Loch Norman Games North Carolina
Clan Colquhoun welcomed friends and made lasting memories at the Loch Norman Highland Games on April 14-16, 2023 in historic Rural Hill. Just a short drive from Charlotte, the location was stunning, with its lush rolling hills, living history encampments, gardens and even Scottish cows. You may have thought you were in Scotland!
The weekend kicked off with a cocktail reception and dinner under the stars. Clan sponsors and friends of Loch Norman feasted and socialized – shepherd’s pie was heartily enjoyed — while bagpipes provided a festive mood to the evening. Buck Buchanan, of Clan Buchanan, did a fabulous job as Master of Ceremonies.
The evening culminated with a stunning Torch Ceremony, where clans processed onto the field to announce their presence or give a battle cry during the Calling of the Clans. With torch held high, Ron Kirkpatrick said a few rousing words.
The next morning saw sunshine and clear skies, as the music of pipe bands punctuated the festive atmosphere. We met lots of new people, who stopped by our tent to learn about their heritage and research their ancestry. We handed out Clan Colquhoun stickers, answered questions and made new friends. From our tent we had a good view of center field games – the heavy athletics, sheep herding, and races. It was exciting to see one of our own members, Morgan, compete in the lady’s heavy competition. We cheered her on! Another highlight of Saturday: Our Clan was given the honor of being a judge for the annual shortbread contest.
As always, we enjoyed visiting with our neighboring Loch Lomond friends, including Clans Buchanan, Graham and MacFarlanes.
On Sunday at noon, we marched onto the field, waving our flags and banners, for the traditional Parade of Tartans. It was like a sea of tartans, with more than fifty clans represented. At the “tail end” of the parade, over a dozen Scottish breed dogs (with their owners) marched in their own little parade.
Our sincere thanks to Beth Calhoun and Michael Lloyd-Stern for supporting us with the games. We are already looking forward to next year!