Dave Gibson, Estes Park. The Scottish Highlands have historically been a rugged sanctuary from which to defend against invaders and warring clans throughout the often volatile and violent centuries. Today’s Highland games are believed to have evolved from fitness training for the various militias and armies of the region. Those warriors of yore were known for their ferocity, strength, and courage.

In Estes Park, CO, September 11 – 13, 2020, modern-day warriors tested their mettle against one another at the Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival just for the fun of it without any battles to prepare for. The competition was only open to those with a “brave heart.” 

Events like the Scottish hammer throw and weight throw tested agility and strength as participants spun the heavy metal objects around and hurled them as far as they could. Hammer throwers wore special shoes with 6-inch blades protruding from the toes to dig into the turf for added traction. In the sheaf toss, a 20 lb. bundle of straw wrapped in burlap is flung by pitchfork over a bar. The action simulates what a field worker might do during harvest — after all, “an army marches on its stomach.” Similar to the shot put, stones as heavy as 26 lbs. for men and 18 lbs. for women were sailed in the stone put. In the weight for height category, a 56 lb. weight is willed over a bar as in the sheaf toss. American Dan Williams holds the official world record at 20 feet, 3 inches. Thought to have originated from the practical exercise of spanning narrow chasms with tree trunks for crossing, the caber toss is probably the event most identified with the Highland games. A tapered log (caber) is lifted with interlocked hands, balanced upright on the neck and shoulder as the athlete runs forward launching the caber into the air. With any luck, it will turn end-over-end and land straight; the caber toss isn’t judged on distance, but how close the log rests to 12 o’clock. On Sunday, one kilted competitor nailed it exactly to the cheers of the appreciative spectators.      

(Originally published in the September 17, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)