HIGHLAND GAMES

Highland games are events held throughout the year in Scotland and other countries as
a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and, especially that of the Scottish
Highlands. Certain aspects of the games are so well known as to have become
emblematic of Scotland, such as the bagpipes, the kilt, and the heavy events, especially
the caber toss. While centred on competitions in piping and drumming, dancing, and
Scottish heavy athletics, the games also include entertainment and exhibits related to
other aspects of Scottish and Gaelic culture.
The Cowal

Highland

Gathering,

better

known

as

the Cowal

Games,

held

in Dunoon, Scotland, every August, is the largest Highland games in the

world, attracting around 3,500 competitors and somewhere in the region of 23,000
spectators from around the globe. Worldwide, however, it is exceeded in terms of
spectators by two gatherings in the United States: the estimated 30,000 that
attend Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina and the even larger gatheringthe
largest in the Northern Hemisphere that has taken place every year since 1865 hosted
by the Caledonian Club of San Francisco. This event is currently held on Labor Day
weekend in Pleasanton, California.
The games are claimed to have influenced Baron Pierre de Coubertin when he was
planning the revival of the Olympic Games. De Coubertin saw a display of Highland
games at the Paris Exhibition of 1889.

HISTORY
The origin of human games and sports predates recorded history. An example of a
possible early games venue is at Fetteresso, although that location is technically a few
miles south of the Scottish Highlands.
It is reported in numerous Highland games programs, that King Malcolm III of
Scotland, in the 11th century, summoned contestants to a foot race to the summit of
Craig Choinnich (overlooking Braemar). King Malcolm created this foot race in order

to find the fastest runner in the land to be his royal messenger. Some have seen this
apocryphal event to be the origin of today's modern Highland games.
There is a document from 1703 summoning the clan of the Laird of Grant, Clan Grant.
They

were

to

arrive

wearing

Highland

coats

and

"also

with gun, sword, pistol and dirk". From this letter, it is believed that the competitions
would have included feats of arms.
However, the modern Highland games are largely a Victorian invention, developed after
the Highland Clearances.

SCOTTISH BACKHOLD

SCOTTISH BACKHOLD
Equipment needed: ropes and
Area: half court or less
tatami
Ideal number of players: 2
Time: 1 minute
Brief introduction:

Is a style of folk wrestling originating in Scotland. The wrestlers grip each other around the waist at th

back, with the right hand under the opponent's left arm and the chin resting on the opposite right shoulde

When the referee is sure that both wrestlers have taken a firm grip, he shouts "hold" and the bout start

Should either wrestler break his hold or touch the ground with any part of his body except his feet, he lose

There is no ground work and the bouts are usually best of five falls.

Since 1985 there has been a Celtic organisation that is trying to combine the Scottich, Breton and Icelandi
forms of wrestling. The Scottish Wresting Bond publishes the rules of Backhold. Gardar Vilhjlmsson fro

Iceland is currently the greatest backhold wrestler of all time. Currently, Frazer Hirsch (reigning Europea
Champion), runs Scotland's brightest and most prosperous club - Carnoustie Backhold Wrestling Club.

Backhold Wrestling competitions and tournaments feature in all the major Highland Games events. Th
competitions attract wrestlers from Scotland, England, Iceland, France and Wales.

Development:

The game consists of one Scotish fights with two pupils. We will have to realize a circle with ropes on th

tatami and the pupils will have to be pushed until they leave of. We will have of 1 minute to realize it th
fight. Materials: skirt Scotch, ropes and tatami.

Rules:
Backhold Wrestling can be seen all over Scotland and the north of England from May to October,

Highland and Border Games. The rules are simple, once the closed hold with the right hand under th

opponents left is taken, the referee shouts hold in Scotland or wrestle in England to commence th
bout. The first wrestler to touch the ground or break their hold loses.

The sport is thought to be one of the earliest and most basic martial art and is depicted on crosses an
standing stones dating from the 7th and 8th centuries

Variations:

Variations of Backhold exist in at least ten other European countries, including Iceland, Albania an

Sardinia. Today the sport is organised into district, national and European Championships. The Englis

Cumberland & Westmorland Wrestling Association has since 1900 insisted that their competitions, open t
any wrestler, are the World Championships

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