History of Stirling Highland Games
STIRLING HIGHLAND GAMES TIMELINE
NEWS | HISTORY | CHIEFTAINS
2020
Stirling Highland Games event cancelled due to covid-19 pandemic.
2020
Stirling Highland Games Committee held a meeting to discuss the 150 year anniversary event.
2019
Kieron Achara
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Matt McGrandles
Stirling Highland Games President
2019
Stirling Highland Games President, Matt McGrandles voted onto the General Council of the Scottish Highland Games Association
2018
Simone Labib
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Matt McGrandles
Stirling Highland Games President
2017
Kari Carswell
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Matt McGrandles
Stirling Highland Games President
2016
Lesley Paterson
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Matt McGrandles
Stirling Highland Games President
2015
Stirling Highland Games committee engage with Active Stirling as part of the Junior Games, an event to encourge all S1 pupils in the Stirling District area to particiapte in sport. The SHG committee provided opportunities for the pupils to try out several highland games events throughout the day.
2015
Michael Goodfellow
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Matt McGrandles
Stirling Highland Games President
2014
Ally Hogg
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Matt McGrandles
Stirling Highland Games President
2013
Stirling Highland Games President Matt McGrandles announces that future Games Chieftains will be selected from nominated famous sons and daughters of Stirling that have achieved success at the highest level in their fields.
2013
Stirling Tourism Association pass, at their AGM, full ownership of Stirling Highland Games to local Stirling resident and social entrepreneur, Matt McGrandles
2013
Stirling Highland Games event cancelled due to low visitor numbers, reduced sponsorship and lack of interest and support from Local Authority
2012
Stirling Highland Games event cancelled due to bad weather
2011
Bruce Crawford
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
TBC
President of Stirling Highland Games
2010
Fergus Wood
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Unknown
Stirling Highland Games President
2009
2008
Andrew Cameron
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Unknown
Stirling Highland Games President
2007
Ian Bowie
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Unknown
Stirling Highland Games President
2006
Basil L Stewart
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Unknown
Stirling Highland Games President
2005
Colin O’Brien
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Unknown
Stirling Highland Games President
2004
Alan Rennie
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Unknown
Stirling Highland Games President
2003
Anne McGuire
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Unknown
Stirling Highland Games President
2002
James Mclaren
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Unknown
Stirling Highland Games President
2001
John A Doglione
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Unknown
Stirling Highland Games President
2000
Donald E Hay
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Unknown
Stirling Highland Games President
1999
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1998
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1997
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1996
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1995
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1994
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1993
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1992
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1991
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1990
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1989
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1988
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1987
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1986
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1985
Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
1923
Not Known
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Not Known
Chairman of SHG Association
1922
Major Murray of Polmaise
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Not Known
Chairman of SHG Association
1921
Not Known
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Not Known
Chairman of SHG Association
1885
Not Known
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Not Known
Chairman of SHG Association
1884
Not Known
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Not Known
Chairman of SHG Association
1883
Not Known
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Not Known
Chairman of SHG Association
1882
Not Known
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Not Known
Chairman of SHG Association
1872
Col. McPherson
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Col. McPherson
Chairman of SHG Association
1871
Col. McPherson
Stirling Highland Games Chieftain
Col. McPherson
Chairman of SHG Association
1870
Stirling Highland Games Officials
James Graham 4th Duke of Montrose
President of the SHG Association
Col. McPherson
Chairman of the SHG Association
Charles Murray 7th Earl of Dunmore
Steward
The first Stirlingshire Highland Games went ahead on Saturday 23rd July 1870 at Wellgreen, St Ninians. The Competitions began at 10 am [except Quoits which began at 9 am]. Entertainment was provided by a Brass band Music and refreshments were available. The Stirling Journal reported July 30th 1870, “newly 4000 people congregated at St Ninians Well Green to witness the inauguration of Highland Games in Stirling. On several previous occasions games had taken place which were contained to particular regiments stationed in the town and in which few favoured citizens were allowed to take part in as amateurs. These events had taken place in Queens Park. It is well known that many of the local villages had celebrated their annual holiday with a form of games.”
1850s
The Stirling Journal & Advertiser and Stirling Observer noted that these Highland Gatherings incorporated Highland games (HG) sports such as races and heavy events such as “Puttin’ the Stone”, “Tossing the Caber” and “Throwing the Hammer”. These early HG were a competition for serving soldiers of the Highland Regiment based at Stirling Castle. Occasionally local sportsmen could enter by invitation as an amateur and were barred from winning any prizes. Research also highlighted a link between the Highland Regiment HG and the Stirling Highland Games established in 1870, via Col. McPherson who as Commander of the Regiment in 1870 was one of the instrumental supporters of a HG in Stirling.
1820
1820 – Stirling Caledonia Society was established. This society met annually to celebrate the victories of William Wallace and Andrew de Moray (Stirling Bridge, 1297) and Robert Bruce (Bannockburn, 1314), and within a few years the meetings would honour prominent citizens of the Burgh.
‘Part of this timeline is based on a University of Stirling MSc Environment, Heritage, and Policy dissertation project undertaken by Ian Mackintosh in collaboration with Ceangail CIC’
1985 to 2011 – Chieftain name, pic and bio | TBC, President of SHG
2014 – 2019 – all existing news stories added with pic and link to their news story page