Cead Mile Failte’! A-hundred-thousand welcomes to the 67th Annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. The Staff, the Board of Trustees, and the volunteers have worked tirelessly to make this the best Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in our long history, and that is saying a lot! We are very grateful to everyone for coming to our Scottish
festival, which we believe to be equal to any the world over.
Steve Quillin, GMHG Inc. PresidentWe are ecstatic to report our participating clans and families for 2023 are the highest in recent memory. Our numbers are always high (GMHG is the site of the greatest number of families at any Scottish Gathering in the world), but it is wonderful to see the steady increase in our numbers over the past several years. Additionally, the 67th Grandfather Mountain Highland Games is hosting 17 different clan societies holding 50th anniversaries this year. We
have a wonderful Chieftain of the Games, Iain Alexander Douglas Blair Cochrane, 15th Earl of Dundonald and Chief of Clan Cochrane. In addition, Sebastian Arbuthnot Leslie, Chief of the Aberdeenshire Leslies and Laird of Wardhill, is here to represent the Leslies, as they celebrate their 50th, as a Distinguished Guest of the Games. Please make time to make the acquaintance of these gentlemen and their families, and thank them for joining us on the Mountain. Sadly, 2023 marks the year we mourn the passing of two of our past Presidents, Judge Alex Ban-
ner-Lyerly and Pipe Major Sandy Jones. Alex served as the 7th President of the Highland Games, and Sandy was my immediate predecessor in his role as the 10th President. Both these fine men were significant contributors to the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games over a long period of time, and the Board of Trustees and I will miss their excellent advice and counsel. Their loss will be keenly felt. As always, I have many people to thank. Our operations staff, our volunteers and our civic partners are all incredibly important to the success of the Grand-
father Mountain Highland Games. And I would be remiss to not recognize the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation for their sponsorship and the many kindnesses shown to the Games. Please find time to visit their attraction while in the area. You will be glad you did!
I also want to thank our Corporate Sponsors and our Trophy Sponsors. We simply could not exist in the form we are able to display without the support of these good folks. Thank you! Lastly, and most importantly, thank you to the thousands of Clan Tent Conveners,
Patrons, campers, and those buying tickets and attending. You make it possible for our Games to be the worldclass spectacle that we have achieved. As always, it is so good to “see you on the Mountain.”
I wish each of you the best during your stay with us at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. Please be safe home, and I look forward to seeing you again next year when the Games will be held July 11 to 14. Please be sure to say hello. I’d love to meet you all. Yours Aye, Steve
Quillin President, GMHG Inc.Number of Scottish Clans and Societies: 103
Number of clan tents: Approximately 100
Estimated attendees: 20,000 to 30,000
Honored Clan: Clan Cochrane Society
Distinguished Clan: Clan Leslie, Kennedy Society and Clan Munro
Distinguished Society: St. Andrew’s Society of MacRae Meadows
Chieftain of the 2023 Grandfather Mountain Highland Games: Ian Alexander Douglas Blair Cochrane, 15th Earl Dundonald of the Cochranes
Corporate Sponsors:
• Coca-Cola
• First Citizens Bank
• Grandfather Scottish
• International Clan MacFarlane Society
• Scottish Heritage USA
Food Vendors:
• House of Douglas Bakery
• Crossnore VFD
• Crusher’s Fruit Drinks
• Mookie’s Popcorn
• Steele’s Concessions
• Brick Oven Pizza
• Jack’s Treat Truck
• Sips Soda Shop
• Cameron’s British Foods
• Mr. Coffee Concierge
• The Scottish Cottage
• Appalachian Concessions
• What the Cluck?!
• Happy Belly
Featured Musical Performers:
• Albannach
• Brothers McLeod
• Chambless & Muse
• Colin Shoemaker
• Ed Miller
• Frances Cunningham
• Hannah Seng
• Mike Ogletree
• North of Argyll
• Reel Sisters
• Seán Heely Celtic Band
• Strathspan
• The Tune Shepherds
• Will MacMorran
The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games returns for its 67th rendition with several new additions to the legendary gathering of Scottish clans and culture at MacRae Meadows. Stories and tales of the joys and adventures of camping at the Games have long been a treasured part of the Highland Games experience. This year, event organizers will being paying homage to its nearby village of dedicated festival-goers by inviting them to be participants in the game’s opening ceremony for a camp parade on Thursday night.
“The camp at the Highland Games is definitely a world unto itself,” Grandfather Mountain Highland
Games President Steve Quillin said. “It’s sort of a microcosm of the Scottish Highlands as they would have been in the year 1560.
The campground breaks into various villages or community areas, and we would like to bring the campers out of the camp-
LINVILLE — Grandfather Mountain Highland Games has a policy of always spending money in Avery first, then moving on to neighboring counties next and only renting items or making purchases away from the High Country if absolutely necessary, said GMHG President Steve Quillin. In the same vein, the Highland Games gives thousands of dollars in scholarships to Avery County High School graduates each year.
How much GMHG awards to students depends on the number of applicants, but the nonprofit gives up to $100,000 each year, Quillin said. In addition, the scholarships are renewable, so as long as the recipient is in good standing, they can receive the scholarship every year until
they graduate college.
