Inverness

All over Scotland and throughout the year there are highly popular festivals which celebrate Scottish and Celtic culture. These events are characterised by light and heavy athletic competitions as well as traditional dancing, music and costume. They are called the Highland Games, and the oldest and most famous is the one organised in the northern city of Inverness.

In fact the games date back as far as the 11th century but it wasn't until 1821 that the games were 'rediscovered' and the capital of the Scottish Highlands hosted the modern version. Now almost 200 years later it's still a hugely entertaining event and thousands come to see the traditional costumes and dancing and to hear the unmistakeable bagpipes and drums being played.

Now, there are some events that are particular only to Scotland and you certainly won't see them in any Olympic Games. One of the most famous, and one which is seen as a symbol of the whole event, is the Caber toss. Let me explain. A caber is a long wooden log, sometimes up to 10 metres. The athlete holds the pole in his hands so it is vertical, with the thicker end at the top and the thinner end being held by the athlete, and then runs forward and throws it in the air. The object of the throw is to make the caber turn so that the thick end hits the ground first and then the smaller end turns over to hit the ground too. The winner is the person who not only manages this but also has the caber closest to the 12 o'clock position when it stops. Curious, no?

Another event is the Stone put. There are two versions of this. The first uses a stone between 20 and 26 pounds, which is almost 12 kilos, and the athlete must throw it from a standing position, that is to say without moving his feet. The second is more similar to the shot put in that the stone is lighter, 16 to 22 pounds, or 10 kilos, and the thrower can run to the line before throwing it.

The Weight throw is fun. The men take a 28 pound, or 13 kilo, weight and with one hand must throw it as far as they can. Then there's the Weight over the bar competition. The weight is 56 pounds, over 25 kilos, and the aim is to toss it over a horizontal bar using only one hand. The bar gets raised after each round until there is only one winner. There's another event with a similar aim but instead of throwing a metal weight the athletes use a long fork to throw a bundle of wheat, weighing 20 pounds, or 9 kilos, over a very high bar.

But whatever the event, whether it be the tug-of-war (a rope pulling contest) or a traditional dancing competition, visitors really can get a taste of Scottish Highland culture and hospitality.