This weekend Carol, Ian, his friend Dan and I found ourselves at the 34th New Hampshire Highland Games held at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, NH. Actually we planned it that way. We've attended this event a couple of times before, been about three or fours since the last time. Something magical about being surrounded by bagpipes, scones, weaponry, haggis and people in kilts. Beautiful sunny day with a strong wind blowing made quite a challenge for vendors in their awning covered booths.
We arrived about 9:30 to claim a level spot to set our folding chairs on the Loon Mountain ski slope overlooking the athletic field. This becomes our base station for the day as the chairs save our place while we wander about the ground as a place to return to to eat rest and what the highland games competition take place.
View of the athletic field with the lodge behind it.
These two pictures show the crowd that is drawn to see the caber toss among other events.
Folks lining up to enjoy such Scottish staples as bangers, meat pies, haggis and thumps just to mention a few.
Pipe and drum band warming up for their performance.
I participated in a whiskey tasting, go figure. Carol had to order my ticket to this in July as all four sessions sell out quickly and no tickets are available for walk-ins during the weekend of the games. This year had a representative for Ardmore and Laphroaig whiskeys. Master Ambassador Simon Brooking lead a very informative and entertaining presentation which gave us the background history of Scottish single malt whiskey and in particular the brands we tasted. I took a liking to the Laphroaig Quarter Cask that I hope to purchase in the near future.
Dan and Ian listen as Carol shares some information from the Highland Games Program. Ian was sporting the Maine Tartan kilt that Carol had made for him earlier this year.
We arrived about 9:30 to claim a level spot to set our folding chairs on the Loon Mountain ski slope overlooking the athletic field. This becomes our base station for the day as the chairs save our place while we wander about the ground as a place to return to to eat rest and what the highland games competition take place.
View of the athletic field with the lodge behind it.
These two pictures show the crowd that is drawn to see the caber toss among other events.
Folks lining up to enjoy such Scottish staples as bangers, meat pies, haggis and thumps just to mention a few.
Pipe and drum band warming up for their performance.
I participated in a whiskey tasting, go figure. Carol had to order my ticket to this in July as all four sessions sell out quickly and no tickets are available for walk-ins during the weekend of the games. This year had a representative for Ardmore and Laphroaig whiskeys. Master Ambassador Simon Brooking lead a very informative and entertaining presentation which gave us the background history of Scottish single malt whiskey and in particular the brands we tasted. I took a liking to the Laphroaig Quarter Cask that I hope to purchase in the near future.
Dan and Ian listen as Carol shares some information from the Highland Games Program. Ian was sporting the Maine Tartan kilt that Carol had made for him earlier this year.
1 comment:
Laphroaig is very much an acquired taste, being one of the stronger tasting whiskies. It’s popular with a number of (my) relatives, friends and acquaintances, who have been good enough to donate the odd bottle on birthdays. Ardmore is/was perhaps more to my taste, in that I once worked in the Speyside region and developed a fondness for the slightly sweet, fruitier version. That said, nowadays I drift back and forwards between saltier Springbank and the more honeyed Balvenie.
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