These scholarships can be used for university, but some students choose to use them for community college or continuing education past high school, Quillin said. The Games tends to favor students who are involved in the Highland Games, but any students who graduated from Avery County High School are able to receive scholarships.
The 2023 recipients of the GMHG scholarships are as follows:
• Levi Benjamin Andrews
• Jaime H. Bautista
• Carly Michele Benfield
• Dakota Everett Hoilman
• Joseph Kenneth Leslie Jordan
• Rachel Gray Moody
• Ethan Jay Shell
• Sierra Brooke Smith
• Rylee Tennille Walker
ground and onto the track to introduce folks to the campground atmosphere. The idea is to bring the campground into the
Games and the Games into the campground.”
In addition to the added focus on the campground atmosphere, the Games will welcome new entertainment to its concerts in the groves and its Friday Night Rock Concert. Newcomers to the Games North of Argyll is a premier Celtic fusion band that blends Celtic music with contemporary influences that is sure to incite the crowd’s feet stomping.
As a 501c3 charity, the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games helps support educational excellence and the preservation of Scottish culture in the High Country and beyond. Proceeds from the Games help continue its scholarship program that benefits Avery County High School,
the North America Academy of Piping and Drumming and the Scotland in the Class program, which brings educational enrichment programming to elementary school students from the second to fifth grade.
Furthermore, as a part of its commitment to educational excellence, the Games will be hosting its Scottish Cultural Village once more with an expanded focus in educational outreach in its children’s tent. Expanded programming will feature musical presentations focusing on traditional children’s Scottish folk tunes among other programs.
Other educational enrichment features medieval-aged weaponry, bagpipe craftsmanship and traditional Scottish cuisine.
LINVILLE — This year, the Scottish Cultural Village is returning to the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games for its seventh year.
The Scottish Cultural Village, which was reintroduced last year after the COVID-19 pandemic, includes an array of unique and informational presentations. These presentations come from experts of Scottish culture, and are typically based around Scottish history and lore. Presentations happen every 30 minutes starting at 11 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
At noon on Friday and Saturday and at 1 p.m. on
Sunday, Blue Ridge Brass, Pipes and Drums, along with premier Scottish folk singer Ed Miller, will perform for an hour and a half.
This year’s topics within the cultural village include the role of Scottish immigrants on the creation of American whiskey, the histo-
ry of bagpipes, an introduction to clans, chiefs and coats of arms and more.
This year’s programs have a space inside for stamps when patrons attend presentations at the village, and after five stamps, patrons receive a free Scottish Cultural Village stadium cup.
While at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games if visitors get a craving for some good authentic Scottish food, it’s just a short walk away. For food aficionados wish for something that is more close to home, then there are also a number of local delicacies that are sure to fill any hungry Scottish Highlander’s belly. Some of the many vendors that will be up for the GMHG this year will include Brick Oven Pizza, Steele’s Concessions, local favorite Crossnore Volunteer Fire Department, along with Appalachian Concessions. There will also be longtime vendors making their way back, such as Cameron’s British Food. GMHG also has some newcomers to the Games such as What The Cluck?! food truck and Happy Belly. For those with a refined taste in food, Stone Walls will also be serving food for the first time in MacRae Meadows, offering a veritable plethora of dining opportunities to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.
“We have had a big concentration on increasing the number of food vendors. We’ve also concentrated on things that will feed people,” GMHG President Steve Quillin shared. “In other words, we didn’t add a cookie guy or somebody selling peppermint candy. You can go to (food vendors such as) What the Cluck truck and get a meat and two vegetables and make a lunch out of it.”
If any festival goers want to grab authentic Scottish cuisine, get in line at Cameron’s British Foods. Scottish meat
pies, traditional Celtic fish and chips, the ever-popular haggis, along with the most popular seller for Cameron, the Scottish Egg, will be on offer. The latter just happens to be Don Cameron’s personal favorite dish, and Cameron learned how make his culinary dishes from three generations of chefs within his lineage.
“There are some real, true, diehard haggis people up there. I’ve had customers come looking for haggis first thing in the morning for breakfast,” Cameron said about his customers at the Games.
After festival attendees finish up their meal and are wanting something sweet to sink their teeth into, they can always visit Jack’s Treat Truck for dessert or Mookie’s Marvelous Kettle Korn for a sweet and savory snack. If you want to get into the Highland Games spirit, however, visit
House of Douglas Bakery which offers Scottish baked goods.
For those looking to quench
their thirst, there are also a variety of options, including Sips Soda Shop, which offers craft sodas, and Crusher’s
Fruit Drinks. Not to be omitted, all of the many coffee lovers out in the Meadows can partake from Mr. Coffee
Concierge, providing that useful extra kick of caffeine following a long night of fellowship, music and fun.
Each year, MacRae Meadows is flocked with people interested in the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, where people hope to learn more about their family history, meet people with similar interests, explore their culture or simply have a good time.
