Summer Highland Games

By Dave Johnston

The annual Summer Highland Games are coming up fast. The first are the Glengarry Highland Games Friday the 1st-to Saturday the 2nd of August and the North Lanark Highland Games on Saturday August 23rd.

The 76th edition of the Glengarry Highland Games in Maxville Ontario, is fast approaching. The first Games established in 1948 saw eight pipe bands competing. The Games now boast the largest massed pipe bands in North America with over seventy in attendance. The games are now home to the prestigious North American Pipe Band Championships™.

In addition to massed bands and band competitions, the games host Highland Dance Competition and Masters and Amateur Heavy Weight men’s and women’s competitions, including stone, hammer, sheaf and Caber toss.

On the grounds there will be food and highland attire vendors, as well as a Clans tent featuring Clan and Highland organization booths including the Scottish Society of Ottawa.

Each afternoon and evening there will be live entertainment including fiddlers, singers and bands such as Hadrian’s Wall, Brandy N Port, and the County Lads.

So come out and enjoy the largest Highland Games in North America.

North Lanark Highland Games Saturday August 23rd

The second major Highland Games in the Ottawa are the North Lanark Highland Games held at the North Lanark Agricultural Fairgrounds in Almonte Ontario. This will be the 40th anniversary of these Games which offer a traditional format and size attracting about 3,000 visitors. There will be twenty pipe bands, a hundred dancers and champion heavyweight athletes combine to present what is recognized as one of the Ottawa Valley’s premier summer events.

There will also be Mini-Highland Games and free admission for kids 11 & under. The Almonte Games have a reputation not only as having the prettiest site, being along the Mississippi River but also as being the friendliest Games on the Ontario circuit.

In addition to piping, athletic and Highland dance competitions there will be Highland mass fling. There will also be food and highland/Celtic vendors and again come see up at the SSO tent as you come out and enjoy the “Friendliest games”.