Payson Scottish Festival Vendors

According to oral tradition, some version of the Celtic/Gaelic Highland Games predates Christianity. These gatherings were basically war games held with the intent to select the best warriors in each family tribe or clan. The first Games in Scotland were organized in the 11th Century and specifically designated as a sporting event. During the reign of King Malcom III (1058-1093), the Brae O¹Mar, a fairly flat meadowland along the river Dee, was used for a royal contest to find the swiftest and strongest in the kingdom. The winners needed to be fast and have the necessary stamina to carry Games were held throughout Scotland until the Battle of Culloden in 1746.After Bonnie Prince Charlie¹s defeat by the English, the Act of Proscription banned playing of the bagpipe, wearing of the kilt, gathering together of the people, and the carrying of arms under the penalty of deportatio...