After attending my first Scottish Highland games at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina this summer, I’ve learned a bit about it. You can read all about my first experience at a highland games event here. It’s such a unique event and one that I highly recommend people go to at least once! So, I want to share 9 tips with you that I have learned so you have the best time possible at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games event!
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1. Book Early
I would definitely advise anyone that plans to stay for multiple days near the Highland games at Grandfather Mountain to book early. There are some hotels available in the area but you may have better luck with AirBnB. Click here if you want to save on your first AirBnB stay! Since I did wait too long (I didn’t know the event was happening until about a month before), I basically had to go with an AirBnB. I don’t regret that decision though! We definitely had a unique experience with our AirBnB (that you can read about here) but I would stay there again.
There is a hotel, Called The Pixie Inn, in Linville, North Carolina, which is where Grandfather Mountain is actually located. However, don’t expect to stay there. I couldn’t even call to see if any rooms were available so I had to leave a message and wait for someone to call me back.
Naturally, I didn’t have service when the lady called me back but she left a voicemail that basically said that I wouldn’t find anything available within a 50 mile radius from the event! I also later found out on another trip through Linville after the games, that they always book the same people during the Highland games at The Pixie Inn. Basically, it’s not an option to stay there during then.
So just book an AirBnB several months early. This will be your cheapest option. You can also book a hotel room in nearby towns but they can be pricey, especially if they raise the prices because of the event. There are several towns close by such as Banner Elk, Boone, Newland, and Sugar Mountain that you can stay in and then drive to the closest parking areas near you.
2. Purchase Highland Games Tickets Early
There is an option to purchase tickets online, by mail, phone, at the gate, or at the Highland Games office in Linville. You can find details about the tickets here. I opted to purchase tickets at the office in Linville when we passed through the town, the day before we attended the games. The office was busy but everyone was nice and we were in and out quickly.
Buying tickets early saved us some time once we arrived at the event. If you choose to wait and purchase tickets at the gate, you have to wait in line. If you already have your tickets, you can go right to the entrance and begin your day at the Highland games!
3. Arrive Early
Again, you have to be early for this event. The gates open at 7:30am and I wanted to be there about when they opened. So my sister and I woke up around 6am to get ready and make the 20 minute drive to the town of Linville. There, you can park in a designated lot and a shuttle will pick you up and take you to the actual event location.
The shuttles start running at 7am. There is no parking at the actual games unless you’re a sponsor, vendor, or something like that, so you have to take a shuttle. You do have to pay extra for the shuttle and it is $6-$10 dollars, depending on which location you park at. All of the parking details are on their website.
Okay, now that you know to book early, purchase tickets early, and arrive early, let’s talk about some tips that you’ll want to know once you’re actually at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games!
4. Buy a Program for the Highland Games
I would highly recommend buying the event program. My sister and I purchased one when we bought our tickets at the office, but they can be purchased at the event as well. Everything you need to know about the Highland games is in there, the schedule, guests, a map, everything! So be sure to get one. I lost count of how many times I referred back to it when looking for information on some specific event or location while we were there.
5. Wear Comfortable Shoes
There’s not necessarily a ton of walking to do at the games but you’ll want to wear shoes that are comfortable because there will be some standing and walking throughout the day. I wore some slip on, leather sandals and was fine but I may opt for shoes that strap on next time. I just wouldn’t recommend heels.
6. Bring a Chair or Blanket
This is optional but I always like to bring my own chair or seating if allowed. Just remember that you have to carry it from your vehicle to the shuttle and bring it on the shuttle with you. Just make sure that whatever seating you bring is easy to carry and not too big and bulky.
There are bleachers at the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain but they fill up quickly. I liked that we could set up our folding chairs in the spectator area and leave them to walk around. Then later, when we needed a rest or wanted to watch an event, we could come right back to our spots. Again, because we arrived at the games early, we had our choice of where ever we wanted to put our chairs in the spectator section.
7. Bring a Backpack
If I’m going to be out all day, then I try to bring a backpack or bag with me. I try to pack items that I think I may need or use throughout the day. For the Highland games, I packed sunscreen, water, snacks, sunglasses, and our program. We also used our backpacks to carry any items that we purchased while at the games. If you want to see what I normally carry in my backpack for events or “adventures”, you can check that out here.
8. Pack Food and Drinks
There is some delicious food at the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain and I definitely recommend trying at least some of it. However, outside food and drinks are allowed so I would also bring a few drinks and snacks to have throughout the day, especially water! The Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain is held in July and it’s hot, so water is a must! I carry my water in reusable bottles that keep liquids hot or cold for long periods of time.
Plus, bringing your own food and drinks saves money and time because the lines for some food vendors is super long. We tried some traditional Scottish food at the games but had to wait for about 20 minutes to get it and some lines were much longer than that.
So this last tip is totally optional but I definitely wanted to mention it because it was fun!
9. Attend a Concert After the Highland Games
On Friday and Saturday nights of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, there is a concert held afterwards. Friday night’s concert consists of Celtic rock music. We didn’t attend that one but now I wish we had! Saturday night’s concert consisted of more traditional Celtic music. My sister and I attended the Saturday night concert and had fun listening to the talented musicians and singers. If you want to hear bagpipes, fiddles, and drums, you have to attend at least one of these concerts!
It’s also completely acceptable and encouraged to go up to the front of the stage and dance or learn traditional dances. We had fun just watching all the action but next time, I want to join in and dance! I also want to attend the Celtic rock concert as well! I think we missed out on a good time there.
Okay, so to quickly recap:
- Book a place early
- Purchase tickets early
- Arrive early
- Be sure to buy a program
- Wear comfy shoes
- Bring a Chair or Blanket to set on
- Bring a backpack of some sort
- Pack some food and drinks
- Attend at least one of the concerts
So there you have it!
If you’re thinking about attending a Scottish highland games, particularly the ones at Grandfather Mountain, then I hope these 9 tips will help make your time there amazing and unforgettable. Be sure to read my other blog post about the Highland games for even more information and insight about the event! And if you’d like to see a checklist for what to bring that’s provided by the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, click here.
Have you ever been to a Scottish Highland Games event? If so, do you have any other tips to add to the list?
If you haven’t been to an event like this before, are you thinking about attending now? I’d love to know your thoughts on it in the comment section below!
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If there is no parking on the mountain , and you want to go back for the evening events , and the shuttles stop at 5 , how do you get there.
For the evening events, like the concerts, you can drive up to the Highland games area and park there.