Dating back to 1894, there’s a lot of history behind the Cowal Highland Gathering - and a lot of preparation as well, as we found out when we talked to organiser Malcolm Barclay last year.
There were some great sights, not least of which was the mighty Pumphrey Brothers, the Human Wrecking Balls from the USA coming over to Scotland to test the event’s heavy athletes and display their own hard-hitting prowess.
One of the most fun acts you’ll see, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers almost brought down the ceilidh tent with their performance - they’re also returning this year, which promises to again be something special.
There was also a wealth of fantastic piping on display from some of the world’s finest pipe bands, and we were on hand for the result when Grade 1 outfit Field Marshal Montgomery captured the Cowal Pipe Band Championships 2008.
We caught their fantastic performance on camera, as well as those of St Laurence O' Toole, Shotts and Dykehead, Boghall and Bathgate, Strathclyde Police and Vale of Atholl.
There was also some great action from the male heavy athletes in the Highland Games as well as their female counterparts. Then reigning champion David Wilton reclaimed his crown at the World Highland Dancing Championships in spectacular style. Can he hold on again this year? We can't wait to find out.
