Oban prepares for annual games
As the Oban Games approach on Thursday August 23, the Argyllshire Gathering is looking to its past and future as it anticipates its 150th anniversary in 2021.
It began simply as a social gathering for landowners, but given Scotland’s clan structure, it grew into a Highland games, first staged in 1871.
National recognition soon followed with the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal in 1873 - solo piping’s most prestigious international award. The Gold Medal competition, awarded jointly at Oban and at the Northern Meeting in Inverness, has continued to spearhead the games since.
Originally, the games were held in conjunction with the Oban Regatta, but when that fell into disuse, they were moved to the fourth Thursday in August to fit in with the international piping calendar.
The Gold Medal is the summit of any solo piper’s ambition, but prestigious associated events – the senior piobaireachd, former winners MSR, silver medal, MacGregor Memorial, as well as international calibre light music competitions – attract pipers from across the globe.
The first day of the gathering is devoted to Ceol Mor or Piobaireachd with competitions at venues throughout Oban. The Gathering Hall’s ballroom has excellent acoustics for piping and it is hoped the Gold Medal competition will be held there in 2018.
On the second day, events take place at the games field and consist of Ceol beag or light music (march, Strathspey and reel, and jig competitions). Medals are presented on the day by the Duke of Argyll, the piping steward and member sponsors.
The Oban Games is the largest single annual event in Oban and recognised as the largest weekday Highland games in Scotland, attracting up to 4,000 people.
As well as traditional heavy and race track events, there are competitions involving local participants and spectators such as tossing the sheaf, tug of war and children’s races and a renowned hill race.
Clan participation is encouraged, with the banners of 12 major clans represented at the games. In 2017, this was increased with the addition of Maclaine of Lochbuie.
The official opening of the games is a long-standing tradition, with the march from Station Square led by competing pipers followed by stewards and members of the gathering. John MacColl’s March, the Argyllshire Gathering, is played on entering the games field.
In 1979, the stewards, noting the decline of piping in Argyll, set up the Argyllshire Gathering Piping Trust with a wide brief to promote education and culture, with a particular emphasis on solo piping. Since then, the trust has led the way in restoring piping across Argyll to the position of great strength it enjoys today. The Gathering Ball is held in the category C-listed Gathering Halls on Breadalbane Street, which dates back to the 19th century, replacing a slate-roofed, timber structure used by the gathering for a meeting, and presumably the ball, in 1877.
Major internal refurbishment was undertaken in the early 2000s and in 2015 the roof was restored, for which members raised £200,000.