Celebrate Scottish culture in Antigonish, the Highland Heart of Nova Scotia

The Antigonish Highland Games are the oldest, longest-running Scottish Highland Games outside Scotland.

Plan your trip early to get the best accommodations.

We booked our trip in January.

We hoped for good weather but planned for wet and cold. We got lucky and caught the front end of the heat wave that settled over North America and Europe for the summer.

The weather was hot and sunny for the entire week

The name Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland

You can learn to speak Gaelic at the Antigonish Highland Games

Scottish Gaels settled in Nova Scotia in 1773 with the arrival of the Ship Hector. Gaelic has been spoken for 241 years in Nova Scotia. During the early 1900s, the Gaelic language was nearly wiped out in Canadian schools. The Gaelic language was forbidden to be spoken in schools.

 

Today, the Gaelic cultural identity community is a vibrant part of Nova Scotia’s diverse peoples and communities. Thousands of Nova Scotians attend Gaelic-related activities and events annually including: language workshops and immersions, milling frolics, square dances, fiddle and piping sessions, concerts and festivals.

 

St Francis Xavier University in Antigonish has a Celtic Studies department with Gaelic-speaking faculty members, and is the only such university department outside Scotland  to offer four full years of Scottish Gaelic instruction.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Gaelic

When I return to Antigonish, I’m home from away.

If you are not from Antigonish, you will be a come from away.

We had a mini family reunion this year, with four generations, ranging in age from 2 to 98. This is the best that we could manage for a group photo.

I stayed one night in the Victorian Inn, which is very close to the site for the Highland Games.

The Victorian Inn used to be the Bishop’s residence

We called it The Bishop’s Palace.

We have stayed at Whidden’s many times and love it. The two-bedroom, one-bathroom cottages are clean, spacious and private.

The Park was filled with every kind of RV you could image, from pull-along pop-up travel trailers to high-end motorhomes.

Everyone is very friendly at Whidden’s

While I was taking pictures, the owners invited me inside. They had just returned from a morning of berry-picking.

They have booked the same spot in Whidden’s for ten years.

Brierly Brook runs through Whidden Park

Many motorhomes are decorated with lights

Once it is dark, the air is pungent with wood smoke

We were invited to lots of parties when we walked through the park.

In addition to the friendly atmosphere, we like Whidden’s for its location. It is just off Main Street and a 2-minute walk to the best location for the Antigonish Highland Games Parade.

This year, the Highland Games Parade was the best ever

The Veterans lead the parade. Everyone claps for them as they march

There are lots of old cars in the parade

Our first car was a Dodge Dart

The first car that Norman and I bought was a used Dodge Dart. We drove it into the ground. Near the end, we had to top it up with brake fluid every few days. If it had survived, we could be in the Antigonish Highland Games Parade.

Antigonish hosted the Canadian Summer Games for the Special Olympics

http://www.specialolympics.ca/events/tue-07312018-0000/special-olympics-canada-2018-summer-games

The Games were a huge success

There were lots of pipe bands in the Highland Games Parade

The highlight of the parade for the kids was the free candy

The highlight of the parade for me was the RCMP pipe band

I love the skirl of the pipes

These RCMP dancers danced their way down Main Street

Traditional Scottish Games are held at Columbus Field

You can watch the competitions for the Caber Toss, the Hammer Throw, the Open Stone Shot and the Tug-of-War.

I went directly to the winners’ circle for a photo with the trophy winners for the Tug-of-War.

Can you jump as high as these highland dancers?

Highland dancing requires coordination ,musical talent and great athletic ability

The traditional Scottish caleigh is a highlight for us at the Antigonish Summer Games

The caleigh is the perfect spot to try your new dance moves

The kids rule the dance floor when the caleigh starts

Is there room on the dance floor for kids of all ages?

Little ones learn by watching

Everyone had a ball, dancing up a storm at the caleigh

Once the kids were exhausted, the adults ruled the dance floor

I shot a video of the dancers at the caleigh. I started the tape in the middle of the dance and turned it off before the dance ended, so the video below has no beginning and no end; just enough of the middle to show you how much fun everyone was having

After the caleigh, the Pipe Bands took centre stage

Again, this is a video from the middle of the performance.

After the caleigh, it was time to head outside for the grand finale of the Antigonish Highland Games

This pipe band is preparing for the grand finale: The Mass Pipe Band

You can watch the Mass Pipe Band from the bleachers. However, you can also sit on the grass and watch them approach.

Soraidh. That’s Gaelic for farewell

I hope you enjoyed this Scottish cultural experience at the Antigonish Highland Games