Inverness prepares for weekend spectacular of traditional sports

Building work has now commenced in Inverness as The Highland Council prepares to stage Scotland’s biggest ever traditional sports weekend as part of the Highland Homecoming celebrations.

Angus Dick, Chair of the Inverness Highland Games Committee said: “We have a wonderful weekend of traditional sports planned including the hosting of the Masters World Championships and a Guinness World Record attempt for Simultaneous Caber Tossing (admission to both events is free); and the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final.”

The action will commence at Bught Park on Friday 12 September at 9am as the Masters World Championships (MWC2014) featuring a world record 160 competitors from 14 countries gets underway.

Such was the interest in competing in MWC2014 that the Inverness Highland Games Committee had to take the decision to move the event from Northern Meeting Park and stage the event over three days Friday 12 to Sunday 14 September instead of the original two.

The Masters is contested by male and female Highland Games Heavies aged 40 years and over; with the oldest competitor aged 82 and the largest of the competitors requiring the Committee to 5XL Tee shirts.

Admission to the MWC2014 site at Bught Park will be free for the whole of the weekend which will climax at 7pm with The Tomatin Toss – an attempt by Inverness to establish a Guinness World Record for Simultaneous Caber Tossing.

With over 150 cabers expected to launched at the same time, it is expected that the MWC2014 competitors will break the record of 52 set in Canada at the Fergus Ontario Highland Games.

On Saturday (13 September) the combination of the second day of action at MWC2014 and the eagerly anticipated Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final clash between Kingussie and Glen Urquhart at looks set to create an unforgettable day at Bught Park.

Thousands of spectators are expected to arrive to witness the battle for one of Scotland’s oldest sporting trophies; with this year’s final featuring a David and Goliath clash of the trophy cabinets with Kingussie looking to add to their long list of Camanachd Cup Final wins; and Glen Urquhart hoping that they can secure their first one in only their second appearance in the final.

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