Grandfather Mountain Highland Games - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

History of Scottish Games in North Carolina

The Scottish people have a long and rich history in the state of North Carolina. After the battle of Culloden in 1745, highland clearances left many Scottish clans with no home and nowhere to go. During the time after the clearances, North Carolina became one of the most popular destinations. The local government in North Carolina urged Highland Scots to come to North Carolina by offering them land and tax exemptions. At first, many groups kept to the eastern shores of North Carolina, but as populations in the states rose, many went west in search of farm land and more space. During the revolutionary war, Scottish immigrants fought on both sides. The most famous Scottish resident of North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

was Flora MacDonald

Flora Macdonald

Flora MacDonald , Jacobite heroine, was the daughter of Ranald MacDonald of Milton on the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, and his wife Marion, the daughter of Angus MacDonald.Her father died when she was a child, and her mother was abducted and married by Hugh MacDonald of...

, who immigrated to the US after the battle of Culloden

Battle of Culloden

The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...

and lived in Harnett country from 1774 to 1778. After the war, many Scottish Loyalists left the states to go back to Scotland and others went on to Nova Scotia, Canada. There remained, however, a large group of Scots that called North Carolina their home from then on.

The Scots kept their highland culture alive in the United States, speaking Scottish Gaelic among their families and in church. The Scots were unable to practice their cultural heritage in Scotland after the Battle of Culloden

Battle of Culloden

. New laws outlawed the use of bagpipes

Bagpipes

Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...

, tartans, weapons and Gaelic. In turn, the Scots embraced their freedom in America and sought to keep their traditions alive in a new way. Highland gatherings were a part of the lives of every Scot in North Carolina

North Carolina

. At the very beginning they were used as a time to trade with others, baptize their children, get married and pass along information. The language and culture remained an active part of their lives in the US until after the Civil War, when much of the culture had finally assimilated into the progressing American culture. However, the loss of the Scottish culture in North Carolina

North Carolina

did not go unnoticed. It was not until 1956 that the highland games

Highland games

Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &Highland games are events held throughout the &(-è_çà in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain...

returned to North Carolina

North Carolina

as a modern event.

The Beginning of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games

In 1956, Mrs. Agnes MacRae Morton of Linville, NC and Mr. Donald F. MacDonald of Charlotte

CHARLOTTE

- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...

, NC co-founded the Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain is a mountain, a non-profit attraction, and a North Carolina state parknear Linville, North Carolina. At 5,946 feet , it is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway...

Highland Games. Donald MacDonald’s vision for the games was based on the Royal Braemar

Braemar

Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee sitting at an altitude of ....

Gathering, which he’d attended a few years before in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

in 1954. The Braemar Games had been held there for several hundred years and the Grandfather Mountain Games was often later called “America’s Braemar”. It was special in many ways, by boasting an oval track in which traditional foot races could be held, along with the heavy events in the inner field. The site became a favorite among games attendees very fast for its striking resemblance to the highlands of Scotland. The MacRae family owned the land where the games were held at the foot of Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain

in Linville, NC. The McRae family actually founded the town of Linville in 1892 and had always wanted to have a highland gathering there, even if just a small event. In 1955, Mrs. Morton contacted Donald MacDonald, who at the time was working for The Charlotte News and had also founded the Clan Donald Society not long before that as well as helping establish a Robert Burns

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...

Society of Charlotte

CHARLOTTE

. Knowing his dedication to Scottish culture, Mrs. Morton set out to convince him to help her start highland games

Highland games

in North Carolina

North Carolina

. Mr. MacDonald agreed and the first games were held on August 19, 1956, on the anniversary of the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie in Scotland

Scotland

and the beginning of the 1745 uprising

Jacobite rising

The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...

.

The two set out to model the games after what Mr. MacDonald remembered from the Braemar

Braemar

games and using the program he had brought back with him. The very first games were only one day in length with two bands and a small group of competitions. The games were small at first with only 1500 attendees, but became popular quickly and highland games began spreading throughout the country modeled after the Grandfather Mountain Games.

