The Inverness Highland Games (official name: City of Inverness Highland Games), is a Highland games event in the city of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. Highland games were instituted in Inverness, on Thursday 28 September 1837 and continued on Friday 29 September. They were organised by the Northern Meeting. The Games took place in a field at the Longman, owned by Mr Wilson, who owned the Caledonian Hotel in Inverness.
The events competed for were, Throwing the Heavy Hammer (16 lbs), Throwing the Light Hammer (12 lbs), Putting the Stone (21 lbs), Hop, Step and Leap, Running High Leap, Long Foot Race (250 yards), Sack Race (100 yards) Wheelbarrow Race, Wrestling and Rifle Shooting.
As reported in the Inverness Courier, on Wednesday 4 October 1837, "Considering the novelty of public sports of this description in Inverness, the competitors acquitted themselves in a highly creditable manner".
The Northern Meeting held another Highland games at the Longman field in 1838, but there were no Games held in Inverness in 1839 nor in 1840.
In 1841, Highland games were revived at the Longman. They continued there until 1848, when they were moved to the Inverness Academy Park, in the town's Academy Street. In 1863, the Highland games were moved to the nearby Bell's Park, which is now called Farraline Park.
In 1864, the Highland games moved to a purpose-built stadium, called The Northern Meeting Park, in Ardross Street, Inverness.
On 1 August 1891, the newly formed North of Scotland Amateur Athletic Association, held their inaugural amateur Games within the Northern Meeting Park. On Thursday 17 September and Friday 18 September, the Northern Meeting also held their customary Games in the Park.
Other than during World War 1, annual Highland games, hosted by the Northern Meeting, continued at the Northern Meeting Park, until 1938, inclusive.
Following World War 2, the Northern Meeting did not hold any further Highland games. As local lairds no longer supported the traditional Highland games, the Northern Meeting Park was consequently sold to the Inverness Council.
In 2006 Inverness hosted the Masters World Championships which was being held in Europe for the first time. In 2007 Inverness hosted the World Highland Games Heavy Championships[1] which was being staged on Scottish soil for the first time since it was staged in Kilmarnock in 1995. The World Championship was won by Gregor Edmunds of Scotland with Larry Brock and Ryan Vierra of the USA finishing in second and third positions. In 2009 the Masters World Championships returned to Inverness for the second time and took place the week before "The Gathering" celebrations organised as the centre piece of Scotland's Year of Homecoming.
- ^ Robinson, Joshua (24 July 2007). "When It Comes to Scottish Games, Americans Are Plaid to the Bone". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 December 2018.