Scottish Highland Festival and Games

Last Saturday was the North East Florida Scottish Highland Festival and Games.  I had never been to anything like that before.  We were excited to go and see the pipe and drum bands, and the caber toss, and the sheep herding, and the falcon demo.  Well, we got to see all of that, and a TON of other things!  It was so much fun!  The pipe and drum bands were incredible!  The tartans were beautiful!  The kilts were cool!  The food was good!  Everyone had such a good time! 
Here are some of the pictures we took.  The one picture we didn't get was of the many Harley Davidson biker guys in normal biker garb from the waist up, and a kilt, and biker boots.  It was so funny to see!  Oh well, there's always next year. 

The first thing we saw once we were through the gates was the Clay County Sheriff's Office Pipe and Drum band.  They were AMAZING!!  I'd never heard or seen a pipe and drum band before.  It was such a treat! 

Look at those pleats!!

Kilt anyone?

This is a Clydesdale that was super duper sweet.  My Aunt Jean is holding her grandson, Mason, and Nathan.

Annalise was getting sniffed by the horse.

My turn to be sniffed!

Gabriel found the archery demonstrator and was able to give it a try himself.  He did really well!!



Navy marching band

Jacksonville Pipe and Drum band.  Aren't they cool??

Apparently, Clan MacLaren is the Boy Scout clan.

I LOVE that they are all rocking out with sunglasses on!  (well, except for that one guy.)

Thanks to the Highlander movies, this is probably the most recognized clan name in the U.S.

Another sunglass Pipe and Drum band!  Look how young some of those pipers are!

I'm thinking Clan ZZ Top.  What do you think?

Thanks to the movie Braveheart, this might be the second most recognized clan name in the U.S.

We thought it was funny that everyone in Clan Young is a senior citizen.

A feast of meat pies, bridies, and sausage rolls!  The bottles of orange soda are a Scottish soft drink called Irn Bru.  They said it out sells Coke in Scotland.  (Nobody was brave enough to try the haggis.)

We missed the men's caber toss, but got to see the women.

This is the sheaf toss.  It's really cool to watch, and it's difficult to get a picture of.  He's got a burlap bag full of something on the end of a pitch fork, and he's going to try to fling the bag up and over a pole that's about 30 feet above him.

This is the falconer.  I've pretty much decided that she's got one of the coolest jobs in the world!

Beautiful owl!

Beautiful falcon.

He's talking to her.

These three were very fun to watch. 

One of them got close to the audience!

There's something you don't see every day.

Steve and I sporting our Craig Clan tartan neck ware.