23rd Annual Texas Scottish Festival

[Morris at Heathfield]

I made sure to be at the Glenuig Tent at around 2:00 for the Celtic harp performance.



Stage right, before the performance began.



Center stage during the performance. The woman wearing the blue lei was apparently the instructor. She kept switching between the two blue harps. She had her students come forward to play one of the blue harps while she played the other.



Stage left.



"Greensleeves".



This woman was playing a clàrsach with wire strings.



The whole stage. I didn't see them selling CDs, fortunately; otherwise I would have had buyer's remorse for getting the NTCPD CD. (The only Celtic harp albums I have are on cassette tape.)

[Morris at Heathfield]

I saw some of the solo pipers piping in the southwest corner of the stadium complex. Two or three of them were wearing the same tartan, so I took it they belonged to a pipe band. It was not the Hunting Robertson, so they weren't members of the NTCPD. I couldn't quite identify the tartan, but I thought it began with an "s". (I was undoubtedly thinking of the Sinclair tartan; however I was wrong. More about this later.)



This Gold Brothers reseller had Campbell of Argyll kilts in stock.



I was a bit tempted by these Campbell of Breadalbane ties, but that wasn't what I had intended to purchase, and by this point I had already bought the CD.

[GMan]

Wonderful shots!

[Morris at Heathfield]

There were only about half as many Highland dancers this year as last year, and perhaps for this reason the Dance Tent was moved from the football field to the southeast corner of the stadium. Unfortunately, that put it near the Glenfinnan Tent, and there was often a clash between the piping and the music coming from the Glenfinnan tent. That can't have helped the dancers' performance. Of course, I'm sure my camera didn't help much either.



The dancer on the left is wearing the only Dress Blue Buchanan kilt I saw this year. Last year there were at least three.



Three members of the NTCPD watching the performance.







I recognized the dancer in black and white from last year.



I think the dancer on the left knows her picture is being taken.

[Morris at Heathfield]

The South Athletic Field was right behind the audience for the Highland dancing, and the weight toss was going on the whole time.

[Morris at Heathfield]

The NTCPD practicing near their booth.



Electric blue Campbell of Argyll. This booth was roughly in the same place as the Frugal Corner's booth last year, and selling the same kilts. However it was not the Frugal Corner, as the seller told me. He said he thought the Frugal Corner had a booth somewhere else, however. Unfortunately, most of the vendor booths were unmarked—at least, those that were selling cheap kilts.



Blimey, it's Bright Skye!



Wrong Angus and wrong Caledonia. I prefer the Caledonia (New) in modern colors. As for the Angus, I have settled on one particular tartan as "my" tartan: Angus Muted, woven by the House of Edgar in 13 oz. wool (MW501). If I had seen a tie in that tartan, I would have snapped it up immediately. Because this was Ingles Buchan's Angus Ancient, I decided to give it a pass. I guess I'm just picky.



Private lessons from a fencing master, only $3.00.



Not Wolfhawk. I believe I saw this fellow last year as well. I saw three or four people wearing Texas Bluebonnet kilts this year, about the same as last year.



What a difference a year makes. Last year all the Gold Brothers "Black Watch" kilts I saw were in some other tartan that only vaguely resembled the Black Watch to my eyes. This year I saw no evidence of that tartan anywhere, and only this thoroughly conventional rendition of the Black Watch. I call that an improvement.

[Morris at Heathfield]

I didn't expect to see a booth for the Celtic Craft Centre this year, but Geoffrey (Tailor) was also absent. That left Scotland Forever as the sole vendor of wool kilts with a booth this year, except possibly for the vendor selling the Ingles Buchan ties, who also had some swatch books.



Roxburgh Red and Texas Bluebonnet. I couldn't find any tags with sizing information on them. When I came by later the Roxburgh Red was gone, presumably sold.



Texas Bluebonnet ties and one Welsh National. I belatedly came to the conclusion that the Welsh National tie might have made a good purchase.



The NTCPD arrived on the mezzanine while I was at the Scotland Forever booth.

[Morris at Heathfield]

When I came back to the Dance Tent they were doing the sword dance.







The piper and the judge.



The youngest competitor, and she didn't even need a piper. I'm not sure she had the judge's full attention, though.



The last round of dances.

[hospitaller]

Roxburgh Red and Texas Bluebonnet. I couldn't find any tags with sizing information on them. When I came by later the Roxburgh Red was gone, presumably sold.

aw crud! someone else bought it and was not me, probably another Young living in the area....

do we have a website or name for the vendor?