Ready for a highland fling at the L.I. Scottish Festival

It’s time for some fun and games – Scottish style – when Old Westbury Gardens opens its glorious grounds to the 48th Scottish Games and Highland Gala this weekend. It’s certainly not necessary to be Scottish to enjoy this annual end-of-summer revelry, on Saturday, Aug. 27, co-hosted by the Long Island Scottish Clan MacDuff.
With bagpipes, caber tossing and highland dancing among the many activities to watch or participate in, the Scottish Games is one of the highlights of the season at Old Westbury Gardens. There’s plenty of action for young and old, including competitions, entertainment, and Scottish treats to savor.
It is believed that the games were begun by the ancient highland chieftains to help them select the strongest men for their armies. Those ancient traditions remain alive today in the form of solo piping and drumming, dancing, caber tossing, Putting the Stone, Putting the Sheaf, and arm wrestling competitions, among other activities.
“The Long Island Scottish Festival is such a great and unique event, that it would likely be popular if held just about anywhere in our area,” said Old Westbury Gardens spokesman Vince Kish. “But hosting it at a venue as beautiful as Old Westbury Gardens makes it all the more special. When the Clan MacDuff first came here in 1977, they knew they had found a home. And they’ve been back every year since.”
The festival is a way to celebrate Scottish history and culture on Long Island, which is the mission of the Clan McDuff. It’s one of many similar events held throughout the nation and internationally. How the games began is unknown, since the tradition predates recorded history. According to ScottishGames.org, the first modern games were held in 1819 at the Perthshire estate of Lord Gwydir in Scotland, and the games featured very similar events to today’s.