Scotland - Day 2 – The Games

The host at our B&B was hopefully to serve a full Scottish Breakfast in a kilt. Well, he didn’t. Oh well. He was fantastically welcoming, however, and ran a great operation. This was the day of the Lonach Highland Games at Bellabeg (home of acting personality Billy Connelly). Bellabeg was close. For locals, this meant a Land Rover ride through white water rapids, spearing Highland Elk and drinking 60 drams of scotch. Bellabeg is a tiny town in a small valley of the Highlands and this was the place to be in a 50-mile radius. The Highland Games had a slight county fair feel due to the many truck vendors stationed throughout the grounds. Not knowing what to expect and wanting to ensure good views of the caber-tossing, we bought our tickets ahead. Although very enticing the “Meat on a Stick” truck did not quite whet our appetite. We took our seats and watched the games. The games had multiple events happening at the same time on the same field. There was Scottish dancing, piping, hammer tossing, a fun run, tug-o-war, weight toss, caber-toss, long jump and sprints. Notice: lots of tossing. Of course, no good Scottish warrior would be without whiskey on the day of a battle. So in the morning, the Lonach Highlanders set off marching through Bellabeg, enticing the residents to give them drams of whiskey as they made their way to the field. Around 1pm the games welcome the marchers into the arena and to our bewilderment at least 200 men in kilts and bearing spears enter the field to the accompaniment of their bagpipe escorts. Needless to say, they are a little full up on drams, especially one elderly gentleman who passed out directly in front of us. The oldest marcher was a 97-year-old. After two circuits around the field, the Highlanders dispersed and the games carried on. Overall, the games had a deep community spirit and emphasized the importance of familial ties (see picture of little boy in kilt). The rain came and went and supplied a stereotypical backdrop for what to us seemed to be a very successful visit to our first Highland games. The games ended in the afternoon and we decided to drive over to Balmoral but unfortunately the Queen was in residence so it was impossible to get close. The town next to Balmoral is Braemar- a small town but definitely catering to the tourist. We stopped in a hotel pub and reminisced upon the day’s events, making the decision to come back here in the morning. Beckie is always on the lookout for additions to our tea service and there were a few shops here that would be open then.

Scotland