Scotland saves one of its best Highland gatherings for September. On 12 September, the Pitlochry Highland Games return to the Recreation Ground, bringing caber tossing, hammer throwing, Highland dancing, solo piping, cycling and a fiercely contested tug of war to town.
The Games date to 1852, and much of today’s programme remains remarkably close to competitions staged a century ago. Pipe bands take over the arena before the massed bands bring the day to its finale, making this one of the liveliest dates in Pitlochry’s calendar.
Make a weekend of it at Fonab Castle, just a 12-minute walk from the Games. Check in, head straight into the action, then return to the castle when the last pipes fall quiet.
