Grandfather Mtn Highland Games
“A wee bit of Scotland in the High Country of western North Carolina”
You don’t have to read very much on my blog to understand that I am a huge Outlander fan. I am also 72% Irish and Scottish according to my Ancestry DNA, so naturally, I’ve been curious about the Highland Games. Since moving to NC a few years back, I’ve been trying to find a way to attend the games in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This year, we were lucky enough to find a VRBO host willing to let us stay at their beautiful log cabin in Newland with our 4 Dachshunds because, unfortunately, my dogs would freak in a kennel, and we don’t know anyone here who would be willing to watch these four characters.
Sooooo, off we went to the Games! As long as you register early, the tickets to the Highland Games are very affordable - $65.00/person for all four days. It’s a good deal, and there was SO much going on at once! Shuttle buses ran continuously between various parking lots and the entrance to the games at the top of Grandfather Mountain. Riding the 2 miles on the sliver of a VERY winding road up and down that mountain in a school bus was a thrill ride in itself!
Once inside the gates, I witnessed the biggest collection of Tartan plaid that I had ever seen in one place. I found the Sinclair Clan tent. I discovered through Ancestry that my mother’s paternal side had a Thomas Sinclair from Scotland who fought with the regiment from Meredith, NH, in the Revolutionary War. Every clan tent at the Games had people proud to tell you something about their heritage.
Then there were the Border Collies who herded sheep and ducks in the center of MacRae Field. Some of the sheep had a mind of their own, causing extra work for the Border Collies as they rounded up the sheep from the crowds and the clan tents surrounding the field.
Next was the Caber Toss. How anyone ever got the idea to lift a telephone pole-sized chunk of wood and toss it in the air to get it to spin is beyond my comprehension, but it was fun to watch.
The various bagpipe and drum bands were amazing, the rain pretty much held off until the last day, and the concession food wasn’t bad. However, I avoided the Blooming Onion! There was even a food stand offering Scottish and English delights - including Haggis!
The Scottish version of Track & Field events, various shows, entertainment, and displays were fun and informative. All in all, a wonderful experience, but my favorite part was a surprise appearance by Duncan LaCroix, the actor who plays Murtagh in the Outlander series! Duncan served as the Grand Marshall for the Parade of Kilts. Duncan, you put the cherry on the top of my trip!!
