Admission for the day is only $5.00 for adults and $1.00 for children. Tickets will be on sale at the event.
Today’s festival will be a combination of athletic events, Scottish music/entertainment and family fun.
Athletic Events
Just like the strongest man competition on ESPN, many of the events you will see are all about strength. The hammer throw, the sheaf toss and the turning of the caber may not evoke familiar images to some, but for visitors to the inaugural Scotland County Highland Games in Laurinburg, the unique display of athletic competition to be seen will likely stay with them for a long time to come.
At least Scott Medlin hopes so. A native of Catawba, Medlin will be the athletic director and emcee for the sports competition aspect of the festival.
"We are very excited to be a part of these inaugural games, to give the crowd an opportunity to see sports events that they may have never experienced before," Medlin said. "These athletes are not competing in cutthroat, contact sports, but have lots of camaraderie and show plenty of good sportsmanship."
The director of the Southeastern Highland Athletics Group, Medlin will bring eight to 10 athletes covering various degrees of proficiency to compete at the games.
"We will begin at 9 a.m. with the stone throw, where participants toss a 17 to 22 pound rock as far as they can," Medlin said. "Next will be the heavy weight throw using a 56 pound weight, followed by the light weight throw at 28 pounds. That will be followed by the 22-pound heavy hammer toss, and the turning of the caber, more popularly called the caber toss. Many people recognize this event as the big pole, weighing about 110 pounds and about 18 feet in length, that the Highlander attempts to throw end over end in a 12 o'clock motion."
Competition continues with the sheaf toss.
"The sheaf toss involves the athlete using a two or three tined pitchfork to throw a 16 to 20 pound burlap sack containing hemp rope over a raised bar," Medlin said. "We begin at 18 feet; some athletes have been known to toss the sheaf up to 30 feet in the air."
Competition among these athletes will conclude with the 56-pound weight over bar event. With this number of events and competitors, the athletic competition will be going on throughout the day.
Entertainment
On another area of the grounds, patrons will be entertained with an assortment of musicians and dancers. The music is highlighted by the following acts:
RONA WILKIE -- Direct from our sister city of Oban, Rona is an enchanting Scottish fiddler and Gaelic singer. She has guested with the Scottish supergroup "Capercailllie" and currently performs with several groups in her native Argyll as well as around Edinburgh where she is a student at the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University.
GAEL WARNING -- The "new" lineup of this Charlotte-based Celtic group will debut here at the SCHG. Frontmen Dave McKenzie and Jeff Chester promise to have a Celtic groove goin' on for our visitors!
DANNY AND JUNE INFANTINO -- This local jazz guitar and flute duo aren't as well known as they should be for their enchanting Celtic repertoire. They will be sure to delight the listener.
These groups will be performing on the grounds on Saturday. On Saturday night at the CEILIDH at CYPRESS BEND VINEYARD we'll also hear more from RONA WILKIE, DANNY AND JUNE INFANTINO as well as THE MERROWS (featuring the former fiddler for Celtic Soul).
In addition the ST. ANDREWS PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE PIPE BAND will also perform. Event Chairman Bill Caudill, who also serves as the director of the Scottish Heritage Center at St. Andrews Presbyterian College and instructor of the college pipe band, is happy to see the culmination of hard work, planning and perseverance combine with the region's unique heritage to bring a fitting celebration of culture and history to the aptly named Scotland County.
"This is truly a dream come true in a lot of ways," Caudill said from his office at St. Andrews. "I've been involved in Scottish activities and culture for 36 years, and never expected to be in the position of an organizer, to be chairing something like this. I am extremely excited to think what this event will bring to the community."
Family Fun
Children's athletic competition will be a special attraction at the games, according to the Hon. Bill McIlwain III, co-chairman of the children's events along with his wife Sherry.
"Kids will have the opportunity to compete in activities that mirror those of the adult athletes," McIlwain said. "For example, while adults have the hammer toss, the kids will be throwing a toilet plunger filled with sand and wrapped with duct tape but made to resemble the hammer. We will have a caber toss with smaller, lighter timbers, and we will have other activities that the children will enjoy."
Vendors will be on site selling a variety of Scottish related items that include food, jewelry, musical recordings and books.
Visitors to the games can expect to see a variety of traditional Scottish entertainment in the areas of athletics, music, and dance, along with clan booths representing some 46 Scottish clans and groups. Kilts worn by clan members displaying various tartans will be in abundance, pipe bands will play, and reenactors representing 18th century Scotsmen will be in attendance with replica period weaponry. An area where one may search one's family names for clan affiliation will also be available.
"You don't have to have a clan, and you don't have to be Scottish to enjoy the festivities," Caudill said. "Visitors can expect to see a variety of traditional Highland athletic exhibitions including the caber toss and hammer throw, they can enjoy bagpipe and drum solo competitions and Highland dance exhibitions, and they can experience live music from the Celtic groups that will be performing. There will be something for everyone."
Saturday's events will not end after the games themselves are completed. That evening a "ceilidh" (pronounced cay-lee), a traditional gathering that features festive music and dancing, will be held at the Cypress Bend Vineyards in Wagram beginning at 7 p.m. Several of the musical groups that performed at the daytime games will be featured. Tickets for this event will be available at the door.
The historic John Blue House, located at 13040 Xway Road in Laurinburg, was chosen as the site of the inaugural games due to its connection to local Scottish culture.
“The site was selected in part due to its charm and historical connections with Scotland, as well as its suitability for these events,” Caudill said. “Many of the other Highland games held throughout North America have sites which exemplify the character of their regions. We have the added benefit of authenticity and a true connection to Scotland.”
For more information about the Scotland County Highland Games, visit www.schgnc.org.
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