Oh, mighty Scotland

This Sunday’s Geelong Highland Gathering is being held at Osborne Park in North Geelong, with Scottish paraphernalia set to entrance visitors throughout the day.

President of the Geelong Highland Gathering Association Dr Maurice Marshall said the group was glad to use the venue again after its success last year.

“The use of this venue for the 2019 event attracted very favourable comments and the best crowd since the 2014 event,” he said.

“The committee approached the North Geelong Cricket Club and the City of Greater Geelong to determine if the Geelong Highland Gathering could be staged at this venue again in 2020.

“An attraction of this venue is its close proximity to the North Geelong Railway Station, which suited many of our patrons residing in the Melbourne metropolitan area in 2019.”

This year’s Geelong Highland Gathering will mark the 63rd event in the region.

The first Geelong Highland Gathering was held on the plains of South Geelong and organised by the then Comunn na Feinne Society (1856-1946).

It ran on New Year’s Day up until 1927 when it lapsed. The gathering recommenced in 1958 as part of the 100 years celebration of the then former City of Newtown on their creation as a borough on March 8, 1858.

Since 1995, the gathering has been organised by the Geelong Highland Gathering Association – a not for profit organisation.

The 2020 gathering will see all the usual events including the 2020 Western Victorian Pipe Band Championships.

Victorian music adjudicators Sam Young and Gary Barker together with Callum McSween and James Cowie will be judging on the day.

Other highlights include the South Pacific Heavy Scottish Games Championships, highland dancing, Glen Lachlan College of Arms swordplay demonstrations and whisky tastings.

The day (which is running from 9am-7pm) will conclude with a performance from the Geelong RSL Pipes and Drums band.

Adult entry is $15, while children under 16 attend for $8 each.

For more information, head to geelonghighlandgathering.org.au or phone 0407 512 672.