H for Harbours and Highland Games

H for Harbours and Highland Games. One of the benefits of staying in a unique Country House bed and breakfast when you are away is that you receive local knowledge and insight into where to go and what to see. Here we are

Harbours

The Moray Coast is a genuinely varied coastline named by National Geographic as one of the world’s most beautiful and unspoilt coastlines. If your idea of a relaxing holiday is a leisurely day enjoying the stunning scenery, sandy beaches and unique rock formations, we can help you with great itineraries. Visit the Harbour towns of Buckie, Burghead and Cullen for examples of fishing villages and ice houses and try the famous Cullen Skink. Pop into local Findhorn for fabulous views and food. Watch dolphins from Findhorn, Lossiemouth, or Nairn and get a different view of the harbours. You can spend days exploring some of our unique harbours and beaches.

Highland Aviation

If you are looking for alternative ways to get high above the Highlands, why not book an air tour or a flying lesson with Highland Aviation, Inverness? An unmissable private flight, available seven days a week, is truly an opportunity to see the Highlands.

Highland Games

With over 60 Highland Games taking place throughout the summer, many visitors will plan to attend one of these. When asked which is the best Games, that is a tricky question to answer as they are all unique, and the Clan influence may differ for each visitor.

This is because the Scottish Highland Games are a historical-cultural festival that has occurred every summer for hundreds of years. The Games are a chance for each local district to continue the tradition of hosting an exciting, vibrant celebration of Scottish culture.

If you plan to visit Scotland this summer, you may wish to consider stopping off at a local Highland Games. We have collected some local  Games weekend events that boast some of the best showcases of historical Highland Bagpiping, Highland Dancing, and the athletically challenging Highland Games.

The   Games are a significant Scottish cultural event annually across the country. These events host the Highland Games competitions in which prestigious athletes compete for grand prizes.

The Games will take place in one day, and some gruelling challenges include the Caber Toss (a caber that is a 6-meter and 80kg wooden log), the Stone Put, the Scottish Hammer Throw, and the Weight over Bar. Each Games will host local and international athletes on their annual tour of Scotland, competing all over the historical Highland Games.

As the name suggests, the Highland Games festival has traditionally been based in Scotland’s Highlands. Locally to the Blervie House area, summer visitors can look forward to events in Forres, Tomintoul, Inverness, and Nairn.

Today’s Games celebrate Scottish culture, including kilts, tartan, pipe bands and excellent food and drink. It is also a significant homecoming event for residents abroad who will return home. Yet the Games are also an excellent occasion for first-time visitors to Scotland to enjoy. Expect to see local bars and restaurants booked up and open late for the weekend, and take the time to enjoy the welcoming atmosphere.

Homecoming is just one part of the traditions of the Highland Games, which are being kept alive in Scotland today. Those participating and spectating at the Games are part of a practice that has been ongoing in Scotland for hundreds of years. The oldest Highland Games are believed to be the Ceres Games in Fife in 1314.

Yet the Games began historically as a congregation of local local clans. The punishing tasks in the competition were the means of selecting the most skilled and vigorous men to fight for the Clan Chief.

However, sharing music and dance was also greatly important to the event and would bring the Clan notoriety. Looking back at the history of the Highland Games, the events rose in popularity after the fall of the Jacobite uprisings in the 1700s, when the practices of Highland life—tartan, kilts, traditional music, and dance—were outlawed in the Scottish Highlands. This caused the Games to become very popular when the laws were relaxed over time to maintain and protect these traditions.

Of course, the Highland Games also allow those in the area to visit local sites. For example, the Forres Games occur twenty minutes from the historical NNelson’sTower and the Forres Town Museum. Those visiting the Nairn Games should not miss out on the nationally acclaimed beautiful beach and harbour area, which provides a lovely seaside setting for a Scottish day trip.

The towns of Keith, Banff, and Elgin are also noteworthy as they are situated in scenic Scottish whisky country, surrounded by beautiful landscapes and many local sites of interest.

So I hope our guide H is for Harbours, Highland Aviation, and  Highland Games helps you plan a genuinely Highland visit.