What To Expect At A Highland Games

Whether you're walking the boards as a soloist or marching into the circle with your bandmates, if you've ever competed you'll know the feeling of battling nerves and stress on contest day. 

So what's the best way to prepare for a competition? What should you do the night before, and on the day? And what can you expect when you arrive, during, and after you compete in solo and band contests? 

Let's walk together through what you might see and do during a typical highland games.

Preparing for the big day

The excitement begins well before the games start. Most competitors begin their preparation the night before, laying out their uniforms and ensuring everything is ready. The morning starts early, often with a light breakfast and some crucial "morning rituals" to keep your nerves in check and focus sharp.

 When you arrive

Timing is everything on competition day. It’s important to arrive well before your first event, check in with the steward, and allow time for final tuning. Aim to be on-site up to an hour before your scheduled time to ensure everything runs smoothly – and to remove as much stress from your morning as possible. Early check-in is also not just polite; it's a small but significant way to show respect to fellow competitors and the judges.

Preparing for a solo performance

As a solo competitor, the day will include periodic warm-ups and final tuning just before stepping into the spotlight. Aim to play a quick warm-up, focusing on ensuring your instruments are well-tuned and functioning properly. If you're a piper in the lower grades, find someone to help you with tuning – at most contests, capable higher grade pipers will be hanging around and only too happy to assist! Also, aim to stay a respectable distance away from any contest platform when you're tuning – most venues will have designated tuning areas, but if they don't, be respectful. 

Massed band etiquette

Depending on your association, massed bands – where every band comes together to march and play the same tunes as one massed corps – may play for opening ceremonies or closing ceremonies, or both. For pipers and drummers, massed bands can either be the most tedious or most fun part of the day. They can also be a crash course (sometimes literally!) in marching and drill techniques – like the countermarch, which despite being a bit chaotic, is essential, and spectacular for spectators to watch. If you're every worried about literally crashing into another player with your pipes, t's okay to hold them close to avoid mishaps during this maneuver.

Preparing for victory in the circle 

Band competitions often follow in the latter part of the day. As a band player, you're one part of the larger instrument of your band, so organization and timing are crucial. Aim to be on-site for tuning when you're told to be, and do as much as possible consistently as a group, including when you play – and when you don't. Warming up and doing final tuning as a group will place you in a much better chance of producing great tone and a strong performance in the circle. Remember too that your pipe major will have a lot on their mind, so while the day is a fun and social one, you should also aim be an asset to your teammates by staying focused, acting quickly when directed to do something, and not distracting or slowing things down. 

Winding down

After all the stress and adrenaline of competing are over, and you've blown through the last notes of your final tune in massed bands and closing ceremonies, it's time to blow off some steam! Winning bands may march off the field in a victory lap, often ending up in the beer tent with players from all bands coming together to socialize and reflect on the day. The camaraderie and shared experiences create memories that last long after the din of hundreds of drones stops ringing in your ears.

Check out this episode of the Dojo Conversations podcast to join Jim and I as we dive into more insight and banter about a 'day at a highland games'!