The Upstate of South Carolina has, arguably, one of the highest concentrations of Scots-Irish descendants in the country. Our ancestors persevered under incredible hardships to get to the Carolinas, coming north from Charleston and south from Philadelphia and Virginia. When they reached our beautiful Blue Ridge mountains and foothills, they heaved a collective sigh and knew they were home.

We created the Games in 2006 as a tribute to and a celebration of our Celtic forebears. The colors, tastes, sights and sounds you will experience are all evocative of clan life in the wild Highlands of Scotland. The Championship Heavy Athletic competition is drawn from the warrior traditions at ancient clan gatherings, as is the Highland Dancing competition, albeit considerably more evolved from the original warlike expressions of victory over defeated enemies. The Southern Piping Championship will remind you vividly of how the Great Highland War Pipes were an integral part of every Scottish clan marching into battle. The crafts – from the weaving of tartans to the stained glass demonstrations – would have been all around you at a Gathering of the Clans from long ago.

Children visiting our Games will have their own miniature Scottish village, called Wee Scotland. There is not another like it, as far as we know, at any other Scottish Games in the country. They will have their own crafts, athletic events, “mountains” to climb, and much more, all the while absorbing a bit of the culture that settled our region.

Last year, we added the First Annual Border Collie Invitation Trials and the Great Scot! Young Writers Contest, both of which proved hugely popular. We are presenting these events again – and, due to the crowds for the all-day Border Collie Trials, we will have (covered) bleachers for the spectators. Click here and here for more details.

This year, we’re adding three more major venues, and we believe we will have more Scottish-themed venues than any other Games – worldwide!

For the runners, we are conducting the Swamp MacRabbit Trail 5K Run/Walk. For those of you not from Greenville, some 150 years ago a wee little passenger train, the Swamp Rabbit, ran from Greenville up into the foothills north of our city. That narrow-gauge railroad track has been converted into a state-of-the-art running trail, which brushes the Furman campus. We’ve laid out a race course that loops through the scenic woods of the Trail, with the finish line at our Main Field.

The first Great Scot! British Car Show will be held on the gorgeous wide mall leading up to the entrance of the Games on the Furman campus. We’ll have a bevy of cars ranging from the Mini Cooper to Rolls Royce, all with their hoods opened invitingly for your inspection.

We are very excited to announce the First Bonnie Lad and Lassie Pageant, held in partnership with the Official Miss South Carolina Pageant. The Pageant is open to contestants from ages 3 – 16 Each child will be judged on Scottish attire, one age-appropriate question about Scotland, and several other categories. The contestants will be invited to participate in our Great Scot! Parade, and we are tickled to death to think of all those wee folk in their Scottish outfits proudly marching or riding on floats. Our Games will be graced by the presence of the reigning Miss South Carolina, Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, and Miss South Carolina Teen, plus 90+ other beauty title holders who will be judging the Pageant and volunteering throughout the Games.