June 7, Saturday

Our Scotland trip so far, for those of you who like maps to orient yourselves:

Here is our B&B, Ardgarry, the one with the white door and the red awning.  The houses have names here.  Adam’s Land Rover actually has an off-street parking spot (score!) and there is a very nice patio/back yard area.

This morning we drove to a town about 60 miles way to attend the Cornhill Scottish Highland Games.  Throughout the summer, communities put on Highland Games festivals. The winners of the various events move on to the national level and compete for the Queen.  We had an absolutely fabulous time.

The children competing in the Highland Dance category were astonishingly cute.

When they weren’t dancing, they could go play on the playground.

Our kids all got a chance to ride a bucking pig …. it’s like a bucking bronco or rodeo bull, but toned down to safe levels of heaving and it’s a pig.  They had a big clock off to one side displaying the record time someone had managed to stay on so far, so each contestant had a goal to beat.  The record was 63 seconds at the time our kids had their go.

Josie lasted 43 seconds.

Holden stayed on 57 seconds.

… and Isabella broke the record!  She lasted 67 seconds and was thrilled because she has a competitive streak a mile wide.  She was really bummed when we walked by a couple hours later and someone else had shattered her score with a whopping 99 seconds.

The Highland Games, aside from the dancing and bagpipes, are basically all feats of strength.  When they erected the metal poles for measuring the who-can-throw-weights-the-highest competition, I felt like I was attending Frank Costanza’s Festivus celebration — with an aluminum pole and feats of strength, all the elements were there.

The contestants for the hammer throw. The guy in the middle with the pink knee socks kicked everyone’s butt. He was in all the Heavy Events — that guy could throw heavy things very far and very high.

Old friends enjoying a day together.

Elaine (in black) watching the events.

Josie and Holden got to dress in Sumo suits and wrestle.  Josie in red, Holden in blue.

Go!  The goal was to shove your opponent out of the white circle.

They had 3 tries, and Holden won every round.  Josie just couldn’t compete with his heavier bodyweight.

More adorable dancers practicing before their turn on stage.  A little tent city was set up, much like tailgating at football games in the US.  The dancers changed in the tents, and families camped out in them all day, using them for shelter against the wind, sun, and as dry places to eat picnics.  We had perfect weather today (70F and sunny) but the ground was really soggy from previous rains.

Our three playing on the swings.

The bagpipe band setting up.

Tug of War.  This competition was aptly named … war.  These guys train hard for this event; it’s not just a bunch of folks grabbing a rope for a fun, light-hearted game like at the kids’ school on Field Day.  No, this is an intense battle that is exciting to watch.

They have special leather protective body gear to wear, and special shoes for digging into the mud.  At the start of the competition, each contestant much kneel on the rope while the judge/referee inspects each pair of shoes (we assume to make sure they don’t have spikes or some other form of cheating to be able to dig in better) and then each contestant has a stamp placed on their forearm to show they’ve been thoroughly inspected and passed muster.  No kind of hand gear is allowed:  bare hands only.

Each team has a coach who screams instructions during the War, so that everyone can dig in and hold at the same time, and everyone can strategically heave and tug at the same time.  There is way more power involved than you’d think and it looks hard.  

Tossing of the caber (throwing of the log).  That thing weighs approximately 150 lbs.

Finalists in the Open Highland Dance competition.

The lunch cart.  Elaine and I split a venison burger with cranberry chutney, and Adam ate the “Highlander” — haggis, steak and onions.

Our three still playing on the playground.  They spent nearly the entire day here, and declared it the best day of our vacation so far.  They had a blast.

Throwing a 56lb weight straight up in the air.  Pink socks guy won this, too.

Another event was an 8.5 mile race through town.  We were all dressed in winter coats and spent the entire day just a wee bit chilled.  In spite of being 70F, it was quite windy.  Then the announcer said that the runners deserved an extra enthusiastic round of applause this year because they had to endure the “unusually hot weather.”

This guy ran the last bit to the finish line with his little boy … the boy was thrilled and it just melted every heart around.

Bagpipe marching band.

The announcer, Robbie Shepherd.  This guy is a big deal.  He has written books in Doric and is a broadcaster for BBC Radio Scotland.

Officials conferring over results.

Back at the house for less exotic activities.  This is the way they dry laundry here.  When it’s not raining, quick, wash the clothes!  They do have a dryer at this location, but it’s a disgusting thing sitting out in the back shed with all the spiders and mold.  It doesn’t even have a vent to the outside, so you have to keep the shed door open while hot exhaust air blasts through a gaping hole in the front of the machine.  The washing machine is in the kitchen (the common place for a washing machine in the UK) so at least you can be inside where it’s clean for that part of laundry duty.