Hundreds of years of Scottish heritage and tradition are under threat by modern bureaucracy and red tape, it has been claimed.
Having taken a battering from the elements and poor forecasts for the next month, Highland games events across Courier Country have been called off.
Montrose games, one of only two in Angus and a relative newcomer to the circuit, has been called off a month in advance.
Unlike its counterparts in Newburgh, Thornton, Stonehaven and Stirling, however, the August event has been hamstrung by ”exorbitant” policing fees and council charges.
Organiser Robina Addison told The Courier money for the volunteer-driven events is being wasted on health and safety regulations, such as training stewards in how to evacuate in case of fire from the middle of a field.
”The costs associated with the red tape and from the council have become too much,” she said. ”We have had to pull the plug this year but want to address the problems we’ve found in order to safeguard the heritage of the Highland games for future years.”
Scottish Highland Games Association chairman Jim Smith said the call-off is only a symptom of a wider malaise in the events calendar, and that most games are at risk of becoming historical footnotes and not active community events.
He said: ”Games across Scotland are getting more and more worried about the costs concerned with stewarding, safety and licensing, things like disclosure and so on.
”These are run by a network of volunteers, who in many cases have given over their lives to it. I fear they won’t for very much longer. It’s a shame the police and the councils can’t sit down and actually figure out how much all this costs.
”We’re not trying to make any money. We are trying to perpetuate historic events that have been the backbone of Scottish society for hundreds of years.
”The government and councils want to strengthen the community and so on, but are actively doing the opposite by penalising the running of these games.”
Mrs Addison said that Highland games and related events are volunteer driven, with all the money needed for outside costs, such as policing and events charges.
”We don’t want to make trouble, we just want to save the games,” she said. ”Because of the uncertainty of the weather, so much has to be put up front, such as toilets and marquees. Then the fees from the red tape come in, and it’s more and more every year.
”The money involved has completely crippled us. Stewards have to be given a briefing on how to evacuate an event in case of a fire. We are on the East Links. I don’t think there’s any thought into the demands made of these events.”
Mrs Addison said at least some part of the Montrose games scheduled for August 5 would remain intact this year, with the Highland dancing taking place in the town hall, and the coronation of the Rose Queen.
Mrs Addison hosted the organising committee in her sitting room in 1977, with the first event taking place the following year.
She said: ”It would be great to have the support of the community, as sometimes local people don’t realise what they have until it’s gone, or how they can be of help.”
Mr Brown added that there was little that could be done to aid the games already called off due to the weather.
”So far this year it’s been worrying on the rain front,” he said. ”The games have to call off now, because to leave it till the event will cost so much money to cancel. Some games will call off too soon, and that’s a sad thing.”