The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Games’ strength is in numbers
Scottish Highland Games are a unique mix of sport, culture and community – and they’re crying out for more competitors. Gayle has a crack at some of the activities
Ahuge, brawny hulk of a man sporting a kilt is twirling a metal ball attached to a wooden shaft round his head.
As it gathers momentum, his calves strain, his biceps bulge and the veins on his neck look as though they’re about to pop.
On the fourth spin, he lets go and the ball flies up into the air and lands with a dunt way down the field.
This is the Scottish hammer throw, one of the heavy events at any modernday Highland games.
I’m spending a morning at the Strathmore event, where organisers are keen to spread the word that everyone is welcome to get involved.
Hence, I’m invited to try some of the events for myself.
“I’ve got no upper body strength,” I whimper, as James Dawkins, 24, hands me a shot put and shows me how to throw it.
I struggle to lift the damn thing, let along chuck it any significant distance and cringe as it thuds to the ground a mere few feet away.
Apparently this one is 6kg, which is just shy of the 7.26kg version used by men in the Olympics.
Next up is tossing the caber and I gasp as Lukasz Wenta hoists up a gigantic tree trunk with an almighty grunt and hurls it into the air.
“Maybe try a lighter one,” suggests Charlie Murray, who’s both president of the Scottish Highland Games Association (SHGA) and Strathmore Games.
I struggle to hold one of the lightest cabers upright and it topples, cracking photographer Kris Miller on the knee.
Maybe I’ll do better at tug o’ war – a game which sees two teams pulling on opposite ends of a rope, the goal being to bring it a certain distance in one direction against the force of the opposing team.
I’ve not brought a team with me, so I pull against Charlie. It’s tougher than it looks and takes all your strength.
I lose the contest and end up on the ground. How some teams can hang on for up to an hour beggars belief.
Clearly, the heavy events are not for the weak and feeble but they’re an awesome spectacle to behold and the guys I watch hurling, tossing, throwing and swinging are mostly great hulking brutes, although a few are slim and wiry.
The under-18 competitions use lighter weights than in the main contests.
And there are plenty of other events to compete in, from Highland dancing and solo piping to athletics, including running and cycling.
I enjoy a brief lesson with Highland dancer Rachael Walker, 23, from Fettercairn.
It’s a tad complex but I try my best to follow her movements as she gives me tips on “shedding”, kicking, turning, performing quick steps and the “shake off of the trews”.
Rachael has been doing this since she was two years old, so she’s pretty nifty.
There’s money up for grabs at most Highland games, too.
Today at Glamis, the winning tug o’ war team nets £200 and Lukasz takes £110 for his toss of the caber.
Competitors hail from all over the world – 17-year-old Isaac Moore is from Oregon, USA and Lukasz is originally from Poland. I also meet visitors from the USA, Bavaria, France and Germany.
Before leaving, I listen as Ben Duncan, 28, plays a rousing Pibroch on his pipes, before moving on to a Strathspey.
With Glamis Castle as a stunning backdrop, it’s as evocative as it gets.
From May to September, you can get in on the action at one of more than 80 events taking place across Scotland, all of which rely on the support of volunteers.
Ian Grieve, president of the SHGA, adds: “Games are taking place most weekends during summer and there’s a number of regional leagues in operation, so there are plenty of chances for anyone interested in competing.”