'Open your heart to the Highlands'

Whether you have Scottish ancestors or just want to be a Scot for a day, the Utah Scottish Association invites you to "open your heart to the Highlands" at ScotFest 2007, the 33rd annual Utah Scottish Festival & Highland Games at Thanksgiving Point this weekend — in the center of Utah's own "highlands." Gates open at 5 p.m. today and 9 a.m. Saturday.

Tonight's activities include the strong-man contest, with ExtremeSports-style events; a concert by Ocean's Apart, a Celtic duo comprised of Steve Colby and John Good; a military tattoo; and a torchlight gathering of the clans. Fireworks will end the evening.

Saturday's events include pipe bands, the Scottish-dance competition and the heavy-athletics competitions, including the caber toss, hammer throw, stone throw and others, featuring some of the world's best athletes.

Musical entertainment will take place throughout the day, with miniconcerts by Ocean's Apart, Wicked Tinkers and Molly's Revenge during the day, and a major concert at night. Local musicians Dorian Mirth and Cynthia Douglass and her harpist ensemble, and St. Louis-based uillean piper Tommy Martin will also perform.

The March of the Clans will take place at noon, and at 1 p.m., a haggis will be ceremoniously piped in.

Throughout the day, there will be vendors, Scottish food, a chance to do family history research, and demonstrations of kiltmaking, weaving and Irish step-dancing.

There will be sheepherding demonstrations with border collies, and a chance to see Highland cattle, also known as Hairy Coo. A diorama of the Battle of Culloden will be on display in the Clan MacIntosh tent. And British cars will be lined up for inspection.

There will also be special activities/events for kids.

A little bit of history

Scottish dances have their roots in the history and culture of the country. There are actually two kinds of dances, Highland and Country or National dances.

Some of the dances grew out of victory celebrations back in the Middle Ages. The earliest references to dances in Scotland appeared in a chronicle compiled by Water Bower in 1440, telling of the marriage ceremony of Alexander III.

Another story tells of Scottish mercenaries who performed a sword dance before the Swedish King John III in 1573. Supposedly, at a given signal, the dancers were to take up their swords and assassinate the king, but the signal was never given.

"Sword dance and Hieland danses" were also performed at a reception for Anne of Denmark in Edinburgh in 1589.