It’s the end of Scotland’s Highland Games season. Have you ever been to a Highland Games? It’s one of the best days out you can imagine. There’s athletics (running, cycling and jumping), but with a mix of men and women, young and old running together, using an informal handicap system. So a little girl will start a long way ahead, and may or may not be caught up by a long-legged older boy by the end of the race. There’s often a longer distance race which involves running up into the hills and then back down again an hour later.
Then there’s the tug-of-war, between two teams pulling a rope between them to find out which team is stronger. Body weight plays an important role.
While all that’s going on, a small group of big, heavy and, crucially, strong men compete in the middle of the arena. They all wear long socks and kilts. There are half a dozen different challenges for these “heavyweights”. They all involve throwing something very heavy, either as high as they can or as far as they can. The final and most popular event is “tossing the caber”. The caber is a long, thick wooden pole. It’s extremely heavy, but has to be picked up, balanced and run with. The strong man then throws it up so that it turns over in the air, doing a somersault. It then has to land straight – in the 12 o’clock position. It’s very hard to achieve, and most attempts fail.
Apart from the sport, there’s Scottish dancing, with teams from Canada, and the USA as well as from Scotland itself. And if you’re lucky there’s music – often a fusion of traditional celtic and modern pop – it’s really worth listening, and dancing to.
The Games are started and ended by the pipe bands – big groups of men, women and children playing bagpipes or drums. Wearing their band kilts, They march through the streets and then round the arena.
The Highland Games are held all over the Highlands of Scotland, and are even spreading farther south. If you’re planning a holiday in Scotland, try to go to one!
Our series of books about Ben includes a visit to a Highland Games. Ben, aged 11, lives in London, but his father is Scottish. In Book 2 the family go on holiday to Scotland. It’s a journey of discovery, and is a great way for early secondary school age children to improve their English while learning about a new country and culture. There are lots of fun language activities too. When he gets back from Scotland, Ben starts secondary school, with all the challenges that brings. You can find the books on Amazon. Currently in French, German and Italian versions, with Spanish to come.
www.zigzagenglish.co.uk
