{"id":27393,"date":"2020-12-28T19:55:23","date_gmt":"2020-12-29T00:55:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mathkind.meetgroundswell.com\/?post_type=global-math-stories&p=27393"},"modified":"2026-04-16T16:57:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T20:57:09","slug":"united-kingdom-scotland","status":"publish","type":"global-math-stories","link":"https:\/\/mathkind.org\/es\/global-math-stories\/united-kingdom-scotland\/","title":{"rendered":"Reino Unido | Escocia"},"content":{"rendered":"

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SCOTLAND<\/h3>\n
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Highland Games<\/h1>\n

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By Chadd McGlone<\/p>\n

Chapel Hill, NC, United States<\/p>\n

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The\u00a0Highland Games\u00a0are a centuries-old sporting event and festival that celebrate Scottish heritage. Games are based on unique aspects of life in\u00a0Scotland<\/strong>, such as playing bagpipes, dancing, and drumming. Some of the most popular competitions are the “heavy athletics” involving kilted contestants demonstrating skill and strength.<\/p>\n

What Are the Games?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

One heavy athletic event is the\u00a0caber toss. Competitors balance a long pine pole and run forward, attempting to toss it end over end so that the top of the pole hits the ground first. Judges rate the quality of the toss for those contestants who successfully turn the caber.<\/p>\n

Other heavy athletic events unique to the Highland Games are the\u00a0weight over the bar\u00a0and\u00a0sheaf toss. In the weight over the bar event, participants toss a four-stone (56-pound) weight over progressively higher bars. The athlete who tosses the weight over the highest bar with the fewest number of misses wins the contest. In the sheaf toss, contestants also attempt to toss a heavy item over successive bars, but in this case they use a nine-kilogram (20-pound) bundle of straw.<\/p>\n

Variations of two other events, the\u00a0stone put\u00a0and\u00a0Scottish hammer throw\u00a0can be found in the modern Olympic games. Like the shot put, the stone put entails hurling a stone as far as possible. Women throw stones weighing eight to 18 pounds. The stones thrown by men weigh 16 to 26 pounds. Hammer throw athletes fling a 16- to 22-pound ball attached to a four-foot long rod. Contestants with the longest tosses win each event.<\/p>\n

What Else Happens?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Music and dance play an important role in the Highland Games. Bagpipe bands open and close the games with Scottish classics like\u00a0Amazing Grace<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Scotland the Brave<\/em>. Participants also can dance to Scottish music played on the drums, fiddle, and harp.<\/p>\n

Where Can You Find Them?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Modern Highland Games have become quite popular in many locations around the world. Outside Great Britain, fans can watch contests throughout Europe and the United States. Games are even held in Bermuda and Brazil. You don\u2019t have to live in Scotland to enjoy the games they originated!<\/p>\n

Have a suggestion for this story? We\u2019d love for you to\u00a0submit it<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n

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Are you a teacher who\u2019s interested in telling this story to your students? Here’s a slideshow you can use to get started.<\/p>\n