Killin Highland Games
We debated if we really wanted to travel the 2 hours to Killin to see the Highland Games both because of the long drive and the weather reported 100% of rain all day long. I'm so glad we didn't let either of those excuses get in our way. It will be one of the highlights of our trip. I feel like we're living a Phineas and Ferb summer and each day just gets more amazing and unbelievable.
We spent all day at the games, 10:30 - 4:00 and it only rained about 60% of the time (mostly drizzle); the sun poked out a few times and it was just fine. The kids don't mind the drives because we've been listening to the entire series of the Chronicles of Narnia - we are now on the 7th book and have loved them all.
Everything about the games was quintessential Scottish. Men (& a few women) in kilts, constant bagpipe music - either from the piping competition or the bagpipe band, girls dancing the highland fling and other traditional dances, and burley men showing off their strength through big heavy objects from metal balls, to weighted hammers, to long telephone poles (cabers - my favorite). We watched the bagpipe band lead a parade down Main Street with the chairman of the games and then followed in behind marching with the rest of the city. Stewart, Maren, & Emma even joined in the Hill Run (after receiving a small bribe) - a 1/2 mile (Maren and Emma) or 1 Mile (Stewart) run straight up a mountain and then back down. Stewart came back down the mountain looking like he had fallen in a pond and rolled in mud. Apparently it was very steep and running down most everyone fell over at some point.
This post deserves some video attachments, but I'll have to do that when I get home - I just don't have that powerful of Internet right now.
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