The people that come to the GMHG may share some interests, but different things draw different people to the Games. Some come for the sports, whether they’re competing or just spectating. Others come for the dance, bagpiping and drumming competitions. Some patrons might come to fulfill their craving for traditional Scottish food and whisky, while others might travel to Grandfather to learn more about Scottish culture in general. Whatever the reason, people of all ages, from different states and even countries, make up the thousands
that hang out atop Grandfather Mountain one weekend a year.
The Games have no shortage of interesting characters. While many people dress in casual wear, it’s not uncommon to see hundreds of people – men, women and children – in kilts.
John Fraizer from Wilkesboro was no exception to that commonality this year. 2022 was Fraizer’s sixth year at the Games, and he came with his family. He originally started coming because his aunt bought him his kilt and he wanted to celebrate his heritage.
“We learned about Simon Fraser and all of the history of the Frasers,” he said. “My grandfather’s name was John Frazier. I was named after him.”
Some attendees, like Todd Johnson, strive to use the Games as a chance to educate people on Scottish history. Johnson doesn’t wear a kilt; he wears a full suit of
armor.
“What I’m wearing is 13th century Scottish heavy infantry and this is exactly what William Wallace and his men would have gone onto the battlefield that day to fight the English,” he said. For example, Johnson said, “Braveheart” is entertaining, but isn’t historically accurate. He stated that the blue face paint had “gone out of fashion 1,000 years earlier” and kilts wouldn’t be seen on the battlefield until 300 years after Wallace’s time.
2022 was Johnson’s second year at the GMHG, but he’s been doing work with Clan Donald for around 10 years. He lives in Gainesville, Fla., but he plans to continue making the nine-hour drive to Grandfather Mountain each year.
“We had so much fun at the Grandfather Games last year, we decided this was going to be an annual pilgrimage,” he said.
Virginia Zeigler, on the other
hand, is something of a GMHG veteran. At 23 years old, she’s been to GMHG every year she’s been alive, excluding the canceled 2020 Games. Her great grandfather started the MacDuffee Clan Society’s presence at the GMHG. She’s from Jacksonville, Fla., originally, but other than a handful of Highland Games in Florida, Grandfather is the only one she’s been to.
“I think it’s just like a very fascinating experience because there’s so many different people and it has such appeal for a lot of different people, whether you’re into genealogy or even just kind of like Renn Fair behavior,” Zeigler said.
It’s the perfect opportunity to dress up, but it’s a great educational and social opportunity, she said.
“I don’t know how many clans there are, but, everybody’s one,” Frazier said. “There’s 200 clans, but we’re all one.”
LINVILLE — While advance general ticket sales ended Wednesday, May 31, it’s not too late to get tickets to the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.
Tickets can be purchased at the office in the days leading up to the Games, or at MacRae Meadows during the event. The GMHG office is located at 4210 Mitchell Avenue, Suite 2 in Linville, across from the post office.
Tickets can be purchased in the office with cash, check, credit card or money
order, while ticket sales at MacRae Meadows on the day of the event are cash and credit card only. Patrons who purchased tickets during the advance sale should have received their tickets in the mail a few weeks prior to the Games.
General ticket prices this year are as follows:
• Four-Day Advanced: $75 for adults, $20 for children
• Thursday: $15 for adults, $5 for children
• Friday all day: $25 for adults, $5 for children
• Friday evening only:
$15 for adults, $5 for children
• Saturday all day: $35 for adults, $5 for children
• Saturday evening only: $15 for adults, $5 for children
• Sunday: $20 for adults, $5 for children
• Sunday family passes (up to two adults and two children): $75
Shuttle bus passes have to be purchased per ticket holder for all daily and fourday packages, either upon arrival or ahead of time, for $10. Children five and younger get in free.
LINVILLE — Parking can be a headache at any event, but there’s no reason to let it ruin your trip to the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.
Parking on the mountain is limited, especially during the height of the Games, but GMHG offers a convenient shuttle service to make planning your weekend easier.
Patrons can park for free at all of the four designated parking lots, where each person can then buy a shuttle bus ticket and ride up to MacRae Meadows, where the Games are held. There are three shuttle bus lots in the Linville area and another one in Sugar Mountain. The exact locations of each parking lot are as follows:
Sugar Mountain Lot
Sugar Mountain Resort, 1009 Sugar Mountain Drive, Sugar Mountain, NC 28604
Linville Parking Lot
350 NC Hwy. 105, Linville, NC 28646
Avery County High School
401 Avery County High School Rd., Newland, NC 28657
The Millers Gap Lot
3000 Millers Gap Highway, Newland, NC 28657
Newland Elementary School (Handicap-Accessible Lot)
750 Linville St., Newland, NC 28657
The shuttle buses will run from 4 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, and from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday through Sunday, June 7 through 9. The price for a round-trip shuttle bus ticket is $10 for attendees 13 and older, $5 for attendees ages 5 to 12 and free for attendees ages four and under. However, prices are not set by GMHG; they are set by the group providing the service, and are therefore subject to change. Handicap-accessible transportation will be provided out of the Newland Elementary School lot.
The situation for parking varies depending on the day. The following is a guide to follow when determining where to park or how to get to MacRae Meadows.
Thursday Night
Shuttle services will be provided from Avery High School. Buses will start taking people up the mountain at 3 p.m., and the last bus will leave MacRae Meadows at 10:30 p.m.
