Every year in September Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family depart to Balmoral, and during their stay enjoy the festivities at the Braemar Gathering. The event in Aberdeenshire is where thousands of locals, tourists and royal-watchers gather to watch traditional Highland Games including tug-of-war and the tossing of the caber.
Her Majesty is the patron of the Gathering and took her place alongside the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal. All stayed to watch performances from Highland dancers accompanied by 11 pipe bands.
This year Caravan Times reader Robert W Reed was in attendance, and he recalls the events of a special day.
I attended the rally organised by the Northern Section of the Caravan Club on the field adjacent to Braemar Castle, which coincides with the Gathering every September. We had been staying at the Invercauld Caravan Club Site earlier that week, and had to move off to the rally field on the Friday as the site was fully booked for that weekend.
My wife and I were in the public stand adjacent to the Royal Enclosure which enabled me to take some great photos of the Royal Family. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence arrived to warm applause and took their seats in a heather-clad Royal Pavilion. Camilla, the Duchess of Rothsay had another engagement and was not present.
The games were a fantastic event featuring competitions for all ages; young children’s sack races etc, athletic track events, fell races, Scottish and Irish dancing, alongside the usual tossing the hammer and caber. The day also featured an Inter-Services competition of athletics and a tug-of-war.
It was a very full day from 9:30am to 5pm with ongoing entertainment by 11 pipe bands. The town was closed to all but emergency traffic all day, and the 14,000 people in attendance created a friendly and lively atmosphere. I can confidently say that a great day was had by all.
At the end of their visit the Royal party were escorted from the arena in a spectacular parade led by a muster of the eleven massed pipe bands. And as President of the Scottish Caravan Club, the Duke of Edinburgh traditionally slows his car when passing the rally field on his return journey to Balmoral to give the Rally a friendly wave.
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