2013 Highland Gathering
What is regarded as Geelong’s oldest event the Highland Gathering returns on the 3rd of March at a brand new venue, on the expansive lawns of Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds Campus.
The Highland Gathering has had a few homes over the past few years after moving from Queen’s Park, and it is expected the new permanent home at Deakin University will be a wonderful choice for spectators and competitors alike with lush grassland, great facilities and beautiful amphitheatre ambience.
The traditional date for the festival has also moved to the first Sunday in March to ensure it does not clash with any of the other major Geelong region major events and fit in with the national Scottish event calendar.
Highlights of the event include the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, a re-enactment group and the New Varangian Guard Dubh-Linn Branch, a medieval re-enactment group.
The event sees some fantastic pipe band competitions, heavy games, Highland dancing and Scottish Country dancing, Highland martial arts and a marketplace.
There will a Scottish Breeds Dog Show which will include Collies, Scottish deerhounds, Scots terriers, West Highland terriers and Dandie Dinmont terriers.
Deakin University will also host a special concert in the KD Stewart Centre on Saturday the 1st of March, called “The Concert for the Clans” and will feature highly-acclaimed local group Myra McRae with her band Clan, headed up by Scottish-Australian singer and musician Myra who is well-known on the Australian Celtic folk music circuit.
Two top Melbourne Scottish folk music groups, Taliska and Red Cat, will also perform and again both are widely sought after.
Taliska, a four-piece group, received rave reviews at the Port Adelaide Celtic Festival and, as with Red Cat and Myra McRae with Clan, have also performed at the National Celtic Festival, at Portarlington.
Deakin University’s Waurn Pond’s Campus is easily reached from the Geelong Ring Road. Visitors from north of Geelong should take the Colac, Great Ocean Road exit when approaching Geelong.
Further information can be obtained at www.geelonghighlandgathering.org.au
