Helensburgh & Lomond Highland Games
Programme for the 2023 Games
Event Schedule:
0930 Highland Dancing Stage Opens
1000 Highland Dancing Competitions Begin
1000 Event Opens to Guests (Standard Admission & VIP-Hospitality Guests)
1015 Local/Amateur Heavy Competition
1130-1200: Official Opening Ceremony
1215 Professional Heavy Competition
1300 Athletics Events begin with 90m and 800m events
1400 Hill Race
1405 Enter on the Day Children's Races - Short Sprint Races: U5 / 6-7 / 8-9 / 10-11 / 12+
1410 Enter on the Day Adults 200m handicap Race
1425 200m Scottish Championship Open and 1600m events
1500 Primary and Secondary School Youth Relays (See ‘Athletics’ page for further info)
1530 200m Races
1700-1730Winners Presentation
Brief history of the Highland Games in Helensburgh
1898 - The first Highland Games to be held in Helensburgh is believed to have been held in 1898 in Larchfield Park.
1899 - In the 1899 Games, Piper MacPherson of the Royal Scots & Charles McIntosh from Motherwell wrestled for most of the afternoon. Neither could put the other down, and the bout had eventually to be declared a draw.
The football (Soccer) place kicking competition was won by Mr Mathiew Dickie, who had been awarded his first international cap as Scotland’s goalkeeper the previous year.
1900 - The highlight of the 1900 Games was the ascent by balloon and descent by parachute of a lady parachutist, Maud Brooks, the Balloon was released about 4pm, climbed rapidly, and vanished into the clouds, however the intrepid Miss Brooks landed a few minutes later on the West Highland railway line, near Upper Colquhoun Street.
1901 - At the 1901 Games the World Wrestling Championship was contested by Tom McInerney of England & George Ross the Scottish champion. To the disappointment of the crowd, the title went south with McInerney.
1902 - The 1902 Games saw A.A. Cameron from Partick break the world record for putting the 56lb weight, achieving 40ft 10 ins.
1903 - In 1903 the programme included tent pegging, lemon cutting, a Balaclava melee & wrestling on horseback by the Royal Field Artillery.
1905 - Unfortunately the 1905 Games made a loss, & there were no more Games until 1924.
1924 - Provost J.F. Duncan organised a’Gathering & Athletic Carnival’ at Larchfield Park, attended by over 4,000,
1949 - Games were held in 1949 this time at Camis Eskan, where 15,000 people turned up on the day.
We are not sure if any Games were held in 1950 or 1951
1952 - The 1952 Games were again held at Camis Eskan with 14,000 spectators on the day.
There is talk of a small Games being held in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s but we have not been able to find any evidence of this.
2008 – Held at Helensburgh Rugby Club Grounds, the Games were believed to be the first for 35 years, with over 3,400 attending,
2009 - Over 5,500 attended.