Head to Enumclaw this weekend for a Scottish country get-away

2005 Archived News

Haggis and highlanders, pastries and pipers – find these and much more for much less than airfare to Scotland. Visit the highland games this weekend at the King County Fairgrounds and experience Scotland in Enumclaw!

The 59th Annual Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games & Glan Gathering at the King County Fairgrounds in Enumclaw, July 29-31 will promote traditional celebrations of Scottish arts, culture, piping, dance and athletic competitions.

Traditional athletic competitions dating back to the 11th Century are integral to the games and provide endless family entertainment. Stone throwing or clachneart, involves "putting" or throwing the 16-22 pound stone as far as possible. The caber toss involves athletes flipping large logs end over end and being judged on the straightness of the turn.

Remember meeting a distant Scottish relative? If you’ve ever wondered about your Scottish heritage, stop by the Clan tent to trace your genealogy and search to see if your family had its own distinctive tartan pattern.

Start your weekend early and attend the popular ceilidh (pronounced Kay-Lee), a celebration of contemporary Celtic music and dance beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday evening and again on Saturday evening beginning at 7 p.m.

Authentic Scottish cuisine, Scottish athletic events and Celtic merchandise tents are part of the appeal of the Highland Games. The Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games are the sixth oldest in the United States and the largest in Washington State, with past attendance reaching 30,000.

This year's festival also includes:

• Bagpipe, drumming and pipe band competitions.
• Highland dance competitions.
• Scottish farm, with cattle, horses and sheep.
• Scottish Setter Pointing demonstrations.
  

The fairgrounds will be open on Friday, July 29, 2005: 6:45 p.m. - 10 p.m. , Saturday, July 30, 2005: 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 31, 2005: 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Cost is $12 one day or $18 for a two-day pass for adults, children 5 to 18 and seniors 60 and over cost $9 one day or $13 for a two-day pass. Children under 5 are free. Parking is $4 per day.

Visit www.sshga.org for more information on festival activities.

Directions: The King County Fairgrounds are easy to get to from anywhere in the Puget Sound area!
From the north, go south on Interstate 405 to the Maple Valley Highway (State Route 169) and go south to Enumclaw and follow the signs.

From Interstate 5, take Highway 18 east to Auburn and State Route 164 east to Enumclaw and follow the signs.
From the south, take State Route 167 and go east on State Route 410 to 284th Avenue SE.