Friday
There is no general parking available at MacRae Meadows during the day on Friday. Only sponsors, Chieftain Patrons, Highlander Patrons, Clansman Patrons and participants are allowed to park on the mountain. Parking will be available in the Sugar Mountain, Linville and Newland shuttle lots from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday Night
General public parking is available on MacRae Meadows after 5 p.m.
Saturday
There is no general parking available at MacRae Meadows during the day on Saturday. Only sponsors, Chieftain Patrons, Highlander Patrons, Clansman Patrons and participants are allowed to park on the mountain. Parking will be available in Sugar Mountain, Millers Gap and Linville shuttle lots from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday Night
General public parking is available on MacRae Meadows after 5 p.m. on a first come, first served basis.
Sunday
There is no general parking available at MacRae Meadows during the day on Sunday. Only sponsors, Chieftain Patrons, Highlander Patrons, Clansman Patrons and participants are allowed to park on the mountain. Parking will be available in Sugar Mountain, Avery High and Linville shuttle lots from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
BY LILY KINCAID
LINVILLE — Each year, one clan is recognized at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games as the Honored Clan, and for the 67th Games, Clan Cochrane is the recipient of this distinguished honor.
Clan Cochrane’s original ancestor in Scotland is said to be a Scandinavian Viking who settled in the Scottish lowlands near what is now Renfrewshire sometime between the eighth and tenth centuries. The name is thought to be derived from two Gaelic words that together mean either “the roar of the battle” or “battle cry.” However, it is also thought that the name may come from a story in which an early member of the family was
recognized for his bravery in battle by his leader, who called him “coch ran,” which means “brave fellow.”
The boar is the heraldic beast for Clan Cochrane, and the chief’s shield displays three boar heads. Its motto is “Virtue et Labore,” which translates to“Valor by Exertion.” Its crest is a horse
passant Argent and its plant badge is a sea holly.
Nicknamed the “Fighting Cochranes,” the clan has a rich history of military service dating back hundreds of years. Famous “Fighting Cochranes” include Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, who fought during the Napoleonic Wars, and Jacqueline Cochran, American Military Aviator and the first woman to break the sound barrier. Cochranes have fought in the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, both world wars and much more. To this day, many Cochranes choose to serve in the country’s military and the clan takes great pride in its lineage of brave warriors to this day.
Ian Alexander Douglas Blair Cochrane, 15th Earl of
Dundonald, is the current chief of Clan Cochrane. He is the son of Major Ian Douglas Leonard Cochrane, 14th Earl of Dundonald, whom he succeeded in 1986 as earl. Chief Cochrane and his family will be coming from Scotland to attend the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games this year.
Whether you’re a member of Clan Cochrane or not, the clan welcomes you to stop by its tent at the Highland Games to learn about the clan and meet people with a shared interest in Scottish culture and heritage. For more information about Clan Cochrane, or to become a member of the Clan Cochrane Society of North America, visit https:// clancochrane.org/ or email clan@clancochrane.org.
BY JILLYAN MOBLEY
Kids and kids-at-heart will have endless opportunities for entertainment and education at the Children’s Tent!
Children will be encouraged to participate in many complementary events like face painting, scavenger hunts, live readings and arts and crafts, in addition to the change to enter the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games Annual Drawing Contest!
As a Games favorite, a Passport Booklet will also be available at the Children’s Tent for all ages to pick up and tote along to each of the clan tents. Clans may stamp these passports with their unique marks to help to craft
a perfect souvenir.
Special events will also take place at the Children’s Tent throughout the weekend, including Scottish folk song and dance with Frances Cunningham and safe sword demonstrations with the Triangle Sword Guild.
Wrestling and caber toss clinics for children will be spread across the weekend and kids will be able to put their new skills to the test at Children’s Games on Sunday. The games will kickoff at 1 p.m. near the main entrance and include caber toss, tug-ofwar, sheaf toss and more with no pre-registration required.
The Children’s Tent will be open Friday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
GRANDFATHER
MOUNTAIN — The sound of bagpipes and the smell of traditional Scottish food filled MacRae Meadows over the weekend of July 7 to 10, 2022, as the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games returned.
The 66th annual GMHG drew thousands of eager patrons to the mountain for the weekend. The largest crowds gathered on Friday and Saturday, but even though day-long rain left MacRae Meadows muddy and misty on Sunday, a significant number of people attended the final day, and many attended the Kirkin’, the
Sunday morning worship service.
“The Games themselves went really well,” GMHG Inc. President Steve Quillin said. “We had a really great
crowd Friday and Saturday, and of course the weather on Sunday diminished the crowd, but it was, I think, a very successful festival overall.”
Patrons lined up for Celtic fries, haggis, meat pies and other traditional Scottish and British food, and filled the bleachers to observe the competitions. Men, women and children, both professional and amateur, competed in a sheaf toss, weight toss, caber toss, track and field and more. Bagpiping, drumming and dance competitions were also held throughout the weekend. People come from all over the country to compete, and some people even come from other countries to participate or observe. While some just came for a day, others got there more than a week ahead of time to camp or check in at their AirBNB or hotel.
