THE BIG IDEA
“The games are representative of our tradition of Scotland that for many of us has never stopped being a tradition that is known as the Gathering of the Clans.”
Listen to “Highland Games Vs. Gathering of the Clans; Scotland” on Spreaker.
MORE QUOTES
“So instead of fighting each other, they made games that involved strength and techniques.”
“And this is a very important day for Island and Highland men, because the chances are, this is where you’re going to meet your wife.”
“So you’re proving … I am strong, I can pull up fishing nets.”
“And then in the evening, there’ll be some dancing then hopefully you get to get a wee shimmy with a woman from the opposition Clan.”
“For the people of the north, or the men of the north, nothing about that whole day is a game. It’s fierce competition. Fierce competition.”
SHOW NOTES
A MIDLIFE TRAVELER PODCAST; SEASON 1 SCOTLAND SPEAKS
EPISODE: Highland Games vs. Gathering of the Clans; Scotland
Remember: This story is better when heard in the Scottish voice…so listen the podcast…please.
The Origin of Scotland’s Highland Games
A lot of people of Scotland reminisce about their past and history, and they play games all day long. The games are representative … I hate saying this, but I’ll say it, are representative of our tradition of Scotland, that for many of us has never stopped being a tradition that is known as the Gathering of the Clans.
This is where the individual men from the Clans would all meet and compete in certain games. And (historically) this was to avoid the murdering and killing of our greatest warriors and Clan challenges, because then we would have nobody to fight the enemy. Because normally with a Clan challenge, rather than going to war, you would get your best fighter against their best fighter, and whoever won, that was the war won. That was a decision.
But then as the foreign enemies were pushing in to Scotland, the Clan Chiefs were going, “Wait a minute guys, we’re ending all our finest warriors here and we’ve got enemies on the doorstep.” So instead of fighting each other, they made games that involved strength and techniques. So if you had an issue with another Clan, you would compete in these games. And the most men that won those games, would be the Clan that would have won that particular argument let’s say.
The Highland Games Today
The Highland Games today is a social event for people to go and enjoy. Men will dress up like Highlanders and throw bits of wood that look like cabers, they’ll toss hay bales over … That’s not part of the Highland Games, that’s more an American thing. Throw hay bales over a pole. Throw a small cannon ball called a shot put.
What they’re doing, they’re representing the traditional games but that’s not the games that we play.
The Gathering of the Clans, Still Very Important to This Day
So in the outer Hebrides, these traditions have never ended, and they are known as the Gathering of the Clans. I am MacGregor son of Gregor. My Clan chief is Farker MacGregor. If he asked me to compete in his honor and name, I cannot say no and I would never say no because when I am asked, this makes me feel so proud. And it makes my family feel proud.
So what happens is, through the season, all the other Clans on the island, they’ve had competitions just between their own men, and then the winners of all the Clans will then compete in one event called the Gathering of the Clans. And this is a very important day for Island and Highland men, because the chances are, this is where you’re going to meet your wife. Because we are encouraged obviously not to marry within our own Clans, because it doesn’t produce the strongest children.
The Purpose of Gathering of the Clans Today in the Island Highland Areas
So it’s a day for the men to compete against each other in a very Alpha male way, a very “ugh, uga bugga way”, because we are trying to show the females of the opposite Clans that we can provide. And it is important that it’s through physical strength because if you live on the Island, you are going to be a farmer or a fisherman. So you’re proving … I am strong, I can pull up fishing nets. Y’know, the women don’t really care to be honest with you.
And then in the evening, there’ll be some dancing then hopefully you get to get a wee shimmy with a woman from the opposition Clan. And hopefully her brothers not had too much to drink and you get a bop in the face. But quite often the bop in the face is really good, because then the sister wants to clean it up for you.
So the Gathering of the Clans is essentially what the Highland Games has turned in to. But it’s on the mainland because for the people of the north, or the men of the north, nothing about that whole day is a game. It’s fierce competition. Fierce competition.
