KERN COUNTY, Calif. — As the swelling strains of bagpipe music filled the air last Saturday at the county fairgrounds, the 27th Kern County Scottish Games and Gathering came to life in a symphony of color and sound.
It was a clear spring day, and flags of the various Celtic clans rippled in the breeze. Visitors and participants, many of them clad in vibrant plaid, explored the booths or prepared to showcase their strength in the Highland Games.
The Highland Games date back to the early days of Scotland’s clan system, a historic kinship system with ties to the Scottish crown. Legend has it that Malcom Canmore, King of the Scots, held the first games in the 11th century.
Kern County’s Highland games are more recent: They’re organized by the Kern County Scottish Society, a group formed in 1971 to “promote & preserve Scottish heritage, language and cultural traditions” in the area. According to the group, Scottish and Irish people have been in Kern County since at least 1830. Among notable early residents were Ewing Young of Clan Douglas, the second U.S. citizen to enter the San Joaquin Valley.
These days, members of the Kern County Scottish Society can take lessons on traditional Highland dances, bagpipe music and Gàidhlig, the Scottish Gaelic language. Being Scottish is not a requirement to join — all are welcome.
"It's about showing cultural appreciation of where you come from," Will McCafferty, a spokesperson for the group, told Courthouse News in an interview at the Games.
"It's not all beers and pies," he added with a chuckle.
At the entrance of the fairgrounds, the Clans had set up their tents. Members of the Kern County Scottish Society sold raffle tickets and event programs and cheerfully answered questions from the curious public.
On three separate stages, musical groups showcased traditional Scottish and Irish music. Several of the vendors offered homemade wares like Celtic-inspired jewelry and clothing, while others peddled authentic Scottish goodies like oatcakes, honey and teas. For discerning palates, there’s also plenty of Scotch whisky.
Kern County’s Highland Games offer something for everyone, McCafferty said. Whether it’s “eating Scottish food or just looking at guys in kilts, we’ll be able to check your box.”
A native of Scotland, McCafferty has always been a fan of Scottish heavy athletics. He helped set up Highland Games events back home before moving to the Central Valley in 2007. It was his first year serving on the board for Kern County’s Scottish Society.
McCafferty was pleasantly surprised that the Scottish Society is able to host a two-day event, given Bakersfield's distance from population centers like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Even so, the Covid-19 pandemic hit the Games hard, and in many ways the Scottish Society is still recovering. As things slowly return to normal, they hope to attract more of the Clans, as well as more pipe bands and dancers.
In Scotland, the original Highland Games faced challenges as well. Following the failure of the Jacobite rebellions in the 19th century, England cracked down on Scottish traditions like the Highland Games, according to VisitScotland, Scotland’s tourist agency.
The Games might have disappeared entirely if not for Queen Victoria, who visited Scotland on her honeymoon with Prince Albert and fell in love with the country. Her interest in Scottish culture sparked a revival of the games with the first Braemar Gathering in 1832.
The Highland Games typically include pipe band and dancing competitions, but the main event is the heavy athletics competition. Individual events include the hammer throw, group tug-of-war and weight for height.
Weight for height event involves tossing a weight over a high bar using only one hand. In a separate event at the Bakersfield Games, competitors also toss a mock haybale over a high bar using a pitchfork. Though not exactly traditional, it perfectly suits an area dominated by the agriculture industry.
Then, there’s the most iconic event of the Games: the caber toss. Cabers are large logs around 20 feet long that weigh up to 175 pounds. The goal of the event is to flip the pole end over end in a straight line so that it lands on the ground in the 12 o’clock position.
One competitor, a Bakersfield resident named Amber who only gave her first name, said no special training is needed to compete. All you have to do is sign up.
"Everyone is awesome and helpful and nice,” she told Courthouse News as she cheered on other contestants and waited for her turn at the haybale toss. “A big part of the fun of it is the community.”
Amber and her family have been coming to the Scottish Games and Gathering for years. She’d always talked about signing up for the athletics but never actually did it until last year. Her sister passed away in 2019, and competing had always been her dream.
"I wanted to do it for her,” Amber said. “Last year's Games [were] on the anniversary of her death, so I was like, ‘I have to do it.’ It was basically a sign."
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