“The camping experience was really smooth,” Quillen said. “We made some changes in the way that we staged the camping this year, and they all seemed to work really well. Overall, I was very pleased with the way the event went.”
If they weren’t watching the Games, attendees could explore the array of Scottish clans. This year’s event featured more than 100 clans. Each clan tent provided a rich overview of the family’s history and allowed people to learn more about their own heritage.
The Scottish Cultural Village returned this year and provided an even more in-depth view into different elements of the Highland
Games, from the meaning of tartans to a crash course on Scottish history to a presentation from someone who played bagpipes at President John F. Kennedy’s funeral.
Whiskey tastings, sheepherding demonstrations and concerts in the Celtic groves were woven throughout the weekend. Even in Sunday’s rain, people huddled under umbrellas or tents to watch the field events and gathered under trees in the groves to listen to live music.
The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games is held each year on the second weekend of July. For more information, click to www.gmhg.org.
Every second weekend in July you can hear the sound of bagpipes ringing through Grandfather Mountain.
Thousands come to MacRae Meadows to experience the Highland Games, some for the first time and some who have been to the Games their whole lives.
What makes these Highland games so special? Is it the people that you meet while at the Games? Is it taking a step back into time and learning about your Scottish heritage, or maybe it is watching the athletes participate in events that have been a Scottish tradition for many years.
If you ask around, you would probably hear the same response over and over: It’s all of it. The Grandfather Highland Games are all about coming together with friends, but it’s also about preserving Scottish heritage. GMHG are the most traditional games in the world. These are Games that you would’ve been able to watch 75 to 100 years ago. As Steve Quillin, President of the Highland Games put it, “Our future is in our past.”
The Highland Games started as an idea from Donald F. McDonald in 1954, where McDonald took a trip to the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland. McDonald enjoyed the Games so much that he wrote articles about Braemar in the newspaper he worked for in Charlotte. Upon reading some of those articles, McDonald was contacted by Agnes MacRae Morton,
whose family was affiliated with Grandfather Mountain. Morton wanted to hold a gathering of clans at MacRae Meadows and decided to contact McDonald about this endeavor. Both began planning for the Games in 1955 and the inaugural Games were to be held in 1956. To get the Games started, the endeavor needed to raise money, and the effort took place in creative ways.
“Donald MacDonald booked the Black Watch Regimental Pipe Band, who were touring around the U.S. in 1955. MacDonald booked them at the Charlotte Coliseum at a cost of $4,000,” Quillin recalled. “Every day at lunch, he would put on a kilt and go out into Charlotte and sell tickets… He ended up selling out the concert at the Coliseum. The money earned from that was the seed money for the first Games.”
With enough funding, the first GMHG was held on Aug. 19, 1956. The reason for this date was to commemorate Prince Charlie at Glenfinnan’s starting of the Jacobite rising in 1745. Many of the
same competitions that were a part of the first Games are still very much alive in today’s Games, including such as the Hammer Throw, the Sheaf Toss and perhaps the most famous, the Caber Toss. It also included Highland dance and solo bagpiping and Gaelic song.
“We can’t have a monstrous field of athletes, but what we do have are high-quality athletics,” Quillin said of the Games’ current form. “That’s what we aim for at Grandfather Mountain, in all our contests. We draw competitors routinely from Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, to Washington State and Minnesota.”
Officials expected between 300 and 1,500 people at its first Games, but newspapers at the time estimated the attendance at approximately 10,000 patrons. Whether that number was official or not, the Games exceeded expectations. GMHG expanded the next two years and, in 1958, moved to the second weekend in July, which has remained the Highland Games official date since.
Since the Games’ incep-
learn about a multitude of topics, and hear from experts and individuals from various walks of life.
“It’s a series of informative lectures, some of them are historical. Some of them are about Scottish clothing, some of them are about the innards of a bagpipe,” Quillin explained. “It’s a wide mixture of topics. These lectures are very strongly attended because people get to hear the truth. There is not misty romance, just the facts.”
cial event that Grandfather holds, where every clan tartan is blessed. Probably the most unique and a staple to GMHG is the Calling of the Clans, where at approximately dark on opening night of the Games every society sends a representative declaring that they are present. Quillin says that he has witnessed more than 50 ceremonies and it gives him chill bumps every time.
tion, GMHG has grown and expanded over the years to what we know it as today. The Highland Games draws in ten of thousands of patrons each and every year at MacRae Meadows. It’s like the Meadows come alive when the Highland Games return. As the people give it breath, one can hear the bagpipes and the Celtic rock that play during the weekend.
“What we are is the largest gathering of Scottish Clans and families, societies on the planet, anywhere in the world,” Quillin added. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s the most special little corner on the earth.”
In the beginning, the weekend of GMHG featured only a handful of clans, but today there are more than 100 clans participating who are represented. Educating attendees is a key component of the Games, and Quillin shared the significance of visitors educating themselves when it comes to their Scottish Heritage. One of the many unique opportunities at Grandfather is getting to go to the Scottish Cultural Village. There, guests can
As part of the effort to preserve GMHG’s historical significance, Quillin and Games officials are seeking assistance in the preservation of documents related to the Games, including the conversion of hard-copy paperwork into digital form.
