Highland Games

The 2026 Gordon Castle Highland Games

The Gordon Castle Highland Games and Country Fair was brought back to life in 2011 by the current owner after some 30 years of hibernation. Owner, Angus Gordon Lennox, was approached by Hamish Davidson, former participant and legendary heavy eventer, to resurrect the annual community event. Instead taken by the romance of the idea, it is now into its thirteenth year and growing in numbers year after year.

The 2026 Gordon Castle Highland Games will take place on Sunday 17th May, from 10am to 5pm, promising a fantastic day out for the whole family.

Set within the beautiful historic grounds of Gordon Castle, the event brings together the very best of traditional Scottish Highland Games competition, country sports displays, local trade stands, and a wide variety of delicious food and drink.

Visitors can enjoy everything from classic Highland Games events to thrilling performances in the Country Sports Arena. Returning for their second year, Les Amis Stunt Team will once again wow crowds with their action-packed Western stunt show this time, entertaining audiences of all ages. Elite Falconry will present both static and flying bird of prey displays, while the ever-popular Terrier Racing makes a welcome return to the arena in 2026.

Children can get involved too with the ‘Have a Go’ Highland Games in the Country Sports Arena. The much-loved Gordon Setter Gathering will also be back for another year — where it often feels like our four-legged friends nearly outnumber the crowd! We’re just as excited as everyone else and can’t wait to welcome you for what promises to be another unforgettable celebration of Scottish tradition and family fun!

Where will the Events Take place?

Spectators applauding at the Gordon Castle Highland Games in Moray, Scotland

Highland Games Arena

From light hammer to 28lb Weight for Distance, our competitors travel from far and wide to compete in one of the first games of the season. Start as you mean to go on they say… and they mean to win. For the third year running, we will play host to women’s open heavy events and tug o war, after great success in 2024 & 25.

Trainer showcasing gundogs during the Gordon Castle Highland Games

Country Sports Arena

The Country Sports Arena will showcase Les Amis Stunt Team who will thrill the audience with their Western themed display with six of their horses.

We’re also delighted to welcome back Mordor Gun Dogs and their talented — and undeniably adorable — dogs, alongside the ever-popular Gordon Setter Gathering. Between the action-packed programmes in both arenas, visitors can enjoy spectacular massed pipe band displays, traditional wood turning demonstrations, laser clay shooting, archery, and the always entertaining fun dog show, where the crowd can join in on the excitement.

HISTORY OF THE GAMES

By the early Twentieth Century the Gordon Castle Highland Games had become a hugely popular annual event regularly attracting crowds of over 30,000. Thanks to the patronage and great enthusiasm of the then Duke and Duchess of Richmond and Gordon the Games became renowned throughout Scotland, playing host to many famous competitors, including heavy champion George Clark of Banffshire. By the late 1920s the Gordon Castle Highland Games had become synonymous with world record breaking escapades in the heavy events and was an unmissable fixture in the Highland Games calendar.

In keeping with the fate of many of Scotland’s ancestral estates, by the 1930’s crippling death duties had forced the sale of Gordon Castle and the Games seemed destined to become nothing more than a long lost memory. Salvation came after the Second World War when Lieutenant General Sir George Gordon Lennox, grandson of the 7th Duke of Richmond, brought back the Castle and began its renaissance from crumbling mansion into the more modest, if equally beautiful, family home you see today.

In 1976, to celebrate the bicentenary of the local village of Fochabers, Sir George and his wife staged a special one-off highland games in the grounds of Gordon Castle. A good thirty years later one of the participants of that event, the legendary heavy eventer Hamish Davidson, approached the current laird with a proposal to resurrect the annual games. Angus Gordon Lennox was taken by the romance of the idea and in 2011 the first Gordon Castle Highland Games and Country Fair took place. We are glad to record that it has been an annual event ever since (apart from Covid).

Want to Help?

Our Highland Games simply wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of our volunteers. From helping with set-up and stewarding events to welcoming visitors and assisting behind the scenes, volunteers play a vital role in creating a safe, friendly, and memorable day. It’s a fantastic way to be part of a long-standing tradition, meet new people, and contribute to one of Moray’s most exciting annual events.

Find out more about Volunteering at the Games and get involved.

Have Questions?

Planning your day at the Gordon Castle Highland Games? We’ve gathered the most common questions to help make your visit as smooth and enjoyable as possible. From ticket information and parking to event timings and what to bring, you’ll find everything you need to know below.

What to expect on the day?

There will be the Highland games arena and Country sports arena where you can watch the Men’s heavy competition, women’s heavy, juniors heavy, and tug-o-war competitions. There will be Pipe band displays, a dog show, highland dancing, stunt shows, along with a children’s area, shopping in Tower Hall with local traders, various local food vendors, and Gordon Castle‘s very own Gin Bar. (& much, much more)

The games run from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

With a gold ticket, you receive access all day to the Hospitality Tent, Unlimited Tea & Coffee and priority seating around each of the arenas.

It is, there will be disabled parking and disabled toilets available on the day. Most of the grounds are surrounded by a path, suitable for wheelchair users. If you have any queries regarding accessibility, please contact admin@gleco.co.uk

Yes, this is a dog friendly event. The more of them the better! We prompt all dog users to bring poo-bags and dispose of them in our bins situated around the grounds.

No, we accept card payments on the day. However, we do recommend having cash on you for in the event of any card machines going down (this is an outdoor event remember!).

You can get to us by car, public transport or by foot. Keep an on our social media channels, a few days prior we will post a video on how to enter the grounds on the day.  You can fond us on Google Maps here or on what3words here.

Yes, parking is available on the day. Parking attendants will help with the flow of traffic coming into the event with plenty signage to help guide you on the day.

The nearest station is Keith (9.3 miles), Elgin (11 miles), there is also a bus route you can take that would bring you directly into Fochabers, where we are then within walking distance.

There is a variety of local food vendors that join our highland games each year. We will be operating a bar and of course, our very own Gordon Castle Gin Bar will be open. Learn more about the vendors for the events here.

Yes, we have port-a-loos available and for sponsors, they have their own private loos by the sponsors tent. There will be larger toilets available for disabled and baby change.

There will be a strict one-way system in operation, tracking mats in necessary places, with stewards on the day to help and we aim to control everything within our control (so let’s pray for some sunny weather on the lead up to and on the day!)