PICTURES: Big welcome back for Dornoch Highland Gathering

There was an extra special welcome for the 2022 Dornoch Highland Gathering, the first to be held in three years because of the coronavirus pandemic, writes games president Willie Mackay.

Crowds lined the street last Friday to watch the Chieftain’s Parade led by Pipe Major Willie Fraser and the Dornoch Pipe Band, followed by Chieftain Jim Campbell, who was accompanied by his young grandson Jack.

The chieftain thanked more than 40 volunteers who give their time to planning and running Games Day, and welcomed secretary, Dyanne Gunn, for her first year. She delivered a thoroughly well organised event with traders, crafters and sideshows all adding to the atmosphere.

The day was a poignant one for vice-president and former chieftain, Glen Grant. His 90th birthday fell on Games Day 2020, so the afternoon session started with the crowd singing Happy Birthday. It may have been two years late, but still a tearful Glen enjoyed the occasion.

Local entries were quieter in the morning than in pre-Covid times, but the open events more than made up for it.

Billy Mackay won the Gashaigaich Cup for local heavies; Sophie Fraser,won the local dancing; while Hector Finlayson and Calum Dunbar shared the local piping honours.

Cameron MacDougall, Nigg, won the Mrs Carnegie Miller medal for open piping against strong opposition from pipers as far away as Fife, Edinburgh and Washington DC.

MacDougall teaches piping in East Sutherland schools and set an example for his pupils by helping establish a primary school chanter competition.

Toby Dingwall won the boys’ competitions and was the first winner of the Dornoch Pipe Band Cup while Emily Crowther won the Willie Cameron Memorial Quaich.

Stonehaven athlete Stewart Clark made his first appearance at Dornoch and it was well worth the trip as his two firsts and four second place finishes secured the Lord Migdale Medal for the open track and field championship. Clark is the current leader in the Royal Scottish Highland Games Sprint League.

It was a regular competitor at Dornoch, Vlad Tulacek, from the Czech Republic, who dominated the heavies once again and took away the Robin Miller Medal and Alistair Shaw Cup as champion. Jamie Gunn, Halkirk, stopped a clean sweep by winning Throwing the Light Ball.

Tulacek was the only heavy to toss the caber and he entertained the crowd with three successful throws, but his greater feat was to create a ground record of 17 feet in the Weight for Height event. This is only three inches below the world record. With competitors from Austria, Oregon, USA, and Switzerland, we had a truly international field.

The adult open dancing saw Eve MacKenzie, Falkirk, pip Innes MacKenzie, Nigg, and take the Gardner Cup, winning the Highland Fling, Sword Dance and Seann Triubhas. Sophie Fraser, Muir of Ord, won the Grant Cup, for 13-15 years with Louise Milne, Huntly, taking the Sheila Waring Memorial Cup for 12 years and under open dancing.

Calum Dunbar, Balloch, won both the Strathspey and Reel and Jigs for the open junior piping while in the local piping Hector Finlayson, Kyle, won the BalblairCup winning the March as well as the Strathspey and Reel.

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