Welcome to the Information Page for

The Festival & Games

at the Gatlinburg Scottish Festival & Highland Games 

The Gatlinburg Scottish Festival and Games is a non-profit organization, Charter by the State of Tennessee, recognized as a 501(c) 3 Corporation and a member of the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce. This year, 2007 is our twenty-sixth games. Celebrating our heritage is what we are about this weekend. We invite you to become part of this event as you involve yourself in all the activities and pageantry we provide. Enjoy each other and take home memories that will carry you until we meet again in 2008.

The 2008 Gatlinburg Scottish Festival and Games take place on May 16 - 18 at Mills Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The weekend of Scottish activities starts on Friday, May 16 with a mountain stroll on an easy trail in the Smokies. A parade down the Parkway in Gatlinburg starts on Friday evening at 6:00 lead by the Knoxville Pipes and Drums. All Scots are invited to march or ride the trolley in the parade. The parade is followed by a Gala Reception at 8:00 at Ramada Inn Four Seasons. Wear your Scottish best for set-down buffet with entertainment and door prizes

Saturday and Sunday events at Mills Park include an all day field Ceilidh (a Scottish music festival), professional and amateur Scottish athletics, a heritage seminar, pipe band performances and competition, and highland dance competition. Featured entertainers for 2008 were nationally renowned Scottish musicians; Colin Grant-Adams, Iona and the Celtic group ______. Local Scottish and Celtic musicians from the area will be performing in our Lowland Ceilidh Tent.

There are plenty of events for the kids including the all-new Kids Kastle. Kids can start training for the heavy athletics by turning a scaled down version of the caber and tossing the famous Scottish haggis! A big treat is the Children's Parade on Saturday!

Adults are invited to try throwing the battle axe, the kilted mile (loaner kilts available), highland wrestling, and the manhood stones. The Clan Challenge highland athletic competition on Saturday is open for public entries as are the Clan Challenge Highland style wrestling, Manhood Stones and the Clan Challenge Kilted Miles.

Bringing a piece of agrarian Scotland to the Smokies, border collie demonstrations are scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday featuring the border collies of Stan Moore of Philadelphia, Tennessee. There will also be a sheep shearing demonstration. Vendors offer a variety of Scottish items, clothing, jewelry, music, and food including meat pies, sausage rolls, bridies and baked goods.

Over 60 clan and heritage societies will offer information about various clans, Scottish history and genealogical information. The honored clan for 2008 is Clan Fraser. The parade of tartans on Sunday features all clans represented at the festival marching with tartans and banners symbolic of their clan society.

A Saturday evening's "Ceilidh Under the Stars" will feature all our entertainer from the day's events, beginning at 8:00 PM it will be festive night of music, fun and fellowship at Mills Park.

A heritage seminar is scheduled on Sunday, with Matt Newsom, a prominent expert on Attire of the 1600-1700 and the Development of the Tartan.