OFF THE BEATEN PATH

LONG ISLAND SCOTTISH FESTIVAL AND HIGHLAND GAMES 2013

The sun rose on August 24 and what followed was a virtually perfect day for the Long Island Scottish Festival and Highland Games, which were held at the world renowned Old Westbury Gardens in Nassau County, NY. The festival, now in its 53rd year is sponsored by Long Island Scottish Clan McDuff ably led by Clan Chief Andrew McInnes, seen here at the microphone. Chief McInnes asserts that without the enormous help of Jim Hogg and Dave Cairns, co-chaimen of the festival them there would be no festival !

This year, Alan L. Bain was named as the Honorary Chieftain. The festival during its one day run - always the fourth Saturday in August - often attracts close to 7,000 visitors and according to officials at Old Westbury Gardens, it is the heaviest attended event of the year.

The grounds were lined with tents

which house various Scottish organizations, such as the New York Caledonian Club; the St. Andrew's Society of the State of New York, American Scottish Foundation as well as The National Tartan Day New York Committee. Also well represented were many of the Scottish oriented businesses in the New York area which were serving food, included Stewart's Scottisn Market, in Kearny, NY

and Cameron's in Brick New Jersey

Other businesses dealing in Scottish items present at the festival were The Pipers Cove in Kearny, NJ.

The Kilt Maker's Apprentice

Scottish Gourmet USA; The Celtic Bag Company

and The Wren's Nest

The Gordon Highlanders

Northport Pipe and Drum Band

and the Amityville American Legion Highland Pipe Band were in attendance and performed spectacularly.

Also on hand were some of our animal friends and drawing a lot of attention were birds bought from the Long Island Falconers, since falconry has been very popular in Scotland. Here a neat owl

along with his friend Bobby

who raised him from the time he was 2 weeks old.
There were two performance arenas as well as an open field where performers appear throughout the event. Among them were Highland Reign

The New York Celtic Dancers

Among the other groups performing were The Cameron Scottish Music Ensemble; Dennis Carter Jr.; Academy of Lion Rampant; Meadowgrass; Ye Pyrate Brotherhood; Shot of Scotch; Long Island Harmonizers; Valere Wilcox; and Maidens IV.

For the opening ceremonies, the United States Marine Corps provided a color guard

which led the massed bands and their color guards

In addition to the various vendors, there were the ever popular highland games: the caber toss

the shot put

Special games were held for youngsters, and here we see some of them learning the caber toss, while in the background we can see how the "grown ups" do it!

Get them while they're young!

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