With spring and summer come something different for our family than most. DH participates in the Scottish Highland Games. We are so excited to watch him again this year! Here are the events:
Open Stone Put
Similar to the shot put, except a stone is used that weighs usually between 16 and 22 pounds.
Braemar Stone Put
This stone put uses a heavier stone usually between 22 and 28 pounds.
56lb. Weight for Distance
28lb. Weight for Distance
22lb. Hammer Throw
The hammer has a lead or steel head with a bamboo or rattan handle affixed through a hole in the head. Boots with blades attached to the front of them are usually worn to keep the feet on the ground and in a fixed position.
16lb. Hammer Throw
Caber Toss
The Caber is a tree that has been cut and trimmed down so one end is slightly wider than the other. It can vary length from 16 to 22 feet and between 100 and 180 pounds. The smaller end is rounded off so it will be easy to cup in the thrower's hands. The caber is stood up for the thrower with the large end up. The thrower hoists the caber up and cups the small end in his hands. He then takes a short run with the caber and then stops and pulls the caber so that the large end hits the ground and the small end flips over and faces away from the thrower. The caber is scored for accuracy as though the thrower is facing the 12:00 position on a clock face. A judge behind the thrower calls how close to the 12:00 position the small end of the caber lands, 12:00 being a perfect toss. If the caber is not turned, a side judge calls the degrees of the angle the caber makes with the ground.
Sheaf Toss
The sheaf is a 16lb. or 20lb. burlap or plastic bag stuffed with either chopped rope, straw, or mulch. The sheaf is tossed over a cross bar with a pitch fork.
56lb. Weight for Height
The weight for height is the same as used for distance except it is shorter. The weight is tossed over a cross bar with one hand.
I always joke with DH that men in kilts are the manliest group of guys in skirts I've ever seen!
There are also some Children's Games:
- Stone Toss - Wrapped in foam for distance
- Frisbee Toss - Aluminum pie plate for accuracy
- Caber Toss - Core of a carpet roll for distance
- Running Race - 200 yards for speed
- Sheaf Toss - Bag of straw for distance
- Tug o' war - A big rope
Our other favorites include: Fiddle/Harp/Pipe/Drum Concerts, Golf, and Highland Dancing.
DH loves showing our children their heritage. It's one thing to tell them about it. They fall in love with it, though, every year we show them.
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• Apr. 30, 2007 - WOW
Jen