In the caber toss, athletes flip a telephone pole-sized log end over end. The nation’s top Scottish athletes clash Saturday in traditional heavyweight events, such as “turning the caber” and “tossing the sheaf.” The “raising of the clans” proclaims that they have once again convened to celebrate their heritage.įriday, Saturday and Sunday are filled with competitions in traditional heavyweight Scottish athletic events, highland dancing competitions, bagpipe band parades, piping, drumming and harp competitions, sheepherding demonstrations by Scottish border collies and live concerts.
It’s followed Saturday by another test of extreme endurance as the Grandfather Mountain Marathon winds from Appalachian State University in Boone to the site of the Games in Linville.īut the Games truly get underway at the torchlight ceremony on Thursday evening, where representatives of more than 100 clans announce their families’ participation in the gathering. “The Bear” pits hundreds of runners against the steep switchbacks of Grandfather Mountain in a five-mile run that climbs 1,568 feet from the town of Linville to the mountain summit. Operated and organized by Grandfather Mountain Highland Games Inc., the Highland Games begin Thursday afternoon, July 8, with border collie sheepherding demonstrations, Celtic entertainment, the running of “The Bear” uphill foot race and the opening ceremonies. “The Games hearken back to the rich cultural traditions of Scotland in a setting not so different from the mountains and glens some 3,600 miles away,” said Frank Ruggiero, director of marketing and communications for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the Linville, N.C., nature park. And lots of it.Ĭome July 8-11, Grandfather Mountain is home to the 2021 Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.ĭuring this time, MacRae Meadows, located at the base of Grandfather Mountain, will be brimming with bagpipes, Scottish athletics, Highland melodies, Celtic cuisine, crafts aplenty and tons of tartans. During summer, Grandfather Mountain is known for its lush greenery and the kaleidoscope colors of myriad blooms.ĭuring July, however, guests can add an entirely different palette to that mix - plaid.
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