Scores of competitors from across the globe took part in a unique tradition during a Speyside Highland Games gathering.
Roughly 100 visitors from destinations including the United States, Japan, Germany and Australia tried their luck in the “haggis hurling” event at the Aberlour Strathspey Highland Games on Saturday.
Entrants stood atop a whisky barrel to propel the Scottish delicacy, and New Zealand’s Craig Chalmers came out on top after sending his further than anyone else.
Bold six-year-old Liam Proven was on holiday from Tipperary in Ireland when he decided to enter the contest – and wore a determined expression as he launched his haggis into the air.
Competitors had to ensure that the foodstuff, which poet Robert Burns described as the “great chieftain o’ the pudding race”, was still edible after landing.
Organising committee secretary Brian Cameron explained that the challenge was exclusive to attendees visiting Aberlour from abroad – and said that demand was such that he nearly ran out of haggis.
Mr Cameron added that the popularity of the novelty contest was testament to the games’ growing reputation overseas.
He said: “We had more international spectators and competitors this year than ever before.
“The haggis hurling is just for people from overseas, and we had about 100 taking part in that alone.
“There really was an exceptional turnout, I don’t think there was any element of the games we would want to change and we will just build on this as we go forward.”
The 73rd instalment of the annual event welcomed a record 4,200 onlookers to the Speyside High School playing fields.
Austrian Martin Schiller and Auchenblae’s Bruce Aitken kept observers on the edge of their seats as they traded wins in the day’s heavy events.
Mr Schiller, from Vienna, eventually emerged as overall winner.
Fay and Ella Gibb, sisters from Texas, dominated much of the ladies’ light events.
Mr Cameron credited an expanded programme with attracting locals to this year’s gathering, with an opening ceremony on Friday and closing concert on Saturday both proving popular additions.
Folk group The Elephant Sessions arrived at Aberlour from the Belladrum music festival near Inverness to commence the festivities on Friday, while Flashback Heroes – a classic rock cover group – brought the event to a rousing conclusion on Saturday night.
