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A painting by Lucien Freud hung on an orange wall in the hotel reception The Richard Jackson 'Red Deer Chandelier' on view in the hotel reception A landscape drawing by James Prosek who was one of our first artists in residence Circle Of Pieter Brueghel The Younger (1564 – 1636) in painted room with tables and chairs
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Pipers playing at the Braemar Gathering

A Beginners Guide to The Gathering

Undisputed Scottish Highlight

A competitor in a kilt throws a heavy weight upward in a outdoors games event, with a large crowd watching from stands on a sunny day.

The Highland Games are a quintessentially Scottish experience that anyone looking to embrace the countries authentic culture simply has to attend. Held annually, starting in early May and taking place in multiple regions of the highlands all the way until late September; spectators flock from around the world to partake in the frivolities and tradition that envelope these unique games.

A Royal Affair

This famous Scottish tradition finds itself in the picturesque village of Braemar annually, on the first weekend in September and will be hosted in The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park. Our chapter of the Scottish Highland Game, known as The Braemar Gathering, are hosted just a five-minute walk away from The Fife Arms and a number of great local facilities that will make your stay in the Highlands simply unforgettable.

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Highland dancers dressed in green and red dance on a wooden stage outside in front of spectators.
A marching band in traditional Highland dress walking across a grassy field, led by a drum major in a red jacket.
Three Young pipers in matching tartan uniforms leaning on a post with their backs to the camera.
A heavy weight competitor in a kilt carries a large wooden caber across a grassy field during a games event in the Scottish Highlands, with spectators watching from the stands.

900 Years of History

The games have been held in Braemar since the days of King Malcolm Canmore over 900 years ago. In recent times, the games continue to have high importance for the the monarchy, with Queen Victoria first having watched them in 1848 and hence fourth establishing an annual tradition of attending The Braemar Gathering that the monarchy keep to this day.

Notably, in 1952, over 31,000 people attended The Gathering to celebrate the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952.

See images of previous events, read more about its incredible history and also book your tickets by visiting the Braemar Gathering website.

Crowds seated in grandstands watch kilted performers march across a sunny field at an outdoor event in the Scottish Highlands.

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