The Braemar Gathering (Attended by the Queen)

The gathering is held every year on the first Saturday in September. The games are held in The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in Braemar. The games at Braemar are the most attended highland games in Scotland. You can enjoy watching the athletes compete in traditional highland events, the highland dancers and Scotland’s best pipe bands. All of this Scottish tradition takes place surrounded by the heather crowned mountains of Braemar.

In 1832, the Braemar Royal Society took over the Highland Games. In 1848, Queen Victoria began to patronise the games. Since the,n the Royal family are regularly in attendance at the games. If you want to catch a peek of the royals, then this is a good chance. The Queen often attends, her schedule permitting.

Events

Pipe Bands - 12 bands are invited to take part in the competition. The bands parade at noon, 3 pm and 4 pm. They are competing for the Shield and bands from all over the world have taken part.

Heavies - The centuries-long tradition of competing by throwing heavy objects still lives on at the Braemar games. You can see Hammer being thrown, Putting the Stone, Tossing the Caber and the throwing of weights for both distance and height.

Tug-o-War - The tug of war is held between military athletes. They compete in this competition of strength skill and showmanship to win a stunning silver trophy. Each year, the trophy is awarded by the Royals who are in attendance. It is surprisingly nail biting to watch the 12-person teams compete for the award.

Tickets

There is a wide range of tickets available, depending on where you want to sit. Basic admission, with no seating, is £12 for adults and £2 for under 14s. A family ticket is £45, which includes two adults and two children. Ringside seats are £20, the uncovered grandstand is £25 and it’s £35 for the covered grandstand.

It costs £15 to park at the arena. If you need free parking, you can find some in the village.

To take the tour of the highland games centre, there is a £3 fee.

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