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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Highland games
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Term commonly used for what the Scots themselves more often call gatherings or meetings. They derive originally from informal competitions at clan assemblies, but in their modern form they date from a revival in the mid-19C, part of the romantic discovery of Scotland prompted by Sir Walter *Scott and fostered by Queen Victoria. The main ingredients of such an occasion, of which the *Braemar gathering is the best known, are *bagpipes, Highland dancing, and a wide range of athletic contests including *tossing the caber. The most demanding event is unique to the Fort William gathering – a 13-mile race, in effect a half-marathon, up and down *Ben Nevis.
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