Calgary has strong ties to Scotland, in fact the city's name comes from there.
Saturday, the spirit of Scotland was alive and well at the Highland Games.
The Highland Games have been held in Calgary since 1913, but Foothills Park is a new venue, and for the first time the games are hosting the "Canadian Masters" in a series of grueling competitions including hammer throwing, stone putting and caber tossing, ancient Scottish tests of military skill and tradition.
There was also highland dancing, and Celtic jewelry for sale.
Competitor Dirk Bishop is happy to see so many Calgarians at the games. "I don't know that Calgary is a huge Scottish community, however when you have 1.2 million people you're bound to have some Scottish blood in here somewhere, so a great crowd out here and really appreciate being here.
Organizer Mike Stiell says, "We've probably got somewhere in the neighbourhood of three to four hundred pipers, a lot of pipe banks from all across Canada are here. I think we have about twenty-five pipe bands."
By 2012 organizers are hoping to extend the games into a four day festival.
