Auchendean is in Strathspey - an area of the Cairngorms National Park
which offers almost limitless Activities

Traditional Highland Games

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There are many Highland Games to be enjoyed from July through August to September throughout the Highlands of Scotland.

Auchendean's Local Games

Nethy Bridge holds it's Highland Games on the second Saturday of August every year. The games have been named "the Friendly Games" as the atmosphere is so friendly. It's a holiday for the whole area for the whole day from the early children's events through to the traditional "Heavy" events. It's a day not to be missed.

Other Highland Games in the area

There are Games in most villages in the Highlands - Kingussie and Newtonmore, Grantown-on-Spey and Lornach, Inverness, Aviemore. But we are biased to the oldest and best - Abernethy!

Events

There are children's races and dancing of serveral types. Then the day progresses with older children and adults. There are pibrach competitions, races on the track and a road race. The massed bands makes a spectacular sight as they march around the grounds three times in the afternoon, starting as soon as the Games are officially opened by the Games Chieftan who is usually a local dignatory. In 2010 the Chieftan was the Chief of the Cherokee Nation in America, a distant relative of the local Clan Grant. Then there are the heavier events like throwing the hammer, the weight over the bar and the event everyone is waiting for, Tossing the Caber. The Tug-o-War ends the competitions.

The Abernethy Games are twinned with the Turakina Highland Games in New Zealand.

The Games are declared open with members of Clan Grant

Dancing Competitions

Tossing the Abernethy Caber