“We have many artifacts and articles at the Games office that we are trying to preserve,” Quillin noted. “If anyone knows how to digitally enhance those types of things, we encourage them to contact the Highland Games office.”
One of the many things that the Grandfather Highland Games are proud of is being at the forefront of many events that are held at the site. GMHG was a pioneer for many events, not just in the United States, but also around the world. One of those special events is the Parade of Tartans. Participating clans send someone to march and represent their respective clan. Qulilin mentions that it is one of the single most photographed in the Scottish American Highland Games world. The Kirkin’ of Tartans is another spe-
Not only do the events of GMHG make it the spectacle that it has become over the years, but another of the unique aspects of the Games is the camping contingent that stays for the full weekend for the Games, sometimes arriving onsite many days early. Theses campers come and enjoy the Games, but they also form a special bond and have a camaraderie unique to the GMHG.
“These campgrounds have created these little villages, and they spend their vacation time here. These are families of choice and they refer to themselves as their mountain family, so there’s this phenomena I refer to as clanship that occurs at Grandfather Mountain,” Quillin explained. “I’m fortunate enough to have been to 26 Highland Games in my life, and I have never seen that clanship exhibited to any degree that approaches what we have at Grandfather Mountain.” That clanship will keep people coming back for years and years to come. As many at the Games say, “It’s all about the clans,” and is all about making friends and connections that will last a lifetime.
Thousands of spectators converge on MacRae Meadows every year for the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, returning in full regalia from July 6 to 9, 2023.
People come to celebrate Celtic culture, for the music, the gathering of the clans, but ultimately many are drawn to the games themselves.
Scottish highland games throughout history were a time to gather and compete to determine who was fastest and strongest. Today, both male and female champions can still claim those titles and revel in victory.
The caber toss and ham-
mer throw are iconic to the Games. Appropriate to the Scots, these sports demand
more than the average measure of strength, stamina and sheer determination.
As highland games where world records have been set, the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games attract professional athletes and amateurs alike who are up to the challenge.
Male and female athletes can participate in heavy events, or events more associated with the Games, and light events, such as foot races.
Heavy events include the Clachneart, or stone throw. The athlete must throw a 16-pound stone without using overhand, underhand or two-handed techniques. In order to throw the stone a greater distance, athletes will spin to gain centrifugal force before flinging the stone as far as possible.
Not only do caber toss participants pick up a 20-foot pole that weighs a daunting 175 pounds, they throw it. Caber toss athletes lift the caber, balance it upright and “turn” it, or flip it to make it fall end over end.
In a bygone time when farming was a way of life, sheaf tossing was an everyday chore. A holdover from that time, sheaf tossing is now competition. A pitchfork is used to throw a burlap sack stuffed with straw over a high bar, without touching the bar. As the bar is raised, the athlete who clears the bar at the highest level wins the competition.
Similar to the stone throw, the hammer throw requires the athlete to throw
a hammer from a standing position. In spite of the hammer weighing 22 pounds, stones have been known to be tossed more than 18 feet.
Light events include the 100-yard dash, long jump, high jump and pole vault. Adults and kids alike can participate in the Kilted Mile run, while children get to take part in a clinic on highland wrestling.
For the spectator, the games of the Games offer their fair share of challenge and entertainment. For the serious athlete, however, the Games are an opportunity to test one’s mettle and take home several pieces of winning medals and awards. And to the victors go the spoils.
Throughout the history of Avery County, there has been a handful of influential individuals who have left behind legacies that will benefit generations to come. Among these people include the likes of Rev. Edgar Tufts, Hugh Morton and Agnes MacRae Morton. The community lost another one of these rare spirits on Feb. 18, 2021, with the passing of Donald Frank MacDonald at the age of 94.
MacDonald’s passion for Scottish culture and abundance of energy helped create the lasting tradition that is the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.
MacDonald’s story, as told by current GMHG President Stephen Quillin, began in Clio, S.C. MacDonald served in the Navy and went on to study journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After completing his education at UNC, where he crossed paths with Andy Griffith and other influential North Carolinians, he began his career working for the Charlotte News
In 1954, MacDonald’s interest in his Scottish ancestry led him to attend the Braemar Gathering in Scotland, which Queen Elizabeth II attended every year and was coronated around this time period. MacDonald not only took advantage of the games to see the Queen in person, but more importantly, he brought back a program from the games that he used as the basis for writing several articles in the Charlotte News about Scotland.
his standard in rebellion to the crown and King George II, which led to a march on Edinburgh and the Jacobites’ final defeat at the Battle of Culloden.
Leading up to the first GMHG, Morton and MacDonald held a media campaign through interviews in newspapers throughout the state, leading the first GMHG to be an instant success.
until 2015 before returning to the United States for health reasons.
“He never lost touch with the Games,” Quillin said. “He wasn’t able to attend every year throughout the years, but beginning again in 1990 or so he attended religiously until his health prevented him from attending every year.”
