On 17-18 August 2024, Clans will gather once again at Kryal Castle, Ballarat to the haunting sound of a lone piper calling all to gather within its mighty walls as the Highland Spectacular returns for a second year. Last year saw 4,500 people attend over the weekend, an outstanding success for an inaugural event.
Range of activities
This year’s event promises to be even more spectacular. Kryal Castle will celebrate the 750th anniversary of the birth of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots (from 1306 to 1329), with a mighty battle between the knights of England and Scotland on the tournament field. Lances will be smashed in the joust to prove once and for all that Scots are indeed the superior warriors. Witness ‘The Bruce’ demonstrate his prowess in the skill-at-arms riding his mighty steed against de Bohun and discover who the real William Wallace was with entertaining performances by the Castle players.
For those that have never been to Edinburgh for the Tattoo, this is as close as you can get outside of Scotland. See massed pipes and drums celebrating the music of Scotland on the main arena, enjoy spirited Highland dancing and be amazed by the burly lads and lasses from Highland Muscle displaying incredible feats of strength including caber tossing, hammer throw and other expositions of superhuman highland strength. Simon Abney-Hastings, the 15th Earl of Loudoun, returns as the Chief of the Day. The Earl attended the coronation of Charles III, officially presenting golden spurs to His Majesty the King during the ceremony. The featured Clan for the event will of course be Clan Bruce.
This year there are even more Clan tents with information about ancestry and the origins of families in Scotland. There will be vendors selling kilts and Scottish regalia, haggis, potato scones, whisky and other delicious Scottish fare. For the animal lovers, there will be Highland ponies, a Highland cow and the noble deerhound display. Saturday evening features a Highland Feast with haggis and other fine Scottish culinary delights. Accompanying the delicious food will be selected whiskys and a talk about the distilling and tasting notes. After dinner a ceilidh with the stirring Hebridean tunes of Auld Alliance who will also teach you traditional dances.
Family friendly
The kids will have plenty on offer to keep them entertained with the knight’s school, archery, demonstrations, face painting, spell casting and potions in the wizard’s tower, displays and hands-on learning. Entry also includes access to the dragon’s labyrinth, the knight’s tower and throne room. Creative director for the event, Andrew McKinnon, is immensely proud of the inaugural event and excited about seeing the event grow in 2024. Andrew said: “We saw thousands of people attend the event from the huge Scots diaspora around Ballarat in 2023. My hope is that we can attract more proud Scots from wider afield. Kryal Castle is only an hour from Melbourne. To see all the amazing attractions in a Castle setting re ally makes this the closest thing to being in Scotland. Let’s not forget Ballarat has its own tartan!”
A proud history
The Scots have a proud history in the Ballarat area. Many were attracted by the goldrush and were motivated to emigrate by poverty, famine and social upheaval. The city of Ballarat was first surveyed by William Swan Urquhart, born in Ross Shire, Scotland in 1818. Scottish emigrants took to the opportunities provided by early 19th century Ballarat, becoming merchants, foundry men, bankers, investors, pastoralists, and mine or business managers. Their success can be seen in the number of Scots who became notable in public life and for their benevolence in public institutions such as schools, hospitals and public buildings. Notably, statues of both William Wallace and Robert Burns adorn the streets of Ballarat. A sizeable proportion of those attending the inaugural event were from the large Scots diaspora residing near Ballarat and in the Central Highlands region of Victoria.
Kryal Castle Highland Spectacular tickets are all-inclusive and on sale now. Ticket numbers are limited and are prepurchase only, no tickets will be available at the gate. Tickets are available from the Kryal Castle website, www.kryalcastle.com.au. The Highland Spectacular is proudly presented by Kryal Castle.