The Events

The Hamilton Highland Games is a celebration of Scottish and Celtic culture, its roots tracing back to Scotland. A tradition in the old country and here, highland games offer visitors a blend of music, dancing, sport, food and fun, and area great, inexpensive way for a family to spend an early summer day.

Music

This is an official Pipers and Pipe Band Society of Ontario (PPBSO) event, with points from high placement band and solo competitions added to accumulated points for the season. The highest ranked soloists and bands are recognized as Champions Supreme at the end of each competition season. 

The Hamilton Highland Games have, for 2007, also been designated again as the Canadian Pipe Band and solo championships, a competition second only to the renowned Glengarry Highland Games in Maxville, Ontario, site of the North American pipe band championships. 

Champion Supreme Events:
Pipe Bands - Grades One to Five

Piping events break down to five levels, with Grade Five involving entry-level musicians and Grade One involving some of the best pipers and drummers in the world. At each level, bands march into a circle and perform in front of a set of judges who assess the skill and musicality of each group, in piping, drumming, and the overall, ensemble quality of the presentation.

Band performances last in the area of 4-6 minutes, with the less experienced bands playing traditional tunes and the higher level bands playing medleys.

The band events are held in the afternoon, in the wake of the opening ceremonies, at designated locations on the track infield.

The winning bands, as well as a separate designation for the best drum corps, are announced at the closing ceremonies after massed bands.

click here for 2006 results

Solos

Piping and solo drumming competitions are a staple of the highland games circuit, a chance for musicians at all skill levels to have their musical ability assessed by top-level musicians. The musicians compete on a points systems, with the goal of winning season-long championships. The point system also helps identify those musicians who are ready to compete the following year at a higher grade level.

There are also competitions for tenor and bass drumming, as well as for the Drum Majors who lead performing bands onto thecompetition and performing field.

Competition winners typically receive medals, along with their mark sheets, from the PPBSO judging tent after the end of solo contests.

Highland Dance Competitions