27 Before 27: Have you ever seen someone throw a tree trunk?

I arrived in Scotland on Saturday and on my first day in this country, I went to the Highland Games in a small village called Luss located on Loch Lomond. With the backdrop of rolling hills and beautiful Loch Lomond, I watched burly, bearded men dressed in their finest kilts compete in events like the strongman competition, caber toss, running races, wrestling and more. What a way to begin my visit to Scotland!

Fellow staff member Julie Hurst and I at the games.

At first glance, most events seemed to be based on brute strength but some required more finesse than I initially thought. My favorite event was the caber toss – or as I would call it – the tree trunk toss. The caber toss is not only about strength but also balance and poise. The competitors have to lift the caber which looks about the length of a telephone poll, can take a few steps if needed, and have to launch the caber end-over-end with the goal of having the caber land straight forward in the 12 o’clock position. How this event came about it beyond me but it was great fun to watch.

The event seemed to be open to both men and women but women only completed in a few events including bicycle racing, running races, bagpiping and Irish dancing. The Irish dancing was very nice and it was wonderful to be surrounded by the music of the bagpipe competitors throughout the day.

The Highland Games were a great start to my time in Scotland. More in my next blog about the rest of my time in the land of whiskey, golf and plaid.