On Saturday 5th September 2026, The Braemar Gathering will commence from 9am until 5pm. At the Princess Royal and Duke Memorial Park, members of the royal family are known to attend; fingers crossed we’ll see King Charles III showing interest and support in this thrilling event!
For a whopping 194 years, Braemar has kept this yearly cultural celebration to every first Saturday of September; the day of the month is significant since its falls after the end of the summer Highland Games (sporting and cultural events occurring across Scotland) and the British Royal Family’s stay at Balmoral Castle (a nearby location that annually welcomes them). What an honour it is to be in the presence of tradition and to be able to play your own rendition of Where’s Wally? Where’s King Charles?
The activities that proceed are all intended to show military power, clan strength, and cultural honour. Going back to 1746 when the Act of Proscription banned bagpipes, tartan and clan communions, Scotland’s heritage has clearly been put through years of suffocation; dedicating a time every year to revive Scottish strength is integral to locals’ identity. Beginning with a Massed Pipe Bands parade, the gathering is soon focused on the activities as followed:
Tossing the Caber.
An opportunity to show precision and strength by flipping a heavy log of wood (weighing from 90 to 180 pounds and measuring from 16 to 20 feet) from end to end to land it in a straight line away from the thrower. Only 3 tries are given to succeed.
Putting the Stone.
Given 3 to 6 turns to prove themselves, the participants must throw a stone. Though self-explanatory it is a key point of interest that this stone is around 19 to 22 pounds for men and 8 to 18 pounds for women, yet the thrower is expected to throw it their maximum distance!
Hammer Throwing.
With the men’s weighing 16 to 22 pounds and the women’s weighing 12 to 16 pounds, participators must plant their feet to the ground and hurl a heavy metal ball attached to a handle around their heads, finally releasing it to a great distance. Their final score will be given after their highest distance is decided after 6 attempts.
Throwing Weights.
This is the act of flinging a weighted metal equipment (either a block or a cylinder) attached to chains with one hand once again to a great distance. You have two areas, throwing weights for distance and throwing weights for height.
For distance, the weights vary from 28 to 56 pounds for men, and 14 to 28 pounds for women. You must stand behind a wooden board and keep to a minimal spin without stepping over a wooden board before or after your throw – a chance to present stoicism!
For height difference they’re expected to be able to, once again with one hand, throw the same equipment but this time over a horizontal bar. Weighing 56 pounds for the men and 28 pounds for the women, the technique of throwing is different. They rock the equipment back and forth between their legs to produce an upwards motion of equipment travel. Each person gets 3 attempts to complete an over the bar throw, and each round the bar is raised higher. The last person standing wins!
To turn to the more creative endeavours, visitor’s attention will be guided towards Highland Dancing. Really an art to watch, highland dancing is the athletic performance of raising one’s arms to give room and show to complex footwork to traditional Scottish music. May the best dancers receive their medals!
The infamous Tug of War then leads as entertainment, strictly and previously played by members of the British Armed Forces – a recognition of the British Army, evidently due to the connections with the Royal Family.
Afterwards, with everyone who meets the entry requirements able to compete, the race up Morrone Hill begins. Runners will reach the top of the hill to the stones laid that signify they have reached the historical checkpoint. Consequently, they’ll need to run all the way back.
Bringing a lovely end to the event with a couple more beautiful band performances, the gathering conclusively has its yearlong rest.
Visit the official event website: https://www.braemargathering.org/ . With the sacrifice of no seating as the seated tickets are sold out (what a great show), general admission is available for a kind price! If you’re unable to attend for whatever reason, the event is recorded and released promptly afterwards, make sure to support them on their YouTube channel: @thebraemargathering.
It’s vital to support community events such as these, as the United Kingdom is nothing without the celebration of the people residing within it. The Braemar Gathering is organised by The Braemar Royal Highland Charity who are a dedicated, loyal and selfless organisation that strive to support the local community, so they deserve a massive thank you, hopefully in the form of donations: https://www.justgiving.com/charity/brhc . Of course, anything is appreciated.
What a fun day it will be, we wouldn’t want you missing out on witnessing great and strong people commemorating their heritage!
