The modern Highland Gathering or Highland Games is a day full of various events and activities. It is a mix of Scottish sporting and heavy events (eg caber tossing), Scottish music including pipe bands and massed pipes and drums displays, highland dancing, food and produce stalls, community stalls, Scottish Clan tents and - perhaps above all - enormous community spirit built off a base of Scottish culture. Highland Gatherings are a fete, a fair, a market and music festival combined into one.
The Canberra Highland Gathering is an Australian take on this traditional Scottish event. Multiple pipe bands descend on Canberra for individual band performances as well as participation in the stirring opening and closing massed pipes and drums displays. Highland dancers from all around Australia compete in the Canberra City Championships. There are spectacular displays of Scottish heavy sporting events - including the Caber Toss and Lifting of the Stones - by the Kilted Warriors. Each year we seek to add additional entertainment to these core Highland Gathering activities.
What to expect?
Come and chat with the Canberra College of Piping & Drumming and inquire about learning pipes or drums through our College learner program.
Learn about your Scottish ancestry and identifying their Clan tartan.
Experience the sight and sound of pipe bands, dancers and other displays as you browse your way through the wide array of market and Scottish goods stalls!
Grab a bite to eat from the extensive range of food stalls (including traditional Scottish food such as Haggis!), and share a refreshing ale from Bentspoke – a local Canberra brewery and proud sponsor of the Gathering.
Once the daytime events are complete, the celebration of Scottish culture continues at the Canberra Burns Club:
The Gathering After Party from 5:30pm - including drinks and food specials and an informal, upbeat and entertaining piping competition on The Glen
Canberra Gathering Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) from 7:30pm - featuring entertainment by a local celtic folk group mixed up with some more piping and dancing.
The final bit of good news about the Canberra Highland Gathering - entry to both the Gathering and the Ceilidh is FREE. We look forward to seeing you there!