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San Diego Scottish Highland Games & Gathering of Clans
(760)726-3691 / 619-884-2940 / 619-884-3157
Fax No: (760)726-3591

Email: sdshgchief@sbcglobal.net

PO Box 3682, Vista, CA 92085

www.sdhighlandgames.org

Annual San Diego Scottish Highland Games
& Gathering of the Clans

When celebrating in times of peace one of the Highlanders' favorite pastimes was the tainchel. For these "great hunts" very often several clans would combine. Chieftains would send word to the clansmen that such an event was planned and when and where they should assemble.

After a successful hunt a great feast and celebration would be held. Then the rival clansmen would test each other's prowess at various sports - running, jumping, wrestling, or primitive forms of weight putting with stones, or divided into roughly equal sides vying against each other in a very early form of camanachd or shinty. Lastly the clansmen would vie with each other in piping and in dancing, the pipers taking it in turns to demonstrate their skills and the clansmen to demonstrate their agility and neatness of movement by dancing complicated steps to the pipe music. These relaxations were in effect the forerunners of the modern Highland games.

Next San Diego Scottish Highland Games & Gathering of the Clans
is June 22 & 23, 2013.