Today’s Grandfather Mountain Highland Games

The Mission of Today’s Grandfather Mountain Highland Games:

“To carry on and promote the annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clan

Scottish clan

Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...

s, to foster and restore interest in traditional dancing, piping, drumming, athletic achievement, music and Gaelic culture, and to establish scholarship funds to assist students from Avery County High School to study at American colleges and universities.”

Anatomy of the Games

There are several events that are currently run during the three-day-long event at MacRae Meadows on Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain

in Linville, North Carolina

North Carolina

. Some people come and stay in hotels while visiting, while the more adventurous visitors choose to set up camp sites around MacRae Meadows. The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games is one of the largest in the country, continuously drawing a crowd of over 30,000 over the four days that it runs. It is only been recently surpassed by the highland games in Pleasanton, California

Pleasanton, California

Pleasanton is a city in Alameda County, California, incorporated in 1894. It is a suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area located about east of Oakland, and west of Livermore. The population was 70,285 at the 2010 census. In 2005 and 2007, Pleasanton was ranked the wealthiest middle-sized city in...

. In 2006, the Games celebrated its 50th anniversary.

The Torchlight Ceremony

Also called “raising the clans”, is a ceremony that long ago was used to call the clans to battle. In this ceremony, each clan brings its torch to announce itself as being present at the games and adds its own torch to the larger bonfire in the center of the field. The ceremony typically begins after sundown and is accompanied by music and piping

Bagpipes

The Parade of Tartans

The final day of the Games begins with a worship ceremony that includes the “Kirkin’ of the Tartans” ceremony and then the Parade of Tartans begins. The Parade of Tartans includes every clan attending the Games. Each clan gathers some of its most important members and they parade around the track along with several piping bands. The games typically attract more than 120 different clans each year.

Piping & Drumming

"A wide variety of piping and drumming competitions takes place on the East Meadow. Piping events include:
Piobaireachd, March, Strathspey & Reel, Hornpipe & Jig, 6/8 March. Piping competitions are held in multiple sections. Open (Professional) and Amateur I-IV. Drumming events include:March, Strathspey & Reel, Tenor, Bass, Drum Pad, Etc. Like piping, drumming competitions are held in multiple sections. Open (Professional) and Amateur I-IV. There are also specific divisions for Tenor Drum." (Source: www.gmhg.com)

Dancing

The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games has been designated by the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing as the official site of the Atlantic International championship. Each dancer must dance four separate dances laid down by the board of Highland Dancing

Scottish highland dance

The term Highland dance or Highland dancing is used today to refer to a style of athletic solo dancing which developed in the Gaelic Highlands of Scotland...

and each is judged accordingly. People come from all over the world to compete and also to watch the best dancers in the nation compete. The United States Inter-Regional Championship has been held at the games twice in the past, thanks to retired dance director Anne Andrews. Pat Johnston is the director of dance now, and has recently re-started a dance camp in the mountains (a week before the games) by the dreams of Sally Southerland. There is also the chance for everyone to try out their highland dancing skills at the many evening events that feature piping

Bagpipes

and highland reels

Reel (dance)

The reel is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type. In Scottish country dancing, the reel is one of the four traditional dances, the others being the jig, the strathspey and the waltz, and is also the name of a dance figure ....

Games

Besides the traditional track sports, there are several heavy sports competitions that take place throughout the games. One of the best parts about the games is that people of all ages and skill can participate in the games. There is a day for professional competitors and one for amateurs and over 40 competitors as well. In addition, the children at the festival can also have the chance to practice their own skills at traditional highland games. Competitions include the hammer throw

Hammer throw

The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...

, weight toss, turning the caber

Caber toss

The caber toss is a traditional Irish athletic event practised at the Irish Highland Games involving the tossing of a large wooden pole called a caber. It is said to have developed from the need to toss logs across narrow chasms to cross them. In Irishtown the caber is usually made from a Larch tree...

