The 2026 Glenfinnan Gathering was held on Saturday the 15th August. The weather was mixed but the crowd came prepared. It was an interesting year as the place felt crowded but the Gate numbers were slightly down on last year. The conclusion was that the Children’s Tent entertained the children and the parents waited around watching the Games and spending at the stalls, a great result!
Fewer adult pipers and adult dancers competed this year, partly thought to be due to the World Piping Championship in Glasgow being on the same day and the issues in Glenfinnan with traffic and parking caused by tourists wanting to see the steam train on the Glenfinnan Viaduct. On the positive side, the younger entrants had the opportunity to shine and win the trophies.
Numbers participating in the heavy events and the track and field events were up by a considerable number with tourists joining in and winning! This year five teams competed for the Conaglen Tug o’ War Trophy and the crowd loved the spectacle.
Results from the Games and Trophy winners can be viewed at Glenfinnan.info
The donations from the Royal Celtic Society to the Glenfinnan Games, one of £200 and the donation of £250 specifically for the Children’s Tent, were both spent on the purchase of arts and crafts, provided free of charge, in the Children’s Tent. It was run very efficiently by Aileen McFarlane, Kim Ruthven and Mo McLeod, who have either teaching experience or parenting skills or both! Even their ability to speak French was used much to the delight of the visiting French children and their parents!
Lauren MacGillivray, a Gaelic singer and teacher, performed simple Gaelic songs and played the guitar. She worked very hard at trying to include the children in simple songs but the crafting won!
The Children’s Tent was a huge success and will be enlarged for next year’s Games. Many thanks to the Royal Celtic Society for the generous donation which enabled the establishment and running of the new Children’s tent
Children’s Tent Report
by Aileen McFarlane
For the first time in The Glenfinnan Gatherings history, children had a dedicated area for themselves to experience Celtic crafts, language, music and history sponsored by the Royal Celtic Society. Our experienced children’s hosts, the “Glenfinnan Craft Club” who ran The Children’s Tent was much appreciated not only by all the children in attendance but by their parents as well.
Parents and children from all corners of Britain and Europe were keen to further their knowledge of Scottish culture and asked questions of our hosts. Fun was had in spadefuls and the tent managed to offer crafting, musical and historical activities to over 200 children from the age of 2 to 15. Activities included textile designing and colouring of children’s names and Celtic motifs on “Glenfinnan Gathering” bags to take home all the items they enjoyed making during their visit. The selection was colourful and immense. The Glenfinnan Monument and the viaduct “Harry Potter Bridge” were favourite colouring in sheets which children took home to lengthen their interest in the history of the location in which they had enjoyed their day.
Over two hundred children, and twice as many parents, visited the tent on the day. Increased capacity will be considered for next year due to the high demand and success of this first “go” at The Children’s Tent at this year’s successful 2026 Glenfinnan Gathering.
