The local archery club was at the gathering, and for £3 you could get a quick archery lesson. Neither of us had done any archery since we were kids at camp, so it was a good opportunity to brush up on our skills. My instructor has been an archer since the '70s!

Ellen didn't hesitate to get it on video.

Archery lesson

One of the last events was open to the public: Haggis hurling. Haggis is a Scottish "savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with chopped onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal's stomach" (Wikipedia). Evidently, you either love it or hate it. I tried it once, and a bite was all I could manage. There is more than one way to hurl a haggis, but I won't go there.

In this event, the contestants threw a frozen haggis, wrapped in some kind of tape, for distance. The contestant must stand on top of barrel, and is disqualified if he falls off while hurling. For the men, the frozen haggis was maybe 5 pounds, and oblong, maybe 4 inches by 6 inches.

"Less is more" as I should know by now. I should have focused more on form and less on power, but I didn't, and the result was more a shank than a hurl. Ellen preserved it for posterity: Haggis shanking

The main reason I go to Scottish festivals is to hear the bagpipes. There were 6 bands at this gathering:
- Harpenden Pipes and Drums
- Bedford Pipe Band
- Epping Forest Pipe Band
- Milton Keynes Pipe Band
- Nene Valley Pipe Band
- City of Norwich Pipe Band

We live in Harpenden, and were glad to learn that there's a pipe and drum band based here. My parents loved the bagpipes and my dad had a set (which I have now) and played them when I was very young. Mom never failed to go to any Scottish festival that was within driving distance.

When I was in high school, as a school project, I starting learning to play the bagpipes. The experiment came to an end when the instrument I was learning on disappeared from my locker. Several years ago, I told Ellen that I'd learn the bagpipes when I retired. If I'm going to make good on that statement, now is the time.

Ellen played percussion in school and in the military. She's not looking for ways to spend her time, but -- seeing how she actually knows how to play her instrument -- would fit in much more quickly than I would.

We tracked down the drum major of the Harpenden band. It turns out that he teaches pipe and drums, and that the band is open to newcomers. So, I guess I need to decide if I want to pursue this...

Video of all 6 of the bands
Video of the Harpenden band