Harpenden’s Highland gathering this Sunday

HAGGIS throwing, caber tossing and Highland dancing will be just some of the traditional Scottish events taking place this weekend in Harpenden.

The annual Harpenden Lions Club Highland Gathering will take place from 10.30am to 5.30pm this Sunday in Rothamsted Park and promises events to appeal to everyone.

President of the Harpenden Lions Club, Lion Tony Usher said: “The Highland Gathering started in 1946 and is the largest gathering outside Scotland. It is now a major event in the Hertfordshire calendar.”

The town’s MP Peter Lilley described the gathering as “a feature of Harpenden”.

This year’s events include marching pipe bands, solo piping competitions, Scottish dancing, falconry displays and traditional heavy events including weight throwing and caber tossing. New this year are sheepdog demonstrations, with experienced sheep dogs herding geese and ducklings.

The Highland Dancing competition will take place on the dancing stage and a range of ages will compete in the Highland Fling, Sword Dance, and Blue Bonnets, as well as other dances, performed to the music of a single piper. There will also be performances from local dance groups.

Children will be well catered for with races and sports to try and the main children’s fun run starting at 1pm from the main arena.

Food stalls, a circus ring, craft demonstrations, climbing wall and a display of classic cars will also be in the town centre and the finale of the Highland Gathering will be a massed band starting at 4.30pm.