The Highland games

The games which are now celebrated in the Highlands first started in Celtic times and were always held in front of the king. Competitions were held to find the strongest and fastest men to be body-guards and messengers. Essential to the modern games are the events such as putting the stone, throwing the hammer and tossing the caber.

Other events include running and jumping, as well as competitions for playing the bagpipes and dancing traditional Highland dances.

The games held in the northeast are best known for the athletic events, whilst the best piping is traditionally found in the Highlands and Islands off the west coast.

Susan Sheerin, Jonathan Seath, Gillian White: Spotlight on Britain; Oxford University Press, 1985, page 83

The athletic events at the Highland games are traditional, and not included in the modern Olympic Games. What are the names of the different Highland events? Compare them with the athletic events at the Olympics.