Unusual Scottish Games
Strange Games Played In Scotland
While Scotland may be the nation of castles and enchanting mysteries and legends, it is also one of the few countries with world renowned oddball games and competitions. Brits have a love for amateur competitions, but there’s nothing amateur about the following Scottish games that will surely give you a new-found respect for such competitions. These not only bring fun and enjoyment to its spectators, but show you skill and athleticism that can parallel any serious sport.
Here are 4 of Scotland’s most unusual competitions:
The Swamp Football Championships
The first is the Swamp football Championships. Originally founded and held in Finland, Scotland started hosting this event last year, where it was first introduced in Inverness. If you are planning a visit and are looking for self catering accommodation in Ullapool or Fort Augustus we can recommend Tigh na Reultan Holiday Cottage and Aonach Mor Holiday Cottage Loch Ness. This year, the event was held in Blairmore. Having been conceptualized in 2008, it has attracted its own set of supporters and participants from all over the United Kingdom and other crazy countries. The games follow the same rules as a normal football match, but with only 6 players on the field. The match lasts 30 minutes including breaks. But the big difference in Swamp football is that the games are played on thick, slimy mud. Yes, players outplay each other, diving and slipping on wet and sticky mud, while trying to play a decent game of football. But don’t be fooled, Swamp football is more about fun rather than a serious competition, as players are highly encouraged to wear fancy dresses to add a more hilarious and light appeal. Shoes are also recommended to be taped to the feet, otherwise, players will see themselves with bare feet when their shoes are sucked in by the mud. Teams are also encouraged to create funny team names, such as the Mudchesthair United and Real Mudrid. Once the games are over you can enjoy the festivities in the campsites, pubs, restaurants and live music areas that all join in to celebrate this annual fun event. If you are planning a visit and are looking for se we recommend
The World Stone Skimming Competition
If you lived close to a body of water as a child, then you’ve certainly done this to pass time and compete with your friends. In Scotland, it has become a widely played sport. The World Stone Skimming Competition is a widely participated event held in Easdale Island, near Oban, in Argyll. Every year, during the last Sunday of September, hundreds of participants and spectators head to the banks of the waters to join and watch this lively event. Absolutely anyone can join, be it a child or an adult. Each person is given three skims using selected Easdale slate stones, competing for the most and longest skims created. It is a lively event that not only attracts spectators for the game itself but also for the festivities before and after the games. A pre-skim party, barbeque, live music, stilt walking and kids activities make it an excellent event for families.
The Coal Carrying Championships
Another much participated event, which is one of only two in the world, is the Scottish Coal Carrying Championships. Held in Kelty, Fife, men and women race through the streets carrying sacks of coal on their backs. Men carry a 50 kg sack and 20 kg for women. A new category was added this year, with mascots carrying coal. This one mile race attracts thousands of spectators every year.
The World Haggis Championship
Lastly, involving the Scots’ most beloved traditional delicacy, the World Haggis Championship involves the hurling of a haggis as far as possible for the greatest distance and best accuracy. This skill is no ordinary feat. It requires a special subtle technique that makes you throw it to the farthest distance possible, yet giving it a gentle landing, subtle enough to keep the haggis intact and still possible to eat. It takes more than just brute force to have the skill to carry out this whacky feat.
