City prepares to host Inverness Highland Games and gala festivities; several road restrictions
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Building work is under way on the giant arena at Bught Park which will be the hub of this weekend’s Inverness Highland Games and gala festivities.
Traditionally staged on one of the busiest weekends of the year in the Highland capital; this year’s programme sees the addition of two new major events with Proud Ness, the Highland’s biggest-ever Pride event; and Ruff Ness, the world’s first-ever “Highland Games for dogs with attitude”.
The festivities will commence on Friday at 6pm with performances in the Under Canvas area on the lawn outside Eden Court featuring the City of Inverness Pipe Band; the Elizabeth Fraser School of Highland Dancing and members of the Inverness Branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. This will be followed at 7pm by the regular Under Canvas Fringe Friday Show featuring resident Dj Karawane and guests, while at 7.30pm the Highlands Strongest Man and Strongest Woman Championships will take place in the Northern Meeting Park.
Organised by the Forge Gym, it will include a car lifting challenge.
The Highland games on Saturday at Bught Park will include traditional heavy events, Highland dancing and piping. Heavies champion Jamie Gunn is scheduled to return to defend his title.
During the opening ceremony, the games committee will mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Inverness Royal British Legion Pipe Band by inducting the entire band into the Games’ Hall of Fame.
A packed showfield will contain the Show and Shine Car Show, Scotland’s biggest inter clan gathering, the Exclusively Highlands craft fair, a full programme of traditional music and Scottish country dancing in the Gathering Tent, Horne’s Funfair, the Mascot Madness Inflatable City, the giant Games Day Traders Village and the solo piping and Highland dancing arenas.
All under-12s will be admitted free of charge to the event.
Sunday’s gala at Bught Park will include the Exclusively Highlands Craft Fair, traders village and funfair.
There will be a junior shinty festival organised by Inverness Shinty Club.
The Proud Ness event at Bught Park will commence at 2pm and feature exhibitions by more than 40 groups supporting the Highland LGBT community, speeches and entertainment. The Pride Parade to Bught Park will start from Crown Primary School at 1pm.
Ruff Ness is scheduled to take place in the main stadium at Bught Park at 2pm. It will feature a fancy dress parade and a number of fun competitions.
Games chieftain Provost Helen Carmichael said: “Our expanded games and gala weekend programme is filled with activities and events for everyone to enjoy; and is the result of many months of work behind the scenes to create something very special indeed.
"I would like to thank the many local competitors, performers and volunteers for their tremendous efforts in helping our games committee and our city’s events and festivals working group to pull this all together. The weekend will provide a wonderful opportunity for us to highlight the very best that we have to offer here in Inverness to locals and visitors alike while delivering a much-appreciated boost to both our city’s profile and economy.”
Several temporary road restrictions will be in place as follows:
- Bught Road closed from its junction with Bught Avenue to its junction with Ness Walk Upper from 10am on Friday to 7pm on Sunday.
- Ness Walk Upper closed from its junction with Bught Road to its junction with Ballifeary Lane from 10am on Friday to 7pm on Sunday.
- Bught Avenue closed from its junction with Bught Lane to its junction with Bught Road from 10am on Friday to 7pm on Sunday.
- The Infirmary Bridge closed to cyclists and pedestrians from 10am-7pm on Saturday and Sunday.
- Kingsmills Road closed from its junction with Union Road to its junction with Midmills Road from 12.50pm-1.05pm on Sunday.
- Stephens Street closed from its junction with Midmills Road to its junction with Stephens Brae from 12.55pm-1.10pm on Sunday.
- Stephens Brae closed from its junction with Stephens Street to its junction with Eastgate from 1pm-1.10pm on Sunday.
- Eastgate closed from its junction with Crown Road to its junction with High Street from 1pm-1.15pm on Sunday.
- High Street closed from its junction with Eastgate to its junction with Bridge Street from 1pm-1.20pm on Sunday.
- Bridge Street closed from its junction with High Street to its junction with Ness Bridge from 1.05pm-1.20pm on Sunday.
- Ness Bridge closed from its junction with Bridge Street to its junction with Young Street from 1.05pm-1.25pm on Sunday.
- Ness Walk closed from its junction with Young Street to its junction with Ardross Terrace from 1.05pm-1.25pm on Sunday.
- Ardross Terrace closed from its junction with Ness Walk to its junction with Bishops Road from 1.10pm-1.30pm on Sunday.
- Bishops Road closed from its junction with Ardross Terrace to its junction with Ness Walk Upper from 1.10pm-1.30pm on Sunday.
- Ness Walk Upper closed from its junction with Bishops Road to its junction with Bught Road from 1.15pm-1.35pm on Sunday.
- Bught Road closed from its junction with Ness Walk Upper to its junction with Bught Avenue from 1.20pm-1.45pm on Sunday.
