The bagpipers will play and the athletes will compete at the 81st Annual CNY Scottish Games and Celtic Festival on Saturday, August 10, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Long Branch Park.

The big attraction of the games is burly people throwing large stones and other heavy objects as far and high as they can. It’s a Scottish tradition that dates back to ancient times, says Courtney McGuire, an Ithaca native who will compete in several competitions Saturday.

“We like to call this the oldest extreme sport in the world,” McGuire said.

Since throwing her first Braemer stone – a common stone weighing about 15 pounds that is lifted like a ball – McGuire has competed in dozens of Scottish Games, including the Masters World Championship, where she placed second in her age group in 2023.

McGuire says she loves participating in the CNY Scottish Games in Syracuse every year because of the great atmosphere she experiences there.

“The crowd in Syracuse is one of the biggest and loudest we’ve ever experienced,” she said. “That’s great for us because that energy feeds us.”

Tickets are $15 for adults (ages 13 and up); $12 for seniors (ages 60 and up); $10 for children (ages 6-10); children under 5 are free. Tickets can be purchased online.

Athletes at the Scottish Games compete in the decathlon style in four main events, including stone throwing, sheaf throwing, weight throwing and log throwing.

However, hammer throwing cannot be carried out at the games here because the field is not large enough to safely accommodate a 10 kilogram metal ball flying 30 metres through the air.

McGuire pointed out that the CNY Scottish Games are one of the few games where participants can take part in the most well-known discipline, caber throwing. “Caber” is the Gaelic word for tree. Participants carry a tree or wooden pole upright and try to throw it accurately along its entire length.

“Most games don’t allow that,” McGuire said. “You can sign up for log toss and compete with other spectators and learn how to do it. It’s pretty exciting and a lot of fun.”

McGuire demonstrated how to properly throw heavy objects with Scott Trimble, a photographer from Syracuse.com who competed in the Scottish Games way back when and is a proud member of the Clan Turnbull. Coincidentally, the Clan Turnbull is also one of McGuire’s sponsors.

In addition to the sporting games, the festival features plenty of cultural activities including drum and pipe band performances, Highland dancing, Celtic-themed stalls and food, clans and societies, harp players, a travelling minstrel, and Syracuse Irish Session and Massed Bands.

Steve Featherstone reports for The Post Standard on nature, www.syracuse.com And NYUP.com. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow all our outdoor content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors.