Crieff Highland Gathering

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Crieff Highland Gathering

The Crieff Highland Gathering was founded at Crieff in Scotland. Welcome to the official page of Crieff Highland Gathering!

Held annually in the picturesque town of Crieff, our Gathering is a celebration of Scottish heritage, culture, and community. With a history spanning over 140 years, we bring together traditional Highland games, music, dance, and entertainment for all ages. Our event features thrilling competitions such as caber tossing, hammer throwing, and tug-of-war, alongside vibrant pipe bands and Highland da

ncing performances. We are dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible experience, ensuring everyone can join in the fun. From the dedicated disabled marquee to accessible facilities, we strive to make our Gathering welcoming for all. Join us to experience the excitement, camaraderie, and rich traditions of the Crieff Highland Gathering. Stay tuned for updates, event information, and highlights from past gatherings. We look forward to celebrating with you! Crieff Highland Gathering
Accessibility Information

At Crieff Highland Gathering, we strive to ensure a welcoming and inclusive experience for all our visitors. While the event takes place in an open field, we have made efforts to accommodate our guests with disabilities. Our dedicated disabled marquee is designed to ensure everyone can enjoy the festivities comfortably. Additionally, we provide disabled toilets equipped with the necessary facilities to cater to our guests' needs. Our team is committed to offering assistance and support throughout the event, ensuring that all attendees can participate and enjoy the rich traditions and vibrant atmosphere of the Gathering. Your comfort and enjoyment are our top priorities, and we are here to help make your visit as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

20/06/2026

💪Tug o' War – One of the World's Oldest Team Sports! 💪

Long before football, rugby or even the Highland Games, people were testing their strength against one another with a rope. Ancient carvings from Egypt, China, India and Cambodia show that versions of Tug o' War have been played for thousands of years. Across cultures and continents, the challenge was always the same: two teams, one rope and a contest of strength, teamwork and determination.

Closer to home, the sport became firmly embedded in British military tradition. Sailors aboard Royal Navy ships spent their working lives hauling heavy ropes, raising sails and moving equipment. It wasn't long before friendly rivalries emerged as crews challenged one another to prove who was strongest. Those contests helped shape the modern sport we know today.

When Highland Games grew in popularity during the 19th century, Tug o' War was a natural fit. Like the Heavy Events, it celebrates power, grit and skill. But unlike the caber or hammer, victory doesn't belong to one athlete – it belongs to a team pulling together as one.

Today, Tug o' War remains one of the most dramatic events at Crieff Highland Gathering. There are no complicated rules and nowhere to hide. A team on each side, a rope stretched tight, and a battle of strength and determination that can be over in seconds or last for what feels like an eternity.

When the contest starts, centuries of history become very simple: PULL!

🏆 Join us on Sunday 16th August 2026 at Market Park, Crieff, and experience Scotland's Premier Highland Games for yourself.

🎟️ Tickets available now at www.crieffhighlandgathering.com. Explore the Heavyweights, Tug o' War, Highland Dancing, Piping, Cycling, Running and much more.

18/06/2026

💪The Heavyweights Return to Crieff Highland Gathering! 💪

Few sights are more iconic, more Scottish, or more spectacular than a caber turning through the air against a Perthshire sky. The origins of the caber toss are lost somewhere between history and folklore. Some say it evolved from Highland woodsmen moving timber through forests and rivers. Others tell tales of warriors throwing heavy beams across burns, ditches and boggy ground to help their clans advance. Whatever the truth, by the late 1500s "tossing of ye barr" was already being recorded as a test of strength, skill and fitness.

What many visitors don't realise is that the caber toss isn't really about strength alone. The world's strongest athlete can still be beaten by a competitor with better balance, timing and technique. The goal isn't distance – it's perfection. A perfect throw sees the caber flip completely over and land pointing directly away from the athlete at "12 o'clock".

And then there is the legend of The Crieff Challenge Caber. Introduced in 1994, our Challenge Caber has become one of the most talked-about events in Highland Games competition. The original caber came from Atholl Estates near Pitlochry. Its successor, sourced from Drummond Estate near Crieff, is an absolute monster – standing an incredible 21 feet 4 inches tall. Each year, after the Scottish Championship has been decided, the athletes face this giant in one final test.

Will this be the year someone conquers the monster?

Join us at Crieff Highland Gathering and witness one of Scotland's greatest sporting traditions for yourself, get your tickets at www.crieffhighlandgathering.com

16/06/2026

💪🪨 THEY'RE BACK! 🪨💪

We're delighted to welcome back Charlie and the team with the legendary Ardblair Stones to this year's Highland Games!

Suitable for all ages and abilities to come along and have a go, Ardblair Stones are nine reinforced concrete spheres ranging in weight from 18kg to 152kg (40-335lbs). Competitors must lift the stones sequentially from lightest to heaviest onto whisky butts, with the event judged on both the number of stones lifted and the time taken.

These iconic stones have tested the strength, grit and determination of competitors and are a really popular attraction! The largest stone weighs an incredible 152kg – about the same as a giant panda! 🐼💥

Whether you're aiming to conquer all nine stones or simply looking to challenge yourself and beat your friends, this is one event you won't want to miss.

A huge thank you to their sponsor Castle Water for supporting the Ardblair Stones and helping keep this fantastic event alive. 💧👏

Who fancies taking on the Panda Stone? 👀💪

13/06/2026

Like the rest of the nation, everyone at Crieff Highland Gathering is right behind Scotland tonight. Twenty-eight years is a long wait, but Scotland is back where it belongs; on the biggest stage of all!!

Good luck to Steve Clarke and the boys!

C'mon Scotland! 💙

11/06/2026

🎶 WE’VE SURPASSED OURSELVES – A RECORD PIPE BAND LINE-UP ANNOUNCED! 🎶

Year after year, people tell us how much they love the pipe bands at Crieff Highland Gathering, and we’re delighted to say that this year we’ve gone even bigger!

Last year, we welcomed 10 fantastic pipe bands. This year, we’re absolutely thrilled to announce that 14 pipe bands have confirmed their attendance for the Games on Sunday 16th August 2026! 🎉

With approximately 200 band members taking part, the massed bands display promises to be an unforgettable spectacle and one of the highlights of the day.

This year’s incredible line-up features:

1️⃣ Morrison’s Academy Pipe Band
2️⃣ Comrie Pipe Band
3️⃣ Doune Pipe Band
4️⃣ Blairgowrie, Rattray and District Pipe Band
5️⃣ Alyth and District Pipe Band
6️⃣ Cupar and District Pipe Band
7️⃣ Queensferry Pipes and Drums
8️⃣ Dunfermline and District RBLS Pipes and Drums
9️⃣ Vale of Atholl Pipe Band
🔟 Kincardine and District Pipe Band
1️⃣1️⃣ Kinross and District Pipe Band
1️⃣2️⃣ Glencorse Pipe Band
1️⃣3️⃣ Knoxville Pipes and Drums (Tennessee, USA 🇺🇸)
1️⃣4️⃣ Goulburn Soldiers Club Pipe and Drums (New South Wales, Australia 🇦🇺)

Not only are we welcoming bands from across Scotland, but we're also delighted to have visitors travelling all the way from the USA and Australia to join us in Crieff this year! 🌎🎶

Get ready for a day packed with stirring music, tradition, pageantry and the unmistakable sound of the pipes echoing around the Games field. This is shaping up to be one of our biggest and best Gatherings yet!
For tickets visit www.crieffhighlandgathering.com

🎺🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎉

09/06/2026

🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️💨 The Tartan Dash is back! 💨🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️
Get ready for the 12th Crieff Tartan Dash! On Games Day – Sunday 16th August 2026, join us for this unique one-mile dash through Crieff, cheered on by spectators and accompanied by the sound of the pipes, before finishing in front of the Chieftain at Market Park. Whether you’re chasing your fastest mile or running for fun, all you need is your trainers… and of course a kilt or a splash of tartan!

📅 Entries close Friday 14th August – don’t miss your chance to be part of this fantastic Games Day tradition.
⏰ Race starts at 10:45am – register from the British Legion on the morning of the race.
🎟️ Enter now to secure your place in the 2025 Tartan Dash: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crieff-highland-gathering-tartan-dash-kilt-run-2026-tickets-1990484312160

06/06/2026

Big news for athletes!
Entries for this year’s Track & Field events at Crieff Highland Gathering are now open on EntryCentral!

Click Here - https://www.entrycentral.com/festival/4430
Date: Sunday 16th August 2026
Entry Deadline: Sunday 9th August – don’t miss out!
Location: Market Park, Crieff

04/06/2026

Solo Piping Applications Now Open!

We’re delighted to invite entries for the Solo Piping competitions at this year’s Crieff Highland Gathering – one of Scotland’s most iconic and historic games.
Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or a rising talent, we’d love to welcome you to the field. The solo piping events are always a highlight of the day, drawing crowds from near and far to enjoy the very best of traditional music.

Date: Sunday 16th August 2026
Location: Market Park, Crieff
Apply now and be part of a proud tradition!
Click Here https://forms.gle/RvJykt7embJ3UgVEA

27/05/2026

We’re delighted to announce that Jimmy Tainsh has been appointed Chieftain of the 2026 Crieff Highland Games, taking place on Sunday 16th August at Market Park.

A lifelong supporter of the Games and a hugely respected figure throughout Crieff and Strathearn, Jimmy has quietly supported local organisations and community events for decades through both his personal involvement and the Tainsh family business.

On accepting the role, Jimmy said, “I was genuinely shocked when I was asked and feel it is a very special honour. The Games have always meant a great deal to me and my family.”

Chairman Iain Dewar added, “Jimmy perfectly represents the values and traditions of the Crieff Highland Games and we are absolutely delighted he has agreed to become our Chieftain for 2026.”

We look forward to welcoming everyone to another fantastic day celebrating Highland sport, music and tradition.

For tickets please visit our website https://www.crieffhighlandgathering.com/

24/05/2026

Chairman Iain Dewar was delighted to officially welcome Richard Collingwood as a Director of Crieff Highland Gathering at our most recent Board meeting.

Richard was presented with his Crieff Highland Games Director’s pin and tie as he joins the team helping organise and support Scotland’s premier Highland Games.

We’re thrilled to have Richard involved and look forward to working together as preparations continue for the 2026 Crieff Highland Games on Sunday 16th August at Market Park.

Welcome aboard, Richard! 👏

Address

Market Park
Crieff

Website

http://www.crieffhighlandgathering.com/

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