A welcome return for Southend’s Highland Games

AFTER a year away, Kintyre was glad to enjoy the Southend Highland Games once again last weekend.

Cancelled last July due to ongoing construction of the new Dunaverty Hall, the community park was clear this year to welcome hundreds of visitors from near and far to enjoy one of the iconic Scottish celebrations.

The rain threatened in dark grey skies but thankfully held off until the last few events, and the midges even kept their distance to let the revellers concentrate on the action.

As cabers went tossing and legs went racing, the Courier reporter covering the event nearly got an unwelcome bump on the head from a 28lb weight due to an uncharacteristic lack of attention on his part.

Luckily, he looked up from his lens just in time to dodge the great lump as it tore a hole in the ground where he had previously stood. ‘You wouldn’t hae managed many more photos after that,’ was the accurate call from the distance judge.

The games were impeccably run with the committee members organising each event proficiently, no mean feat with speakerphone problems and excited young children to keep in order.

It provided an excellent show of athletic talent, from Kintyre’s finest runners, including Southend’s own Kenny Campbell, sweeping around the track, to young Jilly Lefebvre professionally bounding over the high jump.

The region’s best young Highland dancers gave beautiful displays, while the Kintyre Schools Pipe Band hardly played a note out of tune.

The Courier is already looking forward to the Games returning next July.