Each year, tens of thousands of people flock to Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina, and to more than two hundred other locations across the country to attend Scottish Highland Games and Gatherings. There, kilt-wearing participants compete in athletics, Highland dancing, and bagpiping, while others join clan societies in celebration of a Scottish heritage. As Celeste Ray notes, however, the Scottish affiliation that Americans claim today is a Highland Gaelic identity that did not come to characterize that nation until long after the ancestors of many Scottish Americans had left Scotland. Ray explores how Highland Scottish themes and lore merge with southern regional myths and identities to produce a unique style of commemoration and a complex sense of identity for Scottish Americans in the South. Blending the objectivity of the anthropologist with respect for the people she studies, she asks how and why we use memories of our ancestral pasts to provide a sense of identity and community in the present. In so doing, she offers an original and insightful examination of what it means to be Scottish in America.

Are you looking for more information about the Highland Games? Learn more about this Scottish heritage today!The Highland Games, when and how did they get their start and how did they develop into the modern day Games? How many events are there? How can I find a Scottish clan that is associated with the various tartans? Gareth Ainsworth answers these questions and many more in The Highland Games, a beginner's guide to history, kilts & throwing. Gareth is a multi-faceted man that loves to share his experiences in the Highland Games, the history, kilts and more, on his podcast The Kilted Patriot and now this book.Inside, you'll discover: The history of the Highland Games.An overview of the games, the basics, governing bodies for the Games, and the different classes.How to get started.Where should you buy a kilt, how you should buy one, and what you wear under a kilt.And more?This book will also include a 12-month game planning calendar as well as a 12-week training log to practice and prepare for the big day.Get your copy of The Highland Games, a beginner's guide to history, kilts & throwing now to learn more about this part of Scottish history.

"This is a work of great value to all who seek knowledge of Scottish-American events, and who wish to understand what surely must be one of the most interesting, colorful, and evident ethnic occurrences in the U.S." -W. R. McLeod vice-chairman, Dunvegan Foundation Clan McLeod "The author's enthusiasm for the Scottish Highland Games, and indeed her expertise, are reflected in this long-awaited work. All who are interested in the story of this enduring and popular festival will be grateful to Ann Donaldson for her conscientious research. It is a fine tribute to those Americans of Scottish descent who have contributed to keep this unique aspect of their culture vibrantly alive in the New World." -Gerald Redmond author of The Sporting Scots of Nineteenth Century Canada Discover the Scottish Highland Games, celebrated in over thirty U.S. states every year. Participants compete in the caber toss, Highland dancing, piping and drumming, fiddling, and many more competitive and non-competitive events. The Scottish Highland Games in America recognizes the players and events that keep the modern Games alive and exciting. Readers will discover the history of the Games, rooted in Scotland and celebrated in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries where Scots have settled. A complete state-by-state listing of the Games and their events is also provided. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emily Ann Donaldson is a devoted Games fan, a participant in Scottish country dancing, and a member of several Scottish associations.

The folklore of the Scottish Highlands is unique and very much alive. Dr Anne Ross is a Gaelic-speaking scholar and archaeologist who has lived and worked in crofting communities. This has enabled her to collect information at first hand and to assess the veracity of material already published. In this substantially revised edition of a classic work first published 30 years ago, she portrays the beliefs and customs of Scottish Gaelic society, including: seasonal customs deriving from Celtic festivals; the famous waulking songs; the Highland tradition of seers and second sight; omens and taboos, both good and bad; and, chilling experiences of witchcraft and the Evil Eye Rituals associated with birth and death. Having taken her MA, MA Hons and PhD at the University of Edinburgh, Anne Ross became Research Fellow in the School of Scottish Studies, Edinburgh. She then rapidly established herself as one of Britain's leading Celtic scholars. Her seminal work is "Pagan Celtic Britain" and she has also published "Druids - Preachers of Immortality" with Tempus Publishing.

This fantastic range of fiction for Shared, Guided and Independent reading gives you stories your children will love to read over and over again. Gaelic and Scottish teaching support also accompanies this reading series.

Combining newspaper and manuscript evidence from the pipers themselves with a range of historical sources, the author harnesses the insights of the practical player to those of the historian and provides a fresh account of the players and their musical traditions, which have previously been the subject of much myth-making.

Covers eighty-one hills in the Scottish Highlands Detailed maps in the classic Trailblazer style including tricky trail junctions walking times and points of interest Plus places to stay places to eat and a full-color flora identification section

Scotland has a long and proud tradition of swordsmanship, something that is abundantly documented in its medieval literature. This publication reproduces two classic manuals of swordsmansip, both written in the early 18th century. The Expert Sword-Man's Companion' written by Donald McBane and New Methods of Fencing' written by Sir William Hope in 1707, both contain advice on the theory of swordplay, as well as technical and ethical issues and the realities of fighting. In this book Rector adds the necessary background material and the California Players re-enact many of the techniques discussed.

This is based on our 592-page Adventure Guide to Scotland, but it zeroes in on the Highlands and the island of Skype. Also includes and extensive introductory section on Scotland as a whole. Comprehensive background information - history, culture, geography and climate - gives you a solid knowledge of each destination and its people. Regional chapters take you on an introductory tour, with stops at museums, historic sites and local attractions. Places to stay and eat; transportation to, from and around your destination; practical concerns; tourism contacts - it's all here! Detailed regional and town maps feature walking and driving tours. Then come the adventures - fishing, canoeing, hiking, rafting and more. Includes extensive lists of recommended outfitters, with all contact details - e-mail, website, phone number and location. The definitive guide to every aspect of the Highlands and Skype - the legends, the clans, the castles and romantic hotels, the Highland games and, of course, the whiskey. This long-time Scotland resident takes us to every site you will want to see.