Highland Games
Sunny 68-degree weather favored the Highland Games we attended in both Dornoch and Moy this past weekend. On Friday at noon we followed the Dornoch Pipe band to a nearby field for this annual competition.
There we watched piping, dancing, adult athletic events, and children’s races.
I especially enjoyed watching Dornoch children compete in many races like this one.
On Saturday our friends, Roger and Nina Pitkin, our guests for two weeks, drove us to a much larger event at Moy, southeast of Inverness near the Cairngorms National Park. The Queen’s Own Highlanders Pipe Band initiated the festivities.
In the distance we could hear Clay Pigeon, Musket, and Small Bore Rifle Shooting. Archery and Fly Casting competitions were also underway. In the Main Ring, the lead event was a Tug of War between teams from Cawdor and Moy. The men of Moy won, coached by a precocious 7-year-old. It was fun to watch this event with our friends from last night’s dinner (see below).
Vendors from all over the Highlands offered tempting goods. Nina bought a new feather pillow; we lunched on meat pies and sausage on a stick. The Falconry demonstration lacked the drama of one we saw seven years ago at Dunrobin Castle. When presentations about Highland Ponies and Ferrets became somewhat tedious, I chatted with people from organizations committed to improving Scotland’s natural habitat. This once-forested country must now import wood to use in construction.
Scottish Woodlands is a predominately employee-owned private company that creates new woodlands, manages forests, and harvests timber. I traded book recommendations with this young man. He told me about Feral: rewilding the land, sea and human life by George Monbiot and I recommended to him The Overstory by Richard Powers.
Steve and I visited a booth manned by Scottish Natural Heritage, a government agency dedicated to safeguarding Scotland’s nature areas and species. Steve got to pet their mascot puppy. People led many breeds of dogs on the grounds; all were well-behaved.
At the ANTA booth, I introduced Steve to Annie Stewart and her architect husband Lachlan. Annie remembered that last year I had bought Partridge Linen pillows for our house on Partridge Place. Lachlan invited us to visit his studio when our daughter Lilli comes with Violet in two weeks.
Our final Highland game on Saturday was Mexican Train, a game of dominoes four of us played at Lisa’s house, using her set of double 12 colored dominoes. We had a hilarious time trying to be the first to get rid of the hand we’d been dealt.
For Steve the most important Highland game of all is golf. He and Roger teed off at Royal Dornoch on Sunday afternoon, while Nina and I visited an art show.
Bonus: On Friday, the night between our two days of Highland Games, Lisa organized a memorable dinner at The Oystercatcher in Portmahomack. The Cullen Skink was light and creamy; the Oysters, fresh and delicious; the Grilled Whole Lobster, succulent; the Duck, divine; the Orkney Ice Cream with Raspberries, perfect. Best of all for Steve and me was being with seven delightful friends.
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