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Inverness Highland Games |
| 2005 Inverness Highland Games Review -- Bumper Crowds Enjoy World Championships Preview! | |
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The
citizens of Inverness turned out in their thousands to get their
first glimpse of the scale of event planned for 2006 when Inverness hosts
the World Masters Championships on a gloriously sunny Highland Day. The 2005 City of Inverness Highland Games was enjoyed by an estimated crowd of over 10000 in an attraction packed Bught Park. The Games got underway with a spectacular Mass Highland Fling and was followed by a very moving playing of the Inverness Gathering by Chris MacDonald which was dedicated to the memory of Tom Mackenzie who had been an official at the Games for 52 years and sadly died since last year. Games Chieftain Provost William Smith then declared the Games open after a stirring tune from the Inverness British Legion Pipes and Drums Band. The Guests of Honour at the Opening Ceremony were Scottish Masters International Chief Executive Bill Scruggs and his wife Linda from Colorado USA who had come over to help the Committee start work on next years Games approximately 5 minutes after this year’s closing ceremony ended! |
The Games then got underway with a packed programme of activities taking
place in a number of arenas and villages spread all across an immaculate
looking Bught Park. Its hard to summarise just how many enjoyable things happened at this years Games and everyone has their own magical memory which is exactly how it should be. Three Year Old Holly Lyall became an instant star as she showed just how much a toddler has to concentrate when she is Highland Dancing and special mention must go to Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s Football Club’s Director of Football Graeme Bennett who overcame his fear of heights to raise £3000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care by sliding across Bught Park from the top of a crane as one of the many brave souls to travel down the giant Zip slide. Congratulations David and Lisa! For one young couple the day will live long in the memory – David Nimmons of Caithness took the opportunity to propose to his girlfriend Lisa Johnston from Tain. After completing the slide, David waited at the bottom on one knee to pop the question and luckily, she said yes. |