PANALBA

A recent article by John Ross in Scotland on Sunday (20/11/11) painted a very depressing picture about the current state of Scotland's Highland Games. The overall conclusion was that without a new generation of volunteers or a substantial increase in funding that the Games are doomed to fade away. This, however, is far too simplistic. Highland Games in Scotland have shrunk from over 200 in the 1940s to just 90 today. The last 10 years alone has seen 25 games disappear from the calendar.

Meanwhile, Highland Games are on the increase around the world, with the greatest number taking place in North America, where each year over 300 games take place stretching from Prince Edward Island in the Atlantic right across to Hawaii in the Pacific. Recently, Highland Games have been established in Hungary, Germany, and Russia, countries with no Scottish heritage.

Having attended over 30 Highland Games around the world, I would make the following observations.
Too many of the local games failed to adapt to changing circumstances. The origin of our local Games is that they were developed at a time when the sense of community was paramount. People did not travel and everyone was involved. The Games were a focal point in the annual calendar, regardless of the weather. Today, the Games have to compete with other attractions and a very mobile population, and as a result, the gates are falling. But this is not unique to the Games, exactly the same is happening at most Scottish football stadiums.

It is incredible that we still have games being held on the same day within an hour's drive of each other, which really begs the question as to what is the primary objective of the games.
In today's market, events have to make that extra effort to attract audiences. That requires a more dynamic product and good media support. Every year there is a World Championship for the Heavy Athletes. It has only twice been held in Scotland, the rest of the time it is in North America. Why? The simple answer is bigger gates, better prize money and a lot more interest!

More importantly, bigger gates attract better vendors. Better vendors attract the public, who in turn spend money. It is, ultimately, all about money, and the answer is not, as suggested in the article, attracting central government funding, but about improving and enhancing the quality of the Games.

The Games in North America are major events and offer a much greater level of entertainment, of which music is the key. You only have to look at their programmes to see the difference. Scotland has a multitude of talented "celtic crossover" musicians, many of whom are star attractions in the American Game circuit. They rarely feature in Highland games in Scotland.

Major sporting activities such as marathons, 7aside rugby, 6 aside soccer are bolted onto the games, thereby appealing to a wider audience. Sheep dog exhibitions and strongman competitions will also drive extra footfall. One of the greatest advantages of the Scottish Summer is the long daylight hours, but still most Games finish by 6pm. In fact, how many Games committees regularly review their offering?

A closer examination of successful Games in North America will show that these games have become major events in their own right and more importantly retain a "must attend" status amongst the wider community.
These Games are also run by volunteers, and also suffer from an aging pool of expertise. So where is the big difference? Without out doubt it is in the clan system. The clan system in North America uses the Games as an opportunity to meet up and socialise. They are a guaranteed audience, and will to a large extent provide the backbone to most Games.

In Scotland, the dynamic is quite different. First of all, clan membership is declining and struggles to survive. Secondly, the location of the games tends to be based in the original clan land, thereby restricting the appeal to the local clan.
There are only a few Games in Scotland which have a strong clan tradition and of those it is doubtful whether you would find more than half a dozen clans represented. The bigger games in North America will have upwards of 60 clans present. In fact, the lack of a clan activity is one of the biggest weaknesses in the local Highland Games. They are, after all, the progenitors of the Highland Games.
However, the clan network in Scotland is unlikely to provide the solution.

 
Games have to be quite clear as to what they are about. Some are purely about the local community and will survive as long as they have the motivation to do so. Most games, however,  aspire to be commercially beneficial to the local community and need to become a lot more attractive. The Scone Fair, by way of comparison, is run to raise funds for the Countryside Alliance and regularly attracts crowds in excess of 30000. Many of their vendors and activities would be well suited to Highland Games.

 
Looking ahead, we know that there is going to be a growing number of retired people looking for things to do. We also know that considerable improvements can be made to many of the games, especially in the provision of basic facilities. It is all about raising the quality of the product and offering a unique experience. As for the weather....it becomes irrelevant if you are having a good time!