Bell’s Fort Nottingham Highland Gathering and Traditional Games
- All things Scottish

Superb weather greeted everyone who ventured to Fort Nottingham for the third Bell’s Fort Nottingham Highland Gathering and Traditional Games this past weekend.

It really was a case of the hills being alive with the sounds of music, vintage tractors, and dogs barking and more importantly crowds cheering. A splendid turnout of people were entertained with proper Scottish events such as ‘Walk the Weight’; ‘Tossing the Caber’; ‘Shot Putt’; ‘Running the Kilted Mile’ and of course ‘Tug-O-War’.

Two categories for the games had both Military and Civilian teams taking on the various traditional Scottish challenges. Celebrating Armed Forces Day, seven military teams took on each other with some of the teams wearing colourful kilts. The civilian teams included the eLan SA Rugby Legends, the Teamo Extremo consisting of personal trainers from Virgin Active, The Flowers of Frotland from Durban and local lads, the Notties Militia.

The event ‘Walk the Weight’, turned out to be a crowd favourite igniting everyone watching. First up, “The Beast from the East”, Andile Nyembezi from the eLan SA Rugby Legends shattered the existing record by cruising 225m with a hefty 75kg rock on his shoulder. Determination sculpted his face as he was cheered on by team mates.

Stating afterwards, Nyembezi said, “I waited a year to break the record after coming so close last year!”

Meeting the challenge that was laid down was former SA Strongman contestant, Rory Scheepers. Bulging muscles popped out as team members helped settle the rock on his shoulder.

Stride for stride, it looked as though the hour long record was in danger but Scheepers’s mark came three meters short of the burley Nyembezi’s staggering record breaking carry.

The tossing of the caber proved more difficult. All the civilian teams barring Scheepers didn’t manage a successful throw but the “Strongman” looked as through he was tossing a toothpick and impressively managed three correct throws.

To successfully toss a caber, the competitor has to flip a pole a revolution of 270 degrees away from you.

The event organisers allowed for all civilian competitors to have a single throw with the lady’s caber. Again Scheepers shone, along with former Springbok and Scottish Hooker, John Allan who donned a kilt for the event.

Away from the traditional sporting events, ‘wee lasses’ could be seen dancing to lovely melodic Scottish tunes. Historian, Ken Gillings gave an intriguing talk on the history of Fort Nottingham and the surrounding area.

The Dunsmore Challenge had bands performing throughout the day. Band Richmond Ave/ MacTalla won the piping section and 1 Medical Battalion-A won the drumming in the Dunsmore Piping and Drumming Challenge. Overall winners of the challenge were 1 Medical Battalion B.

The Scottish address to the Haggis was made in true Highland fashion with the reciting of verse by Scottish bard Robert Burns. After the ode to the haggis, the haggis bearer, the piper and the poem reciter followed the ceremony by a ‘wee sip of the dram’ to toast the event.

Chief of the Clan Maclaine of Lochburie, Lorne Maclaine opened the games in spectacular fashion arriving in a shining vintage Rolls Royce. All teams marched across the field to attention alongside marching bands.

Closing the sporting events was the family ‘Tug-O-War’ where children and fathers went up against each other. A sea of children clung to anything attached to the rope and showed the Dads that youth certainly was stronger.

Farmers from around the area then had the opportunity to display their beauties with the vintage tractor display. Perfect mechanical specimens chugged around the grounds after an introductory speech explained a bit about each one. Even the name of Porsche was tied up to a tractor, which also happened to be red in colour.

Part of the tractor display was the awareness drive of Tony Tractor who is endeavouring to depart on a Round the World trip on his 1948 Ferguson tractor, Old Baby. The epic journey will begin in 2010 where he will drive through over 50 countries to raise funds in support of the fight against woman and child abuse.