, turning the sheaf

Sheaf toss

The sheaf toss is a traditional Scottish agricultural sport event originally contested at country fairs. A pitchfork is used to hurl a burlap bag stuffed with straw over a horizontal bar above the competitor's head. Typical weight for the bag is 16 pounds . Three chances are given to each...

, highland wrestling, kilt

Kilt

The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly...

ed mile run and the clan

Scottish clan

tug-o-war

Tug of war

Tug of war, also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war or rope pulling, is a sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. The term may also be used as a metaphor to describe a demonstration of brute strength by two opposing groups, such as a rivalry between two...

.

Traditionally the first events of the Games are the marathon

Marathon

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...

and the bear. The Marathon is a 26-mile-long race beginning in Boone, North Carolina

Boone, North Carolina

Boone is a town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, United States. Boone's population was reported as 17,122, as of 2010...

and ending at MacRae Meadows. The bear is a 5-mile foot race that begins at the bottom of Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain

and ends at the top of the mountain, a 1500-foot climb. That evening, the opening ceremonies begin with the Torchlight Ceremony ending that day's events.

In addition to the competitive games, one of the crowd favorites is the exhibitions of sheep herding

Herding

Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...

with border collie

Border Collie

The Border Collie is a herding dog breed developed in the Anglo-Scottish border region for herding livestock, especially sheep. It is the most widespread of the collie breeds....

s on the playing field. The crowds are often delighted by the skill of the border collies that herd the sheep across the field and into a penned area.

Music

There are music events for all ages and tastes at the games. The annual Ceilidh

Céilidh

In modern usage, a céilidh or ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing. It originated in Ireland, but is now common throughout the Irish and Scottish diasporas...

and Tartan Ball features traditional music and dance. There is also a bagpipe concert that features some of the best pipers from around the country. The festival also offers two concerts, a Celtic Jam and a Celtic Rock Concert on the second and third nights of the Games. Each day there are three Celtic Groves that feature music of different types. Each grove has its own flavor, from the more traditional to the more modern rock groups. The Gaelic Mod is another traditional form of Gaelic speaking that takes place at the Games. During the mod, competitors sign traditional Gaelic songs, and is held to encourage the use of the Gaelic language throughout the world. Whatever your interest in music, it is an incredible to hear traditional music and word in the colorful setting at the foothills of Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain

. There is an extensive summer school for bagpiping and drumming during the weeks leading up to and after the games at the historic Valle Crucis Conference Center in Valle Crucis, North Carolina

Valle Crucis, North Carolina

Valle Crucis is an unincorporated community located in Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. The name of the town is Latin for "Vale of the Cross," a reference to a valley in the area where three streams converge to form a shape similar to an archbishop's cross...

.

Food and vendors

At each Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, there are numerous vendors selling everything from kilts and hats, to swords and daggers. Vendors from all over the region come to sell their arts and crafts, all with a distinctly Scottish theme. There are also many vendors that sell traditional Scottish favorites such as haggis

Haggis

Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' , minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach.Haggis is a kind...

, bridie

Bridie

A bridie or Forfar bridie is a Scottish type of meat pastry, originally made in the town of Forfar, Scotland.- Content :A bridie is a savoury pie similar to a pasty, but the pastry is not as hard and no potato is used, making it much lighter in texture...

s, and fish and chips

Fish and chips

Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...

. There are also vendors that sell packaged food that is difficult to find in the US such as Cadbury

Cadbury Schweppes

Cadbury is a confectionery company owned by Kraft Foods and is the industry's second-largest globally after Mars, Incorporated. Headquartered in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom, the company operates in more than 50 countries worldwide....

candy, shepherds pie mix, and highland honey

Honey

Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...

. Each clan

Scottish clan

represented at the games is also given a tent that visitors can visit. At most tents, clan organizations have sign up forms for membership and often have clothing and memorabilia with the clan's crest.

External resources

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.