularity with 10,000 people coming to the 2016 edition. It has since become New Zealand's biggest Scottish festival.
References
- ↑ "Lorne is haggis world record-breaker". Milngavie & Bearsden Herald. 21 June 2011. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
- ↑ "All Today's Yesterdays - October 2 down the years". Cricinfo. 2 October 2003. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
- ↑ Brenkley, Stephen (13 June 1999). "World Cup – Long Tom the talisman". The Independent . Retrieved 18 January 2008.
He demonstrated this by throwing a haggis a purported 230ft in Scotland during the 1989 tour, while wearing a kilt, naturally...
- ↑ "A Lost Tradition - Haggis Hurling". lighthousethinking.com. Archived from the original on 14 May 2006.
- 1 2 Edward, Rhiannon (4 February 2004). "Haggis gets a bashing from fakes". The Scotsman . Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.