- The Stone Mountain (Georgia) Highland Games with its Scottish clan tents, pipe and drum bands, vendors, and fans of all things Scottish roaming around.
- The Atlanta Pipe Band marching onto the field during the opening ceremonies on Saturday, featuring many speeches from visiting dignitaries. We sing our United States national anthem, the national anthem of the United Kingdom "God Save the Queen" + an unofficial national anthem of Scotland, "Flower of Scotland." There is a Scottish woman standing next to me who sings "Flower of Scotland" with a wistful look on her face while her granddaughter films her.
- This wee visitor to the clan tent area kept her mom busy running after her.
- Lining up for the parade of tartans on Sunday. This member of Clan MacRae mixes two heritage looks - love the thistle beading.
- Marching onto the parade field while massed pipe and drum bands play is my favorite part of the whole weekend. My other favorite part - when visitors to my tent pull up chairs to chat. It's like a once-a-year family visit.
- Clan Lindsay won for best tent. Whatever. Maybe next year. :)
- The Stone Mountain (Georgia) Highland Games with its Scottish clan tents, pipe and drum bands, vendors, and fans of all things Scottish roaming around. 
- The Atlanta Pipe Band marching onto the field during the opening ceremonies on Saturday, featuring many speeches from visiting dignitaries. We sing our United States national anthem, the national anthem of the United Kingdom "God Save the Queen" + an unofficial national anthem of Scotland, "Flower of Scotland." There is a Scottish woman standing next to me who sings "Flower of Scotland" with a wistful look on her face while her granddaughter films her. 
- This wee visitor to the clan tent area kept her mom busy running after her. 
- Lining up for the parade of tartans on Sunday. This member of Clan MacRae mixes two heritage looks - love the thistle beading.
- Marching onto the parade field while massed pipe and drum bands play is my favorite part of the whole weekend. My other favorite part - when visitors to my tent pull up chairs to chat. It's like a once-a-year family visit.
- Clan Lindsay won for best tent. Whatever. Maybe next year. :)
26 comments:
Love the photos! Sounds and looks like you had a wonderful time. What a great and unique event too!
Love the photo of the little kid making off! That brings back memories of my older daughter who never stayed in one place for long. It was exhausting!
I love the sounds of Scottish pipes and drums! I can just imagine the richness of your weekend.
Sounds (and looks) like you had fun. I was in Scotland for the first time back in August--it's a beautiful place
Love all the pictures, Lynn - thanks for sharing!!
And so begins the feud of the MacRae's and the Lindsay's:)
Joe -
Thank you - I snap and snap photos and just pulled a few to tell the story of the weekend.
There were three toddlers in the area who just ran up and down the walk all weekend. Very cute. And yes, the parents looked exhausted. :)
Leonora -
It was lovely. Just lovely.
Jeff -
I did. And I so loved Scotland - I visited there in 1997. I'm aching to go back. Will you blog about it?
Lance -
Thanks Lance.
Granny Annie -
The MacRae's were just in line ahead of us while we were waiting to parade onto the field. My clan name starts with an M and ends with an l. :) We have no quibble with the Lindsays except they got that good cup that would have looked good on my mantle. :)
Love love the gorgeous plaids...I am a plaid lover! I liked the beading too. A close-up of the different fabrics and decorations is in order Lynn (liked the thistle beading that you showed.)
The man in the black tam looks just like a guy named "Smokey" who plays harmonica and sings at open mikes here!
So... are ye in a clan, Lynn? With a tartan and all? Did ye look up your tartan in 1997 when you were over there?
Great-looking site with all those tall trees.
have a great day, Sweetie! I am making wonderful headway on my songs over here. Am I weird to love Mondays?? :)
xoxo
Oh, yes... the marching onto the field would be MY fave part too, I'm sure. Would feel so proud. You wore your tartan, I guess?
xo again.
lg -
I should have gotten more pics of the decorations around. I love plaid, too. :)
Jannie -
Maybe that IS Smokey.
Yes - I know my tartan and have a tartan scarf that I wear + a pin that has my family crest and motto. I did wear it proudly when I walked by the reviewing stand with my other clan members.
