Weight Throw. Photo by Aaron Stearns
By Emma Castleberry
The Taste of Scotland Celtic Festival and Highland Games will take place Father’s Day weekend, Friday, June 19, through Sunday, June 21, in Franklin. “We have been putting on the Taste of Scotland Festival for almost 30 years,” says organizer Lloyd Swift. “Over three days, visitors will see three teams of Highland athletes, pipe bands and Celtic music, Viking reenactors, a live raptor exhibit, children’s games and activities, clan tents and clan and district parades, real Scottish cows and the popular herding dogs.” The festival begins with a parade in downtown Franklin on Friday at 6 p.m. and concludes with the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans, a classic Scottish blessing ceremony, at Franklin’s First Presbyterian Church on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Sheaf Toss. Photo by Jared Wang
The Highland Games, which used to be held at Grandfather Mountain, will take place at the Macon County Fairgrounds on Saturday. Scott Medlin is cofounder and president of Southeastern Highland Athletic Group (SHAG), which organizes the Highland Games portion of the festival. At Taste of Scotland, three divisions of athletes (Open Men, Open Women and Masters Men) will compete in a series of seven events: Open Stone, Heavy Weight for Distance, Light Weight for Distance, Hammer Throw, Sheaf Toss, Weight Over Bar and Caber.
“Athletes regularly engage with the audience by making lighthearted remarks, responding to questions and encouraging enthusiastic cheers,” says Medlin. “Highland Heavy Athletics is a welcoming, family-friendly event.”
Stone Toss. Photo by Aaron Stearns
These athletics reflect the area’s deep Scottish heritage. “Large numbers of Highland Scots settled in North Carolina, influencing local culture, and events like the Highland Games continue to preserve and celebrate that legacy through athletic competition, music and clan gatherings,” says Medlin.
Morgan King is an athlete that will be participating in the competition at Taste of Scotland. She started competing in Highland Heavy Athletics with her husband in 2020. King particularly enjoys the sheaf toss, an event where competitors use a pitchfork to toss a heavy bag over a high bar. “It’s really exciting to watch that bag zip up and up into the air,” she says. King adds that, while the sheaf is always the same weight, every field and competition is different. “That makes it exciting because you may show up and set a new personal record, or you could come in last place,” she says.
Highland Games are a treat for the onlookers, who are encouraged to cheer for the athletes, talk to them and ask questions. “We want to share our excitement with you—unlike golf, this Scottish sport loves noise,” says King.
Learn more at TasteofScotland.org and ThrowShagShag.org.
