ISLE OF SKYE TOURIST BOARD - VISITOR GUIDANCE No.112

ISLE OF SKYE TOURIST BOARD - VISITOR GUIDANCE No. 112 THE SKYE HIGHLAND GAMES The Isle of Skye Tourist Board would like to remind visitors that the annual Isle of Skye Highland Games traditionally take place each year on the Wednesday of the first full week of August at The Lump in Portree, Isle of Skye. The Highland Games are a traditional celebration of strength, stamina, piping, dancing and the long-established Highland custom of throwing extremely heavy objects into fields. Visitors unfamiliar with the Games should not be alarmed. Most of it is intentional. CABER TOSSING An extremely large tree trunk is lifted vertically and thrown end-over-end in an attempt to make it land neatly. It does not need to travel particularly far. This is fortunate, because neither does the competitor afterwards. Spectators are asked not to stand directly in front of the caber, even if it would improve the photograph. STONE PUT Competitors throw a heavy stone as far as possible. This is essentially shot put, but with a stone somebody found locally and decided not to leave where it was. All stones remain the property of Skye and should not be removed as souvenirs. We have enough trouble with people taking bits of beaches, and it has been noticed that the mountains are getting lighter. HAMMER THROW A heavy metal weight is swung repeatedly before being released across the field. The technique requires considerable strength and precision. The Tourist Board's advice is simple: If you see a very large man spinning rapidly while holding something heavy, do not wander over and ask where the toilets are. TUG OF WAR Two teams pull opposite ends of a rope until one side loses. It is one of the few Highland activities where everybody fully understands the objective before starting. Local teams traditionally take it very seriously. Tourists joining in should be aware that a retired crofter of 68 may appear harmless right up until the whistle goes. THE HILL RACE Competitors run up a steep hill and then come back down again. No vehicle is involved. Nobody has dropped them off at the top. They do this voluntarily. We have checked. PIPE BANDS Visitors will hear bagpipes. Sometimes several at once. There is no need to report this. The pipers are highly skilled and have trained for many years to produce a sound which can be heard clearly from another parish. Those wishing to stand directly beside the band should make their own arrangements regarding hearing afterwards. HIGHLAND DANCING A graceful and highly technical form of traditional dance requiring balance, stamina and precision, and yes, swords. Many swords. Visitors attempting to reproduce it later in the beer tent rarely demonstrate any of these qualities. SHEEP Sheep may be present. They are not taking part. They simply like to know what is happening. One of them may belong to Donnie. Donnie will know which one. You will not. THE BEER TENT The beer tent is traditionally positioned somewhere convenient enough to find but far enough from the heavy events that everybody can relax. Visitors are reminded that watching the caber toss after three drinks does not constitute training. Neither does offering advice. PARKING Parking will be available in designated areas. Please follow the instructions of stewards. Do not create your own parking space because “there looked like there was room”. That is how gates become ornamental. MOTORHOMES Motorhomes are welcome. Drivers may be asked to park slightly further away. This is not discrimination. It is geometry. WEATHER The Games will proceed in most weather conditions. Rain is not considered exceptional. Wind is not considered exceptional. Sunshine may briefly delay proceedings while everyone looks at it. Visitors are advised to bring waterproof clothing, sun cream, additional waterproof clothing and an acceptance that none of it will be correct by lunchtime. PHOTOGRAPHY Photography is encouraged. Please avoid walking onto the competition field to obtain a better angle. Competitors throwing cabers, stones and hammers are focused primarily on where these objects are going. They are not expecting you to be there. FOOD Refreshments will be available throughout the day. Visitors should expect soup, sandwiches, home baking and at least one tray of something produced by somebody's auntie which sells out before you have worked out what it is. If you see empire biscuits, you are advised to act without hesitation. There may also be burgers. This does not make them less traditional. MEDICAL PROVISION First aid will be available throughout the day. This is mainly precautionary. Most injuries historically occur not during competition, but shortly afterwards when a spectator decides they “could probably manage that”. You probably cannot. CHILDREN Children are very welcome. Please keep them supervised. Particularly during the hammer throw. We appreciate that your children are fast. The hammer is faster. VISITOR ETIQUETTE Please enjoy the day, support the competitors and avoid describing anyone in a kilt as “Braveheart”. Do not ask a piper to play “that one from the advert”. Do not refer to cabers as “logs”. And if a local tells you the event starts at ten o'clock, this should be interpreted as somewhere between ten o'clock and whenever everybody is actually ready. The Highland Games have survived for generations without electronic ticketing, corporate hospitality or a downloadable app. We are hoping to keep it that way for at least another year. ISLE OF SKYE TOURIST BOARD “Traditional Highland entertainment Heavy objects. Wet grass. No nonsense.”