I'm the commissioner for Georgia for my Scottish clan. A fun little hobby.
xo
Mama Zen -
So much fun. :)
This is something I love. I'm from Chicago and come from a long line of Chicago firemen and cops. Funerals and weddings always had tartan and pipes (even though I'm Dutch). :)
Looks like a very interesting event.
Greetings,
Filip
You brought back memories of our Scottish friend, Stephen, and his wedding day in New England. Beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing, chica!
LOL @ whatever. They lucked out, that's all!
What fun! You'll win the tent thing next time :), Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
What *did* your tent look like? How many kinds of plaids can there be?!
happygirl -
I've noticed that - the bagpipers at the law enforcement and firefighter funerals. The Scottish stuff is just a part of my life. We have it incorporated into my church's activities, but we've never once incorporated into a family funeral, for some reason.
Filip -
Hello and welcome. Thank you for very much for coming by.
Scarlet -
I'll bet it was lovely.
FB -
They were probably giving out shots of Scotch (she said grumpily.) :)
Miriam -
I hope so. :) BTW - I am very interested in your cookbooks - I put them on my wishlist on Amazon.
Riot Kitty -
There are a MANY different tartans. Our clan has variations of three of them.
So I hang banners with our tartan and have them draped over a table that holds all manner of printed material. There are also banners around the top that give our Clan name.
Clan Lindsay probably really won for having so much participation in their tent and they probably also participated in the events on the field, like the saber tossing and the kilt run. I've essentially got only one helper for the weekend and neither of us is likely to do a kilt run. :) lol!
Wow, so many great pics, characters to wonder at, n I'm sure many great memories for you! Looks like a grand time fot all. The Native plus Scott look is so unique!
For some reason, I can see myself running after the cute little wanderer!
I'd like to do that visit someday. I'm part of the Wallace Clan. From imported silk I made, long, sash/shawl of the new red tartan n have a family pin. MB had a kilt friendly wedding I needed it for.
oooo Commish!
Snaggle -
Wallace is a fine Scottish clan. I have a photo of the statue of William Wallace standing on the edge of a mountain in Scotland, near Stirling Castle. You should go to one of the Scottish festivals - or volunteer at the Wallace tent. My Clan pays for my entrance fees, so it's not as much of a burden being there both days.
There were three of the toddlers and I did help out by watching after them. They were affiliated with the Harpist tent across for us (oh my - the melancholy music!) I found the parents were always watching. The little girl in pink tights almost ran out of my picture. :)
It looked to be a beautiful weekend for the Highland Games.
I loved all your pictures, but my favorite was the "wee one" off and running...
We're hoping to return to Switzerland this year and if we do, we plan on visiting Scotland.
Thanks for this post:~)
Wow, Lynn! How many in your clan? I mean, how many are you "presiding" over?
And do you wear a cute white blouse with a lace cravatte when you splash out in your M_____L family kilt?
Yes, I'll have to take a pic. of Smokey and post it some day. He is actually a great harmonica player, and he doesn't know it yet, but I'm going to ask him if he'd like to play on a song or 2 on these tunes. Hopefully he is sticking around Austin for a while! And he's so cute, he plays and sings hymns sometimes at the O.M.s, and old folks songs.
Austin, music and YOU rock!!!
xoxo
Sara -
I loved visiting Scotland - I am looking forward to you blogging about that trip.
A dignitary from Scotland said these games are very similar to the games in Scotland only the weather is waaay better.
Yes - I liked that little girl - she almost ran out of the picture!
Jannie -
I preside over a whopping 70 something Clan members in the southeast. Only a handful actually come to the Stone Mountain games, but the ones who do seem like family to me.
The men in our tent are all done up in their kilts and the stuff that goes with it. Having a skirt made for me out of our tartan is a pricey business - about $600. So I am the woman in black with the red and green tartan scarf on my shoulder held on with a family crest pin.
You rock, too, my friend!
xoxoxo
Holy cow!! A $600 family tartan skirt!!! That's the price of a plane ticket to Paris! :0
xoxoxooxo
Jannie -
I know and I'd rather go to Paris. :)
xo
Stone Mountain! I haven't been there since last year! It's October now, and I guess the nightly Stone Mountain laser show is over, so maybe I'll have to wait until spring ....
I am so sad I missed this! Loved the photos, thank you!. It's a date next year ...
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