Dancing at Tomintoul Highland Games

The Tomintoul Highland Games originated at the beginning of the 1800s. It was a friendly competition between locals and people from neighbouring communities like Nethy Bridge, Strathdon, Lonach, and The Braes of Glenlivet. The communities would partake in races, jumping event and challenges to test the strength and stamina of the competitors. For those that were light on their feet, they would get the chance to dance a traditional highland dance such as the Highland Fling where they would mimic the deer's antics on the hill. Around 1880, the games would move down into the Square in the village of Tomintoul. This site would last until around 1922 when the games would move again from the Square to the Public Park. The reason for the move was necessary  because Jim Maitland, a competitor in the Heavy Events, threw his hammer from one side of the Square clean across the main road to the other side!