Annual Dunedin Highland Games Celebrate Community's Scottish Heritage

DUNEDIN, FL — Dig out your tartans and kilts. It's time for Florida's biggest ceilidhs.

The Scottish Gaelic word for "gathering" or "party," the ceilidhs has been a fixture in the Scottish American town of Dunedin since the 19th century.

But it wasn't until 1965 that Tampa Bay's largest Scottish festival, the Dunedin Highland Games and Festival, organized by the Scottish American Society of Dunedin, became the city's signature celebration.

This year, an estimated 10,000 people will attend the event, according to Eric MacNeill of the Dunedin Scottish Arts Foundation.

The event, always held the first Saturday in April (although it was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic) is organized by the foundation. Its mission is to bring an authentic touch of the homeland to Florida's Gulf Coast with traditional Scottish Highland games like the caber toss and weight throw, bagpipes bands, foods such as haggis, cranachan and stovies, and Scottish step dances and ghillies.

The Dunedin Highland Games and Festival also raises funds to support the three Scottish bands in Dunedin: The City of Dunedin Pipe Band, The Dunedin High School Scottish Highlander Band and The Dunedin Highland Middle School Band.

While the emphasis is one having a good time, Iain Donaldson, director of Scottish programs for the foundation as well as the director of the award-winning pipe bands at Dunedin high school and middle schools and the city pipe band, said the festival keeps the rich history and culture of Scotland alive in Dunedin. whether you're Scottish or not.

Donaldson and his wife, Moira, take pride in their Scottish heritage. Together, they own and operate Lothian Kilt Rentals and Bagpipe Supplies, 1570 Main St. in Dunedin, a family business that was founded in 1965.

Much like the nearby town of Tarpon Springs, which developed its rich Greek culture and traditions after it was founded by Greek sponge divers, Dunedin's Scottish heritage is the legacy of its settlers.

Richard L. Garrison acquired the land grant in 1852 for the settlement that was originally named Jonesboro after George Jones, the owner of the area mercantile.

But the Scottish roots of the quaint Florida city can be attributed to two Scotsmen, J.O. Douglas and James Somerville, who applied to open the first post office in northern Pinellas County. The application listed the town as Dunedin, a word taken from the Scottish Gaelic word for Edinburgh, "Dùn Èideann."

With a dock built to accommodate larger sailing vessels along Dunedin's 4 miles of coastline, Dunedin became an important trading center and, at one time, it had the largest fleet of sailing vessels in the state.

A major feature and the kick-off event of the 54th annual Dunedin Highland Games and Festival will take place Friday at 6:30 p.m. with the annual Pipe Band Park through historic downtown Dunedin, starting at Louden Avenue, heading north on Main Street, heading west to Broadway, then south to Scotland Street where the parade will proceed to Douglas Avenue and across Main Street to Pioneer Park.

Led by the Dunedin Fire Department Honor Guard, the parade will feature the foundation's honorary chieftain and other dignitaries, the bonnie lass and lad, pipe bands from around the country and as far away as Scotland, and at least 10 Scottish clans, or kinship groups of people descended from old Scottish families who have their own coat of arms, heraldry and tartan patterns used for kilts, sashes and Balmoral caps.

Following the parade, there will be a block party on Broadway.

The fun continues Saturday at Highlander Park in Dunedin beginning with the Highland Trail 5K Run.

In Scotland, it's traditional to wear your clan kilt when you compete in the run, and many of the runners have adopted that tradition in Dunedin.

While the Highland Trail 5K Run lacks the rigors of the traditional Scottish races that take runners through the Scottish highlands, it provides a scenic view of Dunedin Hammock Park with its mixed hardwood forest with more than 300 native species of trees, shrubs, ferns and wildflowers.

The race, for all levels of runners, starts and finishes at Highlander Park.

Starting at 11 a.m. and running through 7 p.m. at Highlander Park, 1920 Pinehurst Road, visitors can watch Highland games, pipe and drum band competitions, the Florida Open Highland Dance Championship, see sheep herding demonstrations, peruse vendors selling Scottish goods and crafts, visit the food court and beer tent and check out booths sponsored by various clans and societies.

Opening ceremonies are scheduled at noon.

It will also include activities for children including the traditional sack race, arts and crafts, face painters and balloon artists and age-appropriate athletic events.

Tickets for the festival are $20 at the gate with kids 12 and under admitted for free with a paying adult.

For the latest information, visit the Dunedin Highland Games and Festival Facebook page.