Kilty pleasures at the Charleston Scottish Games

A wee bit of Scotland came to Daniel Island this month. Festivities for the 47th annual Charleston Scottish Games & Highland Gathering got off to a roaring start with the Charleston Tartan Ball, held in the ballroom of the Daniel Island Club on Nov. 2.

Guests at the ball, many of whom dressed in kilts bearing the tartan of their Scottish clan, entered to the booming sounds of the Citadel’s Regimental Pipes & Drums. Attendees feasted on haggis, a traditional Scottish delicacy made from sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs, while listening to the big band sounds of Swingsation.

The next day the Charleston Scottish Games & Highland Gathering took place a stone’s throw away from Daniel Island at Boone Hall Plantation. Bagpipers strolled the grounds to greet the large crowd of spectators getting their Scottish on. Daniel Island resident Diana Roller enjoyed her first time at the event.

“It was great to see that the Scotts are trying to preserve their culture,” noted Roller. “They are very proud of their heritage and it is wonderful to see them pass on their traditions to the next generation.”

The day was filled with Scottish food, Celtic music, and fierce competition. The games included traditional Scottish heavy athletics like the hammer throw and caber toss, which used long wooden poles crafted from trees grown in the Carolinas. And it wasn’t just men in kilts, these modern day Highland Games included female competitors.

For the first time, the Charleston games took place in the cool crisp November air. Daniel Island resident Colonel Wayne Morgan, current president of the Scottish Society of Charleston Inc., was instrumental in changing the event to the braw (Scottish for pleasant) fall climate. Charleston’s sweltering September humidity isn’t the most conducive weather for wearing a worsted wool kilt, especially while participating in grueling games. The change will benefit the popular venue.

“It was the right move,” said Col. Morgan “…The games will grow.”

Morgan, a retired Army colonel, is an ardent supporter of the Scottish Society of Charleston Inc. and his enthusiasm for Scottish events in the area is infectious. Laurie MacKenzie-Seese, a 14 year Daniel Island resident, found out about the society after running into Morgan clad in his MacKenzie clan t-shirt. After talking with Morgan, she discovered they both belong to the MacKenzie Scottish clan. MacKenize-Seese always knew she was Scottish, but attending the games inspired her to learn even more about her background.

“The Scottish Society of Charleston is a good start for anyone wanting to find out about their own heritage,” said MacKenzie-Seese.

The event could be especially impactful for young spectators, she added.

“They would never see these sports anywhere else.”

Interested in finding out if you have a bit of Scottish blood or learning more about Charleston’s Scottish history? Founded in 1970, the Scottish Society of Charleston, Inc. is a non-profit organization that promotes Scottish heritage, customs, and education in the Lowcountry. More information is available at www.charlestonscots.org.