Scottish shows and Highland Games

[sparkling]

Now as you know, I am still new to this way of life up here almost at the tip top of the mainland British Isles and I am really enjoying all the local shows and games and little festivals. This last weekend, I visited the Portsoy Boat festival which surprisingly was opened by Princess Anne! (never expected to bump into royalty around here!)
What a cracking little festival. Three stages with different music, mostly folk but local groups and people that were all really talented. Tents with local food and tents with local crafts.
One of my favourites was the demonstration of the Large Whale Disentanglement Team! Amazing voluntary work that I never knew about. Brilliant!

BDMLR Large Whale Disentanglement Team

This page is for all donations and fundraising events for British Divers Marine Life Rescue's Large Whale Disentanglement Team. The money donated will help towards the training, equipment and general running of the team.

www.justgiving.com

Having done my family tree a few years back, I know I am 27% Scottish so no wonder the sound of the pipe band gets me all emotional.
Life is great!

PS I meant to say, tell me of your favourite shows and games.

​

 

[pogofish]

We were at Portsoy on Saturday.

One of the main acts was the niece of my old boss.

 

[sparkling]

We were at Portsoy on Saturday.

One of the main acts was the niece of my old boss.

I thought it was a brilliant little festival and am looking forward to next year...where I intend to concentrate much more on the music side of things.

 

[pogofish]

I worked a couple of the early ones - produced a lot of the images that helped get it established and I've gone back for at least one day most years since. I'm lucky that if I get the right gate with one of the committee on, they still don't charge me for entrance!

Portsoy is well worth the whole weekend - esp if you can make the Friday concert, which usually has a pretty good band. Sometimes it is held in a big marquee up by Loch Soy off the High St, other times on one of the Greens or on the main stage by the harbour - depends!

My problem is that it is usually straight after a big/all-week work event, which doesn't finish until teatime Friday and I'm usually knackered, so making Saturday this year was unusually good - I had to rest right-up on the Sunday though!

We landed-up in a little and very dog-friendly pub a few miles away that I've not been in for many years and had an absolutely splendid meal, so I'm considering trying to find somewhere to stay there for next year.

 

[pogofish]

A few quick phone snaps from Saturday. Not started to edit anything else yet:

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[danny la rouge]

the sound of the pipe band gets me all emotional.

I grew up in a house opposite the field the local Highland Games was held in. The piopaireachd competition always started earlier and went on longer than all the other events, and for me the sound of ceol mor is bound up with summer, the smell of cut grass, and the school holidays. I love ceol mor. It gets me every time.

 

[danny la rouge]

 

[iona]

I'm looking forward to going to the local ag show and then the bigger Orkney county show this year. I started entering some veg in the horticultural section at some of the village shows down my mum's way the last few years but suspect the tattie growing competition will be a bit stiffer up here! Our cows are already halter trained, so I'm going to keep that up and see if one of the kids might be interested in doing the show thing next year.

We also have the boys' ploughing match and festival of the horse:

The Museum of British Folklore • The Boys Ploughing Match and the Festival of the Horse, South Ronaldsay. Orkney

The Museum of British Folklore is Britain’s first centre solely devoted to the celebration of our continuing living folk culture - www.museumofbritishfolklore.com

www.museumofbritishfolklore.com

 

[JimW]

I love a ploughing match, horse or tractor.

 

[iona]

I love a ploughing match, horse or tractor.

These are peedie toy ploughs

 

[sparkling]

A few quick phone snaps from Saturday. Not started to edit anything else yet:

20230701_163654.jpg

www.amazon.co.uk

20230701_163822.jpg

www.amazon.co.uk

20230701_164137.jpg

www.amazon.co.uk

20230701_165434.jpg

www.amazon.co.uk

20230701_163034.jpg

www.amazon.co.uk

Brilliant photos.

 

[sparkling]

I worked a couple of the early ones - produced a lot of the images that helped get it established and I've gone back for at least one day most years since. I'm lucky that if I get the right gate with one of the committee on, they still don't charge me for entrance!

Portsoy is well worth the whole weekend - esp if you can make the Friday concert, which usually has a pretty good band. Sometimes it is held in a big marquee up by Loch Soy off the High St, other times on one of the Greens or on the main stage by the harbour - depends!

My problem is that it is usually straight after a big/all-week work event, which doesn't finish until teatime Friday and I'm usually knackered, so making Saturday this year was unusually good - I had to rest right-up on the Sunday though!

We landed-up in a little and very dog-friendly pub a few miles away that I've not been in for many years and had an absolutely splendid meal, so I'm considering trying to find somewhere to stay there for next year.

My first time and I was so glad I had bought a weekend ticket. It meant I could relax and enjoy the music without worrying I was missing something else.
I'm curious about your dog friendly pub. Did they do real ale?

 

[friedaweed]

My kids always loved going ro a highland gathering when we were up there on holiday. Great day out.

 

[pogofish]

My first time and I was so glad I had bought a weekend ticket. It meant I could relax and enjoy the music without worrying I was missing something else.
I'm curious about your dog friendly pub. Did they do real ale?

It think they did. I was driving, so not really paying attention beyond soft drinks.

 

[Elpenor]

Went to something similar on Islay on a stag do, stumbled across it by chance. Their health and safety left something to be desired

A mate did the hammer throw, released the hammer too late and it flew past the heras fencing, and almost hit an old woman in a wheelchair, but at the last minute an old bloke - who we had been drinking with the night before and had been plastered when we saw him - managed to grab her chair and tip it (and her) in the other direction.

the guy who threw the hammer was in shock for a few hours as he was so very close to causing her likely death

 

[heinous seamus]

I went to Lochearnhead, Balquhidder and Strathyre highland games yesterday. It was a good laugh. Most of the competitors in the athletics events were just folk from the crowd who'd turned up on the day and decided they fancied a go when they realised anyone could enter.

 

[iona]

County show today. Obviously the livestock and the local businesses' stalls were the main draw but my favourite bit was watching a man and a collie herding a flock of runner ducks round an obstacle course They're based in Argyll but do shows all over the place under the name Drakes of Hazard, definitely worth a look if you see them on a local show programme.