Get Ready for the Highland Games this Weekend

The rich culture, traditions, and history of Scotland are on full display at the 40th New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival. The NH Highland Games & Festival, sponsored by The New Hampshire Gathering of the Scottish Clans (NHSCOT), runs Friday, Sept. 18, through Sunday, Sept. 20, at the scenic Loon Mountain Resort, in Lincoln, according to press statement.

More than 60 clans will be wearing their tartans and bringing their heritage to clan village. Scotland’s cultural history comes to life in living history encampments. Renowned for its outstanding entertainment, the NH Highland Games & Festival features multiple venues with Scottish and Celtic performers playing traditional and modern music. This is a fun and affordable event for families, as admission for children 14 and under (with an accompanying adult) is free. Children can participate in the Festival Youth Program, which features games (including children’s caber tossing), crafts, storytelling, and more. For a full schedule of events and activities, please visit nhscot.org.

“By any measure, the New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival is more than an annual event: It’s a tradition that has closed the gap between the Highlands to the White Mountains for 40 years,” said Jeffrey Rose, commissioner of the NH Department of Resources and Economic Development. “This celebration is about the pageantry, history, entertainment and spirit of the Scottish culture. It is also about the enduring ties found within its clans and the tens of thousands of people who, over the years, have made their way to New Hampshire to carry on the traditions of their culture.”

“The mix of sights and sounds at the Highland Games is truly impressive. The band, dance and athletic competitions are lively and colorful, and the Celtic music adds to the festive atmosphere,” says NHSCOT Executive Director Patti Nisco. “Many people who have visited Scotland say that the setting of Loon Mountain Resort in the White Mountains is very much like a Scottish glen.”

Now in its 40th year, the NH Highland Games & Festival has expanded to be one of the largest and most diverse Scottish events in the US. For example, the first NH Highland Games & Festival piping competition had three bands; this year there are 35. The number of athletes invited to participate in the Games has also grown – this year there are 10 professionals, 8 master class and 9 amateurs from 6 countries (US, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, and Scotland).

There are many stories to tell of the people that have participated and attended over the 40 years:

• Son of a trophy!: The reigning heavy athletic title holder at the NH Highland Games & Festival is Daniel McKim. McKim, a professional Scottish heavy athlete, has won the title four years in a row. Daniel’s goal is to win his 5th trophy at this year’s Games, so each one of his five sons will have a trophy.
• Going the distance: The Games has been a regular annual event for many of the participants. For example, Chuck Murdock was the first piping competition judge for the Games and has participated every year since then. Twenty- years ago, Adam Holdaway was a piping competitor at the Games, now he is judging piping competitions. The Mohawk Valley Frasers Pipe Band from Rome, NY has appeared in 32 of the 40 Games. The Worcester Kiltie pipe band (based in Worcester, MA) is a close second in competitions, having participated for 29 years.
• Lifelong bonds: In addition to perpetuating a great cultural tradition, participants in the Games have the opportunity to meet other musicians, athletes, and dancers. As young girls, Patti Nisco and Lezlie Webster competed against each other in the Highland Dance events. Although they were rivals, they also became close friends and today Patti is a drum major judge and executive director of NHSCOT and Lezlie is a respected piping judge and teacher. “There is a great camaraderie at the Games – we play together as hard as we compete against each other,” said Nisco.
• Pass it on: The tradition of the Highland Games runs strong through many generations, with examples of grandparents, parents, and children participating either in the competitions or sharing the history of their clan in the clan village and living history encampments. Scottish Clans and Societies are well represented with 65 clans participating in this year’s Games, and each year there is a designated honored clan – this year it is the Clan MacNachtan.
• On Sunday, there are special events to honor the family, including a “Blessing of the Bairns” where children (bairns) can receive a special blessing, and the church service and “Kirking (churching) of the Tartan” in which clans carry banners of their family tartan to be blessed. The service also includes a “Flowers of the Forest,” a time to remember friends who have died in the past year.

NH Highland Games & Festival Highlights

There’s a full slate of activities for all ages:

• Great music: There are a variety of musical performances at various venues around the Games. Performers include: the tribal sounds of Albannach; Scottish rock/pop band The Red Hot Chilli Pipers; internationally renowned Scottish accordionist John Carmichael; master fiddler Alasdair Fraser and cellist Natalie Haas; traditional Scottish band, The Brigadoons; fiddler Brendan Carey Block; fiddle band Halali; American Celtic rock band Prydein; and Scottish troubadour Charlie Zahm. Some concerts are free with admission; some require a paid admission. See www.nhscot.org for details.

• Competitive heavy athletics, featuring strongman Hafthór (The Mountain from HBO’s Game of Thrones): Athletes from the US, Canada, Iceland, Scotland and Europe will be competing at the NH Highland Games & Festival in the Caber Toss, Weight Over Bar, Weight for Distance, Sheaf Toss, Hammer Throw, and Loon Stone Carry competitions. Hafthór Björnsson, who plays the character of The Mountain in HBO’s Game of Thrones and winner of Europe’s Strongest Man competition in 2014 and 2015, will be competing at the NH Highland Games all weekend.

• Piping, drumming, fiddle, harp and dance competitions: On Saturday and Sunday, pipers, drummers, drum majors, pipe bands, fiddlers, and harpists will show off their skills in both solo and band competitions. Highland dancers will compete Saturday and Sunday; Sunday will highlight the debut of the prestigious White Mountain Premiership competition, a national dance championship.

• Festival Youth Program: The NH Highland Games & Festival features a youth program where children can try their hand at various craft projects; listen to a storyteller; participate in games (tossing the haggis, caber toss, stones carry); and interact with presenters of highland music or dance. Events are designed for children 5 years to pre-teen.

• Sheep dog trials: The NH Highland Games & Festival kicks off on Friday with sheep dog trials. Watch the border collies as they guide the sheep through an obstacle course, where the goal is for each dog to run four sheep through five obstacles.

• Whisky tasting: On Friday and Saturday afternoon, learn about and taste the whiskies of Laphroaig, Bowmore and Auchentoshan. Must be 21 to participate.

• Scottish merchandise: There is always great shopping at the NH Highland Games & Festival. T-shirts, colorful tartan items, exquisite jewelry, and so much more. Vendors offer a great array of goods from “across the pond.”

NH Highland Games & Festival Ticket Information

The NH Highland Games & Festival runs from Friday, September 18 through Sunday, September 20 at the Loon Mountain Resort on 60 Loon Mountain Road in Lincoln, NH. All events are held rain or shine. No pets are allowed; only recognized guide or service dogs are permitted.

Single day tickets are available in advance online at nhscot.org or at the gate each day. Tickets are $20 per person for Friday admission only and $20 for Sunday admission only. Admission for Saturday only is $30. Weekend (3 day) tickets are $50 and can be purchased in advance (through September 16) online at nhscot.org. Children 14 and under are free with accompanying adult..

Admission includes all daytime concerts in the main concert tent as well as other venues; heavy Scottish athletic competitions, sheep dog trials, highland dance, fiddle, harp, piping and drumming and pipe band competitions, clan village, Scottish shopping, demonstrations, youth program, and living history area.

For more information about the NH Highland Games & Festival, or NHSCOT, call 603-229-1975, email info@nhscot.org, or visit nhscot.org.