Dashboards and Saddlebags the Destination Magazine™ Issue 048 March 2015

Continued From Page 16 North Carolina in the late 1700s; most sources st ate t hat the first Games in the U.S. were presented by Scottish emigrants living in Boston in 1853. One source doe s st ate that the Boston Scots had been meeting for “traditional games” for several years before that. There is also a description of the “First Sportive Meet” of the Highland Society of New York in the Emigrant and Old Countryman of October 19, 1836 which gives some indication that regular competition took place during the first half of the 19th Century. Celebrating more than 250 years in history… R ural Hill is located at 4431 Neck Road (off Beatties Ford Road) in Huntersville, 28078. The former homestead of Major John and Violet Davidson, the 265 acre site is maintained and promoted by Historic Rural Hill Inc. and features annual events such as the Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games, the Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze, the Rural Hill Sheepdog Trials, and the NC Brewers and Music Festival. Historic Rural Hill Inc. is a non-profit organization supported through membership and donations, and with proceeds from its events utilized for the preservation of Historic Rural Hill and its education efforts. For more information on events or for financial support accepted securely online, please visit www.ruralhill.net. 18 By 1861 at least three other Caledonian Clubs had joined Boston – New York, Philadelphia, and Newark, New Jersey. The Civil War delayed the spread of these events, but by 1875 Highland Games were being held in at least 125 communities across America. These “Caledonian Games” generally included competitions in dancing, music, and athletics; the athletics could include foot races, hurdle races, wrestling, pole-vaulting, high and long jump, hop, skip and jump, putting the heavy stone, throwing the hammer and the light and heavy weights and turning the caber. With the rise in intercollegiate athletics in the late 1800s participation at Scottish Games went into a decline. Many events folded; the ones that survived refocused on their cultural heritage and expanded to become Festivals. Games and Festivals offer competition focused on traditional Scottish athletic events, dance and music; they have expanded to include “fun” competitions, non-competitive tests of skill and strength, and historical re-enactments. The Scottish Games in the United States have grown because many people of Scottish descent still feel the pull of their ancestral homeland and heritage. The Games provide a connection to that heritage. For many, going to the Games is like going home to a family reunion. Dashboards and Saddlebags The Destination Magazine™

Dashboards and Saddlebags the Destination Magazine™ Issue 048 March 2015 | Page 18