In Pictures: Royals watch Highland games at Braemar Gathering

PA
·2-min read

The King and Queen have joined the crowds at Braemar Gathering, the annual Highland games held near their Aberdeenshire estate.

The event is considered a favourite of the royals, with Charles regularly in attendance alongside his late mother, who was chieftain of the games.

King Charles and Queen Camilla during the Braemar Gathering (Andrew Milligan/PA)
King Charles and Queen Camilla during the Braemar Gathering (Andrew Milligan/PA)
The Braemar Gathering highland games
The Queen wore an outfit by Mr Roy (Andrew Milligan/PA)
They were joined by the King's sister, the Princess Royal, and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence
They were joined by the King’s sister, the Princess Royal, and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence (obscured, far left) (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Last year Charles cut a heather rope to mark the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Archway structure during the event, held shortly before his mother’s death.

Crowds from across the globe watch competitors demonstrating feats of strength, dexterity and stamina as they take part in traditional Scottish sporting events such as the caber toss, hammer throw, and tug-of-war.

An athlete tosses the hammer during the field events
An athlete tosses the hammer during the field events (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Tug-of-War competitors take the strain
Tug-of-war competitors take the strain (Andrew Milligan/PA)
The Braemar Gathering highland games
The foot races are said to be some of the longest to be continually staged (Andrew Milligan/PA)
The Braemar Gathering highland games
The stone is another traditional sport (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Cultural arts are also on show with Highland dancers and pipe bands.

The Braemar Gathering highland games
The competition was closely watched by fellow dancers (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Judges keep a close watch as the Highland dancers compete
The judges were also keeping a keen eye on proceedings from their booth (Andrew Milligan/PA)
The Braemar Gathering highland games
The Braemar Gathering highland games are held a short distance from the royals’ summer retreat at the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The gathering is always held on the first Saturday in September in The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in Braemar.

While Braemar has hosted gatherings since the days of King Malcolm Canmore 900 years ago, the event has been run in its present form since 1832.

The Braemar Gathering highland games
Young dancers seem delighted by the action at the Aberdeenshire sports day (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Pipe bands march in front of the pavilion
Pipe bands march in front of the pavilion ahead of the arrival of members of the royal family (Andrew Milligan/PA)
The Braemar Gathering highland games
A hammer is carried back to the throwing circle (Andrew Milligan/PA)