Agnes MacRae Morton, who lived in Linville at the time, thoroughly enjoyed MacDonald’s articles in the Charlotte News and reached out to him to begin planning a similar Scottish event at MacRae Meadows, which she owned, in 1955. MacDonald hit the ground running fundraising, and even brought the Black Watch Regimental Pipe Band, of the third infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, to perform at the Charlotte Coliseum. MacDonald would don his kilt outside of the Charlotte News and sell tickets to the event which brought in enough money for the duo to hold what would become the first Grandfather Mountain Highland Games on Aug. 19, 1956.
MacDonald’s vast knowledge of Scottish history was apparent during the first GMHG, as the date of Aug. 19 also coincided with the historical date of Scotland’s 1745 rising, also known as the Jacobite Rising. It was on this date that Bonnie Prince Charlie, who considered his father to be the rightful king of Great Britain, raised
“They began the task of planning for the Games back in 1955, and they used all of their connections to be interviewed in state newspapers in Wilmington, Raleigh, Charlotte, all over the place. By the time the Games rolled around in 1956, they drew a crowd beyond their wildest dreams. They had 1,000 people. As Donald used to say, ’Boy, we struck a nerve.’ They really tapped into all the Scottishness that was in North Carolina at the time,” Quillin said.
MacDonald served as the first president of the GMHG. He held the post from 1956 to 1961 before getting married in 1961. In fact, MacDonald and his wife’s wedding took place at the Presbyterian church in Linville and was covered by Life Magazine, as it was held in Gaelic fashion complete with a pipe band and kilts worn by the couple and those in attendance.
Life sent photographers and reporters to interview those in attendance. However, the article never ran in the scheduled edition, since the Nixon and Kennedy debates took precedent in the news cycle. After they wed, MacDonald and his wife moved to Scotland where he lived
Quillin noted that MacDonald’s passion for Scottish culture “gave legs” to a lot of interest present throughout the state. During MacDonald’s life, he would not only found the GMHG but also the Robert Burns Society in Charlotte and the Clan Donald Society. This love and vast knowledge of history was present at the GMHG as well. As Quillin points out, there are many Scottish games held throughout the country, and the GMHG is by no means the largest, but it does feature a unique focus on the gathering of Scottish family societies, of which the festival hosts the most of in the world every year during the second weekend in July.
“That was very much keeping with the vision that Donald and Agnes had right from the get-go,” Quillin said. Also significant for MacDonald throughout his life has been the friendships he formed, especially with Agnes MacRae Morton, as it pertains to the GMHG. Agnes was the mother of Hugh Morton, who was the developer of Grandfather Mountain. On his mother’s side, Hugh’s great-grandfather Donald MacRae first bought the development rights around Grandfather Mountain in 1889 from Wal-
ter Waightstill Lenoir, who was the grandson of Revolutionary War officer General William Lenoir. Agnes was older than MacDonald, and played a critical role in providing MacRae Meadows as the site for the Games to be held. Agnes was also responsible for the construction of the Invershiel stone church at the corner of Highway 105 and Tynecastle.
Quillin also held a dear friendship with MacDonald and recollected his personality, as well as memories together as MacDonald traveled back and forth between Scotland and the United States.
“Donald was a large man, six-foot-three or six-footfour. He was very gregarious, knowledgeable, friendly, outgoing, very charismatic. That, and the fact that he could run those articles in the newspaper, he was kind of a pied piper of sorts. He really drew people to the things he was promoting,” Quillin said. “I knew him extremely well. I considered him a good friend, as did my wife. We stayed with him in his home, and he stayed with us in our home in the mountains and our home in Durham. Losing Donald will take a big (chunk) out of our lives for sure. He was really a special man to us.” Furthermore, Quillin shared the story of MacDonald’s Christmas tradition, one which provided quite a spirited celebration of the holiday.
“He was nearly unaffected by age until he was about 90. He was a vigorous man both physically and mentally,” Quillin said. “His Christmas
tree each year was decorated with mini-bottles, so that was his tree decoration. He would leave that tree up and leave those bottles on it, and then when he got ready to take the tree down, he would invite all of his neighbors over and they’d take down the tree, and taking down the tree meant you had to drink the bottle that you took off the tree.”
While MacDonald was certainly known for his lively celebrations among friends, he was also accomplished within his chosen profession, both in the US and abroad. MacDonald was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor one can earn in North Carolina. During his time in Scotland, MacDonald worked for the Scottish newspaper The Scotsman, for which he wrote several dozen authoritative articles on the history of the Scottish clans, and he taught journalism at Napier University in Edinburgh. He also wrote a book about the GMHG called “America’s Braemar.”
Among all of his accomplishments, Quillin says that MacDonald’s achievement co-founding the GMHG was the one of which he was most proud, and it is through MacDonald’s effort that people from across the state, nation and world are able to experience the joy the Games brings for generations to come.
“The Games are important to Avery County, and Donald was certainly important to Avery County,” Quillin said. “He had a lot of interests and he was a really great guy. A great guy.”
BY LUKE BARBER
The serene resonance of Scottish bagpipes and ancient rhythms will once again fill the crisp summer air of MacRae Meadows for the 2023 Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. As is the case with past events, the Games feature a plethora of talented musical acts bringing authentic Scottish and Gaelic culture to the High Country.
