Bumper crowd of 3500 attends record-breaking Aberlour Highland Games
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A CROWD of more than 3500 people attended a record-breaking Aberlour Highland Games on Saturday, August 5.
Alice Littler Park hosted the 78th running of the Games, which saw a series of historic records broken and an intense battle in the heavies.
Attendees were treated to a thrilling battle for heavy honours at the Games, with two Americans breaking a number of field records between them.
One of the world's most accomplished caber tossers, Scott Hutchison from Portland, Oregon, and Chuck Kasson from Hallam, Nebraska – the World Highland Games Champion in 2018 – broke three records.
Hutchison blitzed the previous record in the 28lb Weight for Distance by 25 centimetres, while Kasson broke records in the Heavy Hammer and 56lb Weight Over the Bar categories.
The Heavy Hammer record was smashed by 41cm, while the 56lb weight was thrown 18cm higher than ever before. "It doesn't go higher," was the simple response from heavies judge Donald Geddes.
Eventually, with a perfect 1200 caber toss, the Oregon giant grabbed top honours by 37 points to 35.
The record breaking didn’t stop there with Catherine Taylor smashing the 10-mile Hill Race record for females by six minutes, finishing third overall out of the 40 runners.
Tamsin Fowlie, from Elgin, took the fifth record-break of the day in the Ladies Long Jump with a jump of 4.65m.
In fact, all three of Tamsin's jumps beat the previous record – with her winning jump exceeding the previous best by a whopping 35cm.
Elsewhere, Andy MacDonald, the Royal Scottish Highland Games Association high jump record holder could only manage second – finishing behind Matthew Tait, a world athletics-ranked high jumper.
Highland dancers – 100 of them in total – put on a great performance, managed by Alison Milne and Viv MacIntosh.
Games President, Neil Spence, said: "Last year we were just glad to run a Highland Games event after Covid shut us down for two years.
"Now we are back to our record-breaking form with some of the best Highland Games athletes in the world."
Chieftain Guy Macpherson-Grant, of Ballindalloch, added: "The field events are always a thrill and, with seven of the best local pipe bands and more than 100 of the region’s finest highland dancers, there was just never a moment to catch your breath.
"We are blessed with wonderful support from the village and with great commitment from our team of organisers."
Full results
Men's 100 metres: Andrew Lumsden (Lossiemouth); Scott Hamilton (Elgin); Martin Allan (Aberlour).
Men's 200 metres: Andrew Lumsden (Lossiemouth); Scott Hamilton (Elgin); Jack Clough (Newcastle).
Men's 400 metres: Andrew Lumsden (Lossiemouth); Andy Macdonald (Forres); Scott Hamilton (Elgin).
Men's 800 metres: James Wilson (Aberlour); Andrew Lumsden (Lossiemouth); Scott Hamilton (Elgin).
Men's 1600 metres: James Wilson (Aberlour); Scott Hamilton (Elgin); Jack Clough (Newcastle).
Women's 100 metres: Tamsin Fowlie (Elgin); Lauren Abbott; Ava Cruickshank.
Women's 200 metres: Lauren Abbott; Tamsin Fowlie (Elgin); Ava Cruickshank.
Women's 400 metres: Lauren Abbott; Daisy Hendry (Fortrose); Ava Cruickshank.
Women's 800 metres: Tamsin Fowlie (Elgin); Daisy Hendry (Fortrose); Ava Cruickshank.
Women's 1600 metres: Daisy Hendry (Fortrose).
Men's High Jump: Matthew Tait (Bonnyrigg, 165cm); Andy Macdonald (Forres, 160cm); Andrew Lumsden (Lossiemouth, 160cm).
Men's Long Jump: Andy Macdonald (Forres, 5.48m); Matthew Tait (Bonnyrigg, 5.16m); Andrew Lumsden (Lossiemouth, 4.9m).
Women's High Jump: Tamsin Fowlie (Elgin, 140cm); Lauren Abbott (140cm); Ava Cruickshank/Daisy Hendry (125cm).
Women's Long Jump: Tamsin Fowlie (Elgin, 4.65m); Daisy Hendry (Fortrose, 3.96m); Ava Cruickshank (3.72m).
Hill race: James Wilson (Moray Road Runners, 57 mins 30); Harry Stainton (Moray Road Runners, 58 mins 52); Catherine Taylor (Black Combe Runners, 1 hr 3 mins 42).
16lb stone: Chuck Kasson (Nebraska); Scott Hutchison (Oregon); Paul Jamieson (Elgin).
22lb stone: Scott Hutchison (Oregon); Chuck Kasson (Nebraska); Paul Jamieson (Elgin).
28lb weight for distance: Scott Hutchison (Oregon); Chuck Kasson (Nebraska).
56lb weight for distance: Scott Hutchison (Oregon); Chuck Kasson (Nebraska).
16lb hammer: Scott Hutchison (Oregon); Chuck Kasson (Nebraska).
22lb hammer: Chuck Kasson (Nebraska); Scott Hutchison (Oregon).
56lb weight over the bar: Chuck Kasson (Nebraska); Scott Hutchison (Oregon).
Tossing the caber: Scott Hutchison (Oregon); Chuck Kasson (Nebraska).
Overall points: Scott Hutchison (Oregon, 37); Chuck Kasson (Nebraska, 35); Paul Jamieson (Elgin, 6).
Junior Solo Piping March: Hamish Addison, Lauren Cauldwell, Josh Bruce.
Strathspey Reel: Hamish Addison, Aiden Philminster, Amy Howitt.
Highland dancing - winners and age group
Primary 4/5 : Iris Smith (Knock).
Primary 6: Faye Wisnicki (Buckie); Thea Cunningham (Broughty Ferry).
Beginners 7 Thea Bailey (New Deer); Rebecca MacFarlane (Insch).
Beginners 9: Ellie-Mae Stewart (Ladysbridge); Sophie Davidson (Gartly).
Beginners 10 and over: Amelia Burnett (Longside); Danielia Ferriera Vegas (Huntly); Hanna Lukacsa (Dufftown); Thea Bailey (New Deer); Ellie-Mae Stewart (Ladysbridge)
Novice: Ella Bailey (New Deer); Millie Bailey (New Deer); Rowan Bain (Archiestown)
Intermediate 13 and under: Megan Davidson (Gartly); Sebastian Ballantyne (Inverallochy)
Intermediate 14 and over: Mirren Mackinnon (Turriff); Dasha Keith (Brechin); Mia Winterburn (Inverurie); Ciara Millsopp (Archiestown).
Premier 11 and under: Freya Anderson (Huntly); Alisa Gordon-Duff (Glass)
Premier 13 and under: Kayde Collie (Buckie); Louisa Milne (Huntly); Keira Hamilton (Aberdeen)
Premier 15 and under: Willow Brown (Newmachar); Niamh Yeoman (Tipperty)
Premier Adults: Molly Smith (Keith); Brogan Martin (Huntly); Gemma Cheyne; Katie Taylor (Craigellachie)
