UCLA Study Abroad | International Education Office | Scotland

By Caitlyn Pickard

When deciding to come to Scotland, my brain immediately jumped to the movie Made of Honor, a cheesy romcom featuring Patrick Dempsy. Just the thought of getting stuck on a road surrounded by sheep, finding a thistle in the rolling green countryside, and strong Scottish men in kilts throwing around tree trunks to win my heart. Needless to say, none of these things happened; however, I did get to see Scottish men throwing tree trunks (also known as caber) at the Highland games, among other amazing things.

The history of the Highland games began as an effort by aristocrats trying to save Scottish culture after the British had created laws against tartan and strongly advising against the use of Gaelic. Many pipers began to compete since a lot of the dynamics of their career within clan families had changed under British influence. It was the main source of a steady income. Thus, begun the popularity of the games. This is a really watered down version of the Highland Games beginning, but it’s a few of the main pointers. If you’re interested in learning more, you should try to take the bagpiping class! It’s definitely an experience. Yes, I learned to play some bagpipe songs. No, I will not be playing them for you because I’m terrible.

Anyways, more about the Highland Games today! They really only happen during the summer months, like late-May to August. You can check to see when the upcoming games are on shga.co.uk! So, that’s what I did in April and found that there was ONE game happening right before I leave. I decided then and there that I would definitely be going. I was lucky enough to have some friends who were also down for an adventure to the Highlands and enjoy tree trunk throwing. As you can see, I was really excited to see people throwing tree trunks. Don’t ask me why. It’s just amazing.

From Edinburgh, I traveled to Inverness via bus, which was way cheaper than train. While in Inverness, I stayed in a hostel and decided to explore Inverness for a few days. Just so you know, if you get a chance, check out Rosemarkie. It’s the cutest little town with a lot of exploring and a lovely beach. It’s only a 30 min bus ride from Inverness. Trust me. It’s just so peaceful and a lovely refresher, totally worth it. Unless you’re a city person. Maybe not your scene. After my exploring of Inverness and surrounding areas, I took a bus to Elgin and stayed in an Airbnb with two of my friends.

We were pretty excited about the games. Needless to say, it did not disappoint! It was awesome. In the beginning, we watched the youth play the Highland heavy weight games, such as little hammer, weight over the bar, and, my personal favorite, caber. These young men were amazing, and slightly terrifying. In agreement with competition rules, they were dressed in traditional kilts and socks for the games. Then, we happened upon the highland dancing. It was so graceful, similar to ballet, but with more cardio due to all the jumping. We cruised around all the different booths. I found some delicious honey made from bees who pollenated heather flowers. Tony, one of the owners working the honey booth, shared information about their business with us and also lots of samples. Super yum. We also got to try different whiskeys, cheeses, and fudges at the various stands. Quite the variety. And all absolutely mouth-watering. Except the whiskey, which had a wee bit of kick.

This was one of the most cultural experiences that I was lucky enough to participate in. The best part was that there was almost no tourists. It was an authentic look into some of the Highland culture in Scotland. If there’s one thing you have to do when in Scotland, it is to go to a Highland Games competition. You won’t regret it! I definitely don’t! One thing I learned today is that tree trunk throwing is as awesome as Hollywood made it seem.