Arcadia Scotland

Each year one of the highlights of our summer programming is a trip to the Highlands Games, where the competition is fierce and the tartan a-blazing. This year, we assembled in Edinburgh, made a quick pick-up in Glasgow and then made our way to the village of Luss, which is just on the edge of Loch Lomond.

The weather mostly held out for us as we watched events which included tossing the caber, highland dancing, 5-man tug-o-war and running races, among others. Small stands selling Scottish goods and varieties of Scottish foods balanced out the event, and were able to avoid too much rain and mud.

In addition to watching the games, some of us took the opportunity to wander around the scenic village of Luss and explore the edge of the Loch. As a protected village, Luss is a picturesque town with origins in the sixth century. Lovely coffee shops, stores selling local goods and the beauty of the loch made this an ideal place to spend part of the afternoon.

After spending much of the day outdoors, we made time in the afternoon for a bit of domestic exploration. Travelling a short distance to Hill House, we had the opportunity to take in the magic of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's art nouveau creation. Overlooking the River Clyde, the house was designed for the Glasgow publisher, Walter Blackie, every detail of the home and its interior was designed, coordinated and made by Mackintosh and his wife, Margaret MacDonald. The house provided amazing insight into Mackintosh's work and into another chapter of Scottish history.

After a jam-packed day of seeing the sites, we returned back to Glasgow and Edinburgh for the evening. The Highland Games and the experience of seeing these unique Scottish sites provided a great day out and we urge you all to check out these areas if you have the chance.

Intrigued? Find out more information on the Highland Games, which go on throughout the summer at different locations

Enjoy the summer!