Brodick Highland Games

It was the Highland Games yesterday in Brodick. The morning was wet through to about midday and then it cleared up pretty much for the afternoon. There were five pipe bands over to the island, including one from Brittany. They all got off the 11 o'clock boat and I got to see them marching along Brodick main street from the Post Office. I closed up at 1-ish, got home and got Lorraine and the kids into the car and back into Brodick.

It was a great day watching the pipe bands, especially the mass band when all five marched round the playing fields. There was all the usual Highland Games events: caber tossing (see pictures), hammer throwing, beer barrels. I didn't see any Highland dancing strangely enough, but it could just be that there was some and we missed it. I think Freya would have enjoyed watching that.

The only annoying thing was the high number of wasps, evil things that they are. If it's not midges, it's bloody wasps. Ugh!

Anyway, it started winding down so I brought L and the kids home around 5-ish then headed back out for the march back through Brodick to the ferry terminal. There was a really heavy downpour as the bands were marching, so they were all wet through. Didn't seem to spoil their fun in the slightest though and the finale was great, watching all five bands cutting loose in the ferry car park, passing whisky round and just jamming. I was really wishing that I had my camera with me then and wishing even more that I had a 70-200 f/2.8 VR. That's my dream lens right at the minute.

Anyway, it was a fun day out and I'm looking forward to next year's already. Nothing gets to me like the sound of a pipe band, so imagine five of them playing together!