Bringing the Aboyne Games Together

By Lewis Lilburn

Each year on the first weekend in August a gathering is organised - a gathering which goes back over 150 years in its present guise, but holds its roots in the old clan system of Scotland’s past. The traditional Highland Games of Aboyne is one of the most celebrated of highland gatherings of the North East of Scotland and is held in very high regard throughout the whole of the UK.

In times gone by, chiefs would gather their clansmen periodically to partake in hunting and military exercises. Clan business was also a large part of the day, deals were dealt on livestock and possibly a few disputes taken care of under the watchful eyes of fellow clansmen. The last, doomed rebellion of the Jacobites under their charismatic leader ‘Bonnie’ Prince Charlie put paid to these gatherings as the Hanoverian government dismantled the old clan ways, but the 19 th century saw a revival in a distinctive Scottish and Highland identity. It was in this milieu, of Burns charming Edinburgh society with verse and Sir Walter Scott’s novels transporting their readers to windswept Scottish landscapes, that they began to emerge again, in a new, contemporary form.

We are blessed here in Aboyne to be able to enjoy and celebrate this rich history year after year. This enjoyment is only made possible by the considerable effort of our dedicated committee members. Some of these members have roots reaching back generations into the history of the village and surrounding area - indeed, some ancestors who will have been present in 1867 for the first of this modern edition of the Games.

The organisational committee is made up of around 40 dedicated locals, farmers, business owners, fire officials, police officials, teachers, doctors, and trade professionals to name but a few, that we are fortunate enough to have donate their personal time to these special Games. It is the people behind such professions who have the skills necessary to bring the event together every year.

The organisation and transportation of the grandstands for the thousands of spectators; the nets which protect them from any wayward heavy hammer throws (these are of course very rare as the skill of the competitors is of a very high standard!) - these duties and all other aspects are carried out each year by the Committee. The committee members hold meetings throughout the year to discuss every aspect of the previous year’s show and where we may improve for the coming year. The Highland Games of Aboyne also fundraise and give what they can to local charities to continually improve the lives of those living in the surrounding area. This allows the Games to have a lasting effect on the local community.

And the local community plays its part too in the spectacle of the games. The list of prizes for competitors in the games – totalling more than £13,000 – provides testament

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to that. Beside each prize printed in the games programme can be seen the local business or individual who contributed to it, from ‘Deeside Dog Training’ to the ‘Cambus O’ May Cheese Company Limited’.

Even some internationally-known companies play their part – competitors in the heavy athletics events receive league points for their achievements and Glenfiddich offers a substantial prize to the overall winner across all the qualifying games in the North East.

As well as the games proper, the festivities also include a clan village, an innovation introduced by the Marquis of Huntly after his time visiting games in North America where these are a common sight. Here, clan societies contribute to the games by welcoming visitors and guiding them in their family history.

The large funfair that accompanies the games, complete with waltzers and merry-gorounds, is a always a popular attraction among the young, as is the Saturday night disco and Friday night ceilidh. The recently started Aboyne Youth Games is helping to ensure there is new generation ready to take on the games for the future.

But of course there is one ingredient that is needed more than any other for a successful games – visitors – without which we could not continue this historic gathering. We hope to be able to show you the very best in Scottish hospitality here in Aboyne every day of the year, but offer a very special invitation to you on the first weekend in August to join us for what is history in the making.

Members of the committee pose for a picture before the games begin

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