Headlining Saturday evening’s Celtic Rock Concert — the game’s pinnacle of musical entertainment — are several musical acts with ties to the Scottish highlands, western North Carolina and beyond. The Saturday Night Celtic Jam begins at 6:30 p.m., with the final act
taking the stage at 9:45 p.m.
Many of the musical performers have become staples of the Games, such as Ed Miller and Chambless and Muse while newer faces will grace the stage at MacRae Meadows.
Ed Miller and Chambless and Muse have become familiar faces of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. The trio combines
the singing talents of Ed Miller, who hails from Edinburg and has been described as “one of Scotland’s best singing exports,” with the musical prowess of Jil Chambless and Scooter Muse. The duo, who are based out of Alabama, have been performing the timeless music of Scotland and Ireland for the past 25 years.
The Sean Heely Celtic Band
is led by US National Scottish Fiddle champion and singer Sean Heely and acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and All-Ireland singing champion Kevin Elam. The six-piece outfit brings together many different instruments to perform fiery dance tunes and ancient melodies that are sure to get the crowd dancing their best Scottish jig.
Gathering of Trad will close out the evening’s festivities, while early arrivals to Saturday Night’s Celtic Jam will have the pleasure of witnessing Banner Elk’s own Hannah Seng and Will MacMorran opening up the show.
Friday night will also host a trio of talented musical performers with North of Argyll opening the show, while Celtic rock group
Albannach, who have become famous for attracting crowds from coast to coast, will headline Friday night’s festivities. The show begins at 6:30 p.m., with Albannach taking the stage at 9:15 p.m.
Fortunately, the fun does not stop with Saturday Night’s Celtic Jam and the Friday Night Rock Concert, as attendees to the Highland Games will be able to witness musical acts for the majority of the weekend. The games hosts three different stages – Groves I, Groves II and the Alex Beaton Stage – where musical acts will be performing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Festival goers will be able
to see the aforementioned acts, in addition to Strathpan, Mike Ogletree, Tune Shepherds, Brothers McLeod, Colin Shoemaker and the Reel Sisters.
Furthermore, the Games’ pipe competition will be happening throughout the weekend, as pipers come from afar to test their skill and prowess in historic Scottish musical tradition. The pipe competitions will occur predominantly at the Alex Beaton stage.
Numerous pipe and drum bands will grace the games, including the host band Grandfather Mountain Highlanders, Blue Ridge Brass, Pipes and Drums, the North Carolina State University Pipes and Drums and others.
BY JAMIE SHELL EDITOR@AVERYJOURNAL.COM
GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN —
For the past six-and-a-half decades, Grandfather Mountain Highland Games has served as a grand tartan reunion. This year, the tradition is perhaps more steeped than ever. Each second weekend in July (this year from Thursday to Sunday, July 6 to 9), GMHG inundates and educates festivalgoers in traditional Scottish culture, from pipes and drums to haggis and shepherd’s pie. The four-day festival that is the Games has been a destination for competition, entertainment, reunion and celebration of Scottish heritage by thousands who return each year
to “America’s Braemar.”
This year’s GMHG is no different. Whether it’s the opportunity to try Scottish staple food haggis, or competing in events such as the tossing of the sheaf, clachneart or tug-o-war, enjoying the dulcet tones of Celtic music from bands from around the world in one of the groves at MacRae Meadows, observing Scottish traditions and customs or simply stopping by a clan tent to learn one’s family history or pick up a souvenir for a family member or loved one, Grandfather Mountain Highland Games leaves an indelible impression as a unique and fun-filled weekend.
GMHG is a thrilling event where thousands of visitors enjoy a wide range of activities. The musical competitions — fiddles, pipes, drums, harps and more — are a buffet for the ears, while the Games features dancing events that will have the most novice of dancers tapping their
feet to the rhythm. Each year, the athletic competitions at GMHG rival any Scottish games in the world. From children’s wrestling to traditional competitions such as caber throwing, hammer, sheaf and weight tossing, amateur and professional athletes alike attract fans and clans of all sizes who cheer the competitors to victory and honor the spirit of friendly competition.
For many attending the Games, the weekend serves as a family reunion of sorts. The largest single gathering of Scottish clans anywhere in the world, more than 100 in all gather on MacRae Meadows annually for GMHG, as those visiting the Games comprise a population of between 30,000 and 40,000 people. Tickets for GMHG are available upon arrival at the Games, or visitors may purchase them in the weeks and months prior to the event at the GMHG office in downtown Linville. Parking is available at MacRae
Meadows for patrons and sponsors only are allowed special parking privileges on the mountain for Friday through Sunday, July 8 to 10. Games officials urge patrons to take advantage of the bus shuttle system, where attendees for a small fee can park in areas including Newland, Linville or the Sugar Mountain area and get chauffeured to the Games entrance on an individual trip or weekend ticket pass to ride for the entire weekend for a one-time fee.
From the torchlight ceremony on Thursday night to the closing ceremony on Sunday afternoon, GMHG is chock full of events to entertain the entire family.
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games is located off Highway 221, two miles north of Linville and one mile south of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
For more information on GMHG, click to www.gmhg.org.
