Scottish Highland Games

Scottish Heavy Athletics (often called “Highland Games” in North America) are a millennia-old tradition of strength, sportsmanship and athleticism. Originally, the Heavy Events formed the centerpiece of the days-long celebrations by Scottish and Celtic clans that included pipes, dancing, food, music and even light athletics. There are many apocryphal tales of why the Heavy Events came to be: the most popular is that it was a clan chieftain’s way of choosing his personal guard. Most likely, it was a bunch of drunken Scottish dudes that didn’t have television or internet and bet each other who could throw a rock or a tree farther.

The modern version of the sport does not differ too greatly from its origins. There are a couple of events and variations that have been added over the centuries, but the core of the sport remains, “throw heavy things as far or as high as you can.” It’s believed that the Heavy Events inspired a revival of the modern Olympics, and as you will see, some of these ancient feats of strength still persist in some form in modern Olympic competition. In a full games, you will see 9 events contested.

Events:

Open Stone – A stone put from a throwing area that measures 4 feet, 6 inches wide by 7 feet, 6 inches long.. The stone must be put with one hand and with the stone remaining against the neck throughout the throw until the release. Any throwing style may be used as long as the rules are followed and the style is deemed safe by the judge. You will notice at the higher levels, this begins to look a lot like Olympic shot put.

Matt Vincent throws the Open Stone

Stone Weights – Men 16-22 lb., Women 8-12 lb.

Braemar Stone – Same as the Open Stone, except the stone is heavier and the competitors must throw from a standing position with no approach allowed.

Andy Vincent throws the Braemar Stone

Stone Weights – Men 20-26 lb., Women 13-18 lb.

Heavy Weight For Distance – A metal weight is thrown with one hand from a throwing area that measures 4 feet, 6 inches wide by 9 feet long. The weight can be of various shapes and sizes, including spherical, bullet or box-shaped. The handle can either be attached directly to the weight or attached with a length of chain.

Eric Frasure throws the HWFD

Implement Weights – Men 56 lb., Women 28 lb., Masters/Novice 42 lb.

Light Weight For Distance – Same as the Heavy Weight for Distance, just lighter.

John Odden throws the LWFD

Implement Weights - Men 28 lb., Women 14 lb.

Heavy Hammer – The hammer is a spherical metal head with a long handle of either PVC pipe or rattan attached. Maximum length is 50 in. The hammer must be thrown with the feet in a fixed position, and no approach is allowed. Almost all competitors throw hammers with their back to the field, and release over their shoulder.

Ryan Vierra throws the Hammer

Heavy Hammer Weights - Men 22 lb., Women 16 lb.

Light Hammer – Same as the Heavy Hammer, just lighter.

Light Hammer Weights - Men 16 lb., Women 12 lb.

Caber – Perhaps the most widely recognized event in the games. Often, this is synonymous with the entire sport, and it serves as the “main event” at most Celtic Festivals. The caber is a wooden log that must be lifted and tossed, then points are awarded based on rotation or landing position. There is no standard size for a caber, but there is a rule of thumb that at least half of the competitors must be able to turn it. Most are tapered with the smaller end being shaved down considerably to allow competitors to get a handle on it.

Scoring the caber is a whole thing in and of itself. The short version is that you can score in two methods. The best method is to turn the caber completely over (past 90 degrees) and it lands. The landing position is scored as if on a clock face, with 12:00 being a perfect score. If you do not turn the caber past 90 degrees, you receive a score based on the angle you turned it to. Turns always beat non-turns.







Dan McKim turns the caber

Sheaf – While many dispute the origins of this event, it is a mainstay at most big games. A 16 or 20 lb. burlap bag of hay or twine is tossed with a pitchfork over a bar, or standard. The goal is to toss it the highest. Each competitor gets three attempts at each height.

Kate Burton tosses the sheaf

Sheaf Weights – Pros 20 lb., &Amateur 16 or 20 lb., Masters 16 lb., Women 12 lb.

Weight for Height or Weight Over Bar – Similar to the sheaf in how it is contested, but the 56 lb. weight is thrown by the competitors using one hand.

Mike Zolkiewicz tosses the WOB

Organization

North American Scottish Games Athletics – NASGA is not a true governing body, but they are the organizing body in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Their website has rules that are often considered universal, and their forums are by far the most active in the sport. They also have a useful database that ranks athletes of different classes based on their best throws of the year.

IHGF – A smaller organization founded and run by Ryan Vierra and Frances Brebner, two legends of the sport. They run fewer games, but a couple of big ones.

Classes

Again, since there is no true governing body yet, classes are often left up to the Athletic Director of the games. The ones that everyone accepts as the core classes (at least in North America) are:

Pro – Yes, they win money, get sponsorships and get their travel paid for.
Amateur A
Amateur B
Women
Masters (40+)

There are many other classes though, and depending on the games you attend you may see them as well:

Lightweight (190 lb. and under)
Amateur C/Novice
Women’s Masters
Masters 40-44, 45-49, 50-54 etc, etc.

The best way to learn this sport is, obviously, get out and do it. Use the NASGA database to find a games near you. Starting in December, the next year's games will be uploaded and searchable. It’s the most welcoming strength sport out there, and if you are really terrible you can just drink a lot of beer at the festival and fall down when you throw. No one will care - in fact they might give you a trophy. Even the Pros place a premium on enjoying themselves. “You are wearing a skirt and throwing rocks. Don’t take yourself too seriously.”

If you have a lot of natural strength and speed, or you used to throw shot put/discus/hammer in high school or college, then you will do well in this sport. Also, stay away.