Tripatini contributor Fyllis Hockman writes:

"A throwback to ancient Scotland, these are a unifying rite of passage for any Scot. Amidst the vast ocean of tartan, bagpipes and clans sits a cultural event steeped in skill, tradition and community going back more than a thousand years. These days various games are held in several cities throughout the summer – and we found ourselves at the Inverness games on the only day of our July week that was dry and drenched in sunshine.

They´re similar in style to the "Renaissance faires" in the United States, only here the men are wearing kilts rather than robes. The music, of course, is courtesy of the incredibly distinctive bagpipes emanating from competing bands, never leave your ears. And, of course, every pipe band sports its own tartan -- all of which I wanted a sweater made of -- so the multitudes of plaids create a fashion visual that is hard to tear your eyes away from. And I can’t tell you how many times I heard the words "bonny," "aye," and "laddie/lassie." To say the Highland games are an assault on all the senses is a wee understatement." 

Read more in her post An ´Untour´ Idyll in Inverness, Scotland, Where Age Old Traditions Are Alive and Well Today.

Victor Block