The Photography of Dr. Jeff Harper

A tradition at the International School Aberdeen is to take all new faculty, and anybody else who wants to go, on a bus trip up into the highlands of Scotland for a cultural treat.

The "Highland Games" are held all around Scotland during the summer months, but the grand-daddy of them allis the Braemar Gathering. There have been Gatherings of one sort or another at Braemar since the days of King Malcolm Canmore, nine hundred years ago.  Because of its proximity to the Queen's summer residence nearby, she always attends this particular sporting event.  The setting was beautiful, high in the Scottish highlands.

The highland games are just that; a series of competitions run like a three-ring circus.  Traditional games, like tug-o-war, and ancient Scottish games, like caper tossing, vie with more common athletic events like sprint and long distance running, and high and long jumping.

The tug-o-war teams were not just a bunch of buddies, but were from The Royal Air Force, The Royal Navy, Oxford University, and such, there to defend the pride and honor of their organization under the gaze of the Queen and Prince Charles.

This is high stakes tug-o-war . . . . the winning teams receive medals from the Queen herself! The losing teams are sent home.

The sporting events are conducted with a background of bagpipe bands playing from around Scotland performing each in their turn.

The high jump event was announced as the national championship.

The tug-o-war took many rounds to culminate . . .

. . . in the final pulling. 

I enjoyed the tug-o-war . . . it is a very intense event . . . .

. . . with individual and group drama.

Security was provided by guys in skirts with sticks.

The Big Event was the caper toss.

The object is to throw the 19 foot, 6 inch "telephone pole" - the caper . . .

. . . so that the caper lands on it's head and then falls over, away from you.  This was the winning toss.

We took a break from the fever pitch action in the arena to walk into the charming village of Braemar.

Braemar was buzzing with activity . . . mostly with bagpipe bands practicing and warming up for their big moment in the arena and in front of Her Royal Highness.  The sign says "Aberdeen 59" miles.

Many cute and quaint stone houses and cottages lined the main thoroughfare . . . .

Wonderful summer scenes everywhere, but Braemar is just as well known as a winter ski resort.

The town filled up with Highlanders from far and wide, and . . . .

. . . one intrepid and eccentric Scottish busker playing his heart out for many hours.

But mostly the town was full of the mournful sound of dueling bagpipes warming up.

Pipers would find a private space and commence to let wail.

Braemar is the kind of country village where people name their houses . . .

. . . have a sense of humor . . .

. . . and the River Dee, now but a mountain stream, runs through the middle of town.

In site of the "noise" of bagpipers warming up all around him, this poor Highlander was too pooped to pipe.

After a delicious lunch of venison burgers and wedge potatoes, we headed back to the exhibition grounds . . . the mountain weather was beginning to threaten . . . but never rained.

We showed our tickets to these Scottish Lovelies and went back in.

We arrived back none too soon!  The security of the arena took a decidedly serious turn.

All the spectators looked to the Royal Pavilion when the Queen and Prince of England arrived.

The Royals arrived and departed to the fanfare of a marching one hundred-strong bagpipe band.  Fantastic.

Although I had an obstructed view, I also had a long 200mm lens.  There she sat, Stuart tartan on her lap, The Queen, reviewing the marching bagpipers.  Sublime, regal, historic.

The Royalty hung around an hour watching the finals in each event and eventually passing out the medals to the winners . . . . before departing amid an incredible throng of bagpipers and drummers.

You just do not see this many bagpipes in one place every day.  No, you don't.

Herself.

We, along with many thousands of others, soaked in the Scottish Highlands views on our way back to the bus.

Tired and weary, we said good-bye to Braemar.