BRAEMAR FATHERING

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 108, 10 May 1939, Page 8

BRAEMAR FATHERING

ANCIENT, SPORTING EVENT The Braemar Highland Gathering is said to be the oldest sporting event in Great Britain, going back to the days of Malcolm Canmore, 800-ojdd years ago, says the "Manchester Guardian." This chieftain wished to link.the different parts of his scattered Highland kingdom by means of runners working in relays, so -he summoned them ( to meet him on the plain which is now the site of the Castle of Braemar. The great feature of the meet was the gathering of the clans, and still today Balmoral men with their ancient Lochabar axes, the Duffs armed with pikes, the Farquhars with glistening claymores, and the Forbes men from Strathden, all arrayed in the full glory of their Highland dress, march round the arena to the skirl of the pibroch. It was a full suit of dress, complete with arms and accoutrements, accompanied by a purse of gold, that Malcolm Canmore offered as a prize to the man who first reached the top of Kenneth's Craig. This race was won, the story goes, by the youngest son of Macgregor of Ballockhuis, who was allowed to start-. after the other competitors had got over a good p£rt of the ground. But he. raced on. passing the other runners, rintil only tvvo of his brothers were in front./ As he drew level with one of" them his brother offered to stop if he would share the prize, but the youngster replied, "Gain What you can and keep what you get," and passed forward. As he overtook the other brother the latter grabbed at the youth's kilt, but the boy .undid its fasenings with the cry: "I have yielded all to you; take that also!" and sprang forward to clutch the winning post. The race was continued until 1850, when it was discontinued because of the injury caused to the runners. ™