An Athletics Compendium

A 328 - 337 Scotland ~ Highland Games Scotland ~ Highland Games 328 A Highland gathering / Edward Lennox Peel, with 31 illustrations by C. Whymper. London: Longmans, 1885. xiv, 185p; illus BL: 7907.bbb.43 329 The athletes andathletic sports of Scotland, including bagpipe playing and dancin/g William McCombie Smith. Paisley: A. Gardner, 1891. 138p Reissuedin 1920 with the title, 'Scottishathleticsports'. BL:Mic.A. 16228(8) (microfilm copy) William McCombie Smith was unquestionably a 19th century athletics radiocnael, of the leadingmin^s of his period. Contemptuous of the hypocrisies of the amateur movement, McCombie Smith was equally critical of the organisers of professional Highland Games. He was an original thinakdevr,ocating electric timekeeping anda cumbrous and impractical method of three attempt high jumping involving a series of paper(!) crossbars. McCombie Smith did not spare thaethletes anthde throwers ipnarticular, claiming th'anto athlete inthe British isles cangive satisfactory proof ... ofhaving putted a101b ball or stone 46ft on level ground, with the best of three throws'. He is rigorous in his assessment of the 'heavies' of the Highland Games. 'The Athletes and Athletic Sports of Scotland' provides us with our clearest account of the rules, techniques, performances and competitive conditions of the Scottish Highland Games inthe final quarter of the century, when they were close to their peak. Unlike later historians suacsh James Mihller,is adamant that only DonaDldinnie could ever have laid legitimate claim to theail-round championship in the throwing events. This is amarvellous work, far aheaodf most amateur literature of its period, providing us with a vividpicture of the origins omfodern athletics. 330 Sports andpastimes of Scotland, historically illustra/ted Robert Scott Fittis. Paisley: Alexander Gardner, 1891. 212