Edinboro Highland Games

**Wompet** · 20th May 06, 05:21 PM

Got back from Edinboro, PA's 14th annual Highland Games & Scottish Festival a couple of hours ago. It's a small event - highland atheltics on the lower atheltic fields, rugby on the upper athletic fields, solo bagpipe and band competitions, dancing, half a dozen clan booths, wool-weaving, some highland cattle and horses - that takes place on the campus of Edinboro Univeristy of Pennsylvania.

The highpoint of the festival, at least for my oldest brother and myself, was master Scottish fiddler Alastair Fraser. For an hour and a half we (and a large crowd of other folk) listened to him play solo and with the violinists of the Chelsea House Orchestra.

Other things - met Mexpiper in the parking lot on the way out.
Saw what might have been a black hemp RKilt in passing, but I was too busy listening to Alastair Fraser to go check.
Definitely saw a guy with his kilt on inside-out (sorry, no pics).
Got my other brother to wear a kilt in public for the first time.

Pics will be posted once I get back to NY and high-speed internet.

**Blu (Ontario)** · 20th May 06, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by Wompet

... Definitely saw a guy with his kilt on inside-out...

I've seen men in long kilted skirts, photos of kilts on backwards and sideways, but inside out... that's a first! I wonder how did he managed to fasten the buckles !?

**mexpiper** · 20th May 06, 08:21 PM

Hello Wompet,
It was nice to meet you this afternoon

. As soon as I sort my pictures. I will post some.

Mexpiper

**Wompet** · 21st May 06, 06:44 AM

Three things I missed in my first post:

For Pour1Malt and our other Scottish friends - Yes, we Pennsylvanians spell it "Edinboro". Except for the students who attend Edinboro but study abroad for a semester at Edinburgh, who get confused on how to spell it.
The ROTC group from page 4 of Jeff's gallery were still wearing their PKs. Didn't get a chance to talk to them this year; they were the ones who told me about Pittsburgh Kilts at last year's games.
There was an older gentleman I saw at the Alasdair Fraser tent who apparently had an under-apron pocket like Moosehead mentioned in the PK thread, except it looked like a Menzies, which was never a regimental tartan, was it? Anyway, I saw this fellow out of the corner of my eye paying for his Fraser CDs - he reached under the over-apron, pulled out his cash, paid, puts his money back, and walked off with his purchase. Just something unexpected.

**Pour1Malt** · 21st May 06, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by Wompet

...[*]For Pour1Malt and our other Scottish friends - Yes, we Pennsylvanians spell it "Edinboro"...

weel.... ai guess thot's better than "Edinberg"

**Mike1** · 21st May 06, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by Pour1Malt

weel.... ai guess thot's better than "Edinberg"

They don't spell it that way, they only pronounce it that way.

'Sides, isn't the correct spelling actually 'Dùn Eideann'?

**mexpiper** · 21st May 06, 12:44 PM

Ok,
here are a few of the pictures:
"The ROTC group from page 4 of Jeff's gallery were still wearing their PKs. Didn't get a chance to talk to them this year; they were the ones who told me about Pittsburgh Kilts at last year's games."

One of the Pipe Bands getting ready to be judged....

Student Goverment Vans:

As I sort them. I will most likely send a link to them.

Mexpiper

**Pour1Malt** · 22nd May 06, 11:20 AM

no tae sure hae ai feel aboot

"Fighting Scots" as a mascot...

seems a bit stereotypical an insultin...

weel... ai guess it's better than "Drunkin Scots"...

**Wompet** · 22nd May 06, 08:23 PM

Well, the women's teams are the "Lady Scots" ... and it makes as much sense at the Nittany Lions, Gannon Knights, and Allegheny Gators ('gators in PA?). That, and the head of the Athletic Department is 4 time Olympic medalist Bruce Baumgartner - "Fighting" describes the drive to win, more than any warlike tendencies.
And the statue that was commissioned does have a regal look to it ...
Can you tell that I'm an alumni?

Anyway, to the pics: [WARNING: I used the LARGE file setting]
The massed bands taking the field: http://home.att.net/~wompet/DSCF0007.JPG

A quick picture of my brothers, one's girlfriend's son, and myself: http://home.att.net/~wompet/DSCF0018.JPG
Left to right - older brother publically kilted for the first time in SWK Standard, MacAbre Tartan; his girlfriend's youngest son; oldest brother (not publically kilted yet); and me in CCK Robertson Red.

Master Scottish Fiddler Alastair Fraser:
solo: http://home.att.net/~wompet/DSCF0021.JPG
and with the kids from the Chelsea House Orchestra: http://home.att.net/~wompet/DSCF0023.JPG