When we visited the Aberdeenshire area back in July we decided to have a look at the arena where they hold the Highland Games. It’s something I’ve seen on the news many times over the years – usually on the news with THE Queen in attendance in her tartan and tweed, while the rain battered down.

To be honest I wasn’t all that sure that I wanted to check out that area at all, but the teeny village only has a large Victorian hotel which is confusingly named The Fife Arms, and a couple of wee gift shops, or maybe it was only one, anyway it was shut so there wasn’t really anything else to do, except hang over a bridge to look at the River Dee. It was only when we got back home that I discovered that you can go for a riverside walk at Braemar. Below it doesn’t look much more than a burn (stream) but it was July and allegedly the weather had been good in June although we missed it all as we were in the Netherlands. Further research has me thinking that it might be the River Clunie which apparently flows into the Dee.

Below is a view of the scenery from the highand games field. I’m not sure what it’s called officially – a park, arena or maybe just a field.

The glazed shelter with the royal coat of arms on it is presumably where the so called VIPs view it all from, sheltered from the usual rain or if the weather is better – from the midges – maybe. There are folded chairs all around the place but I suspect parts of it are standing room only on the day.

This wee stage in the photo below must be for the Highland dancing exhibitions, that takes me back although I never danced at a Highland Games in my day.

So it’s just as well that the games park turned out to be quite interesting, and really quite stylish compared with the other places that the various Highland Games take place in, this one is definitely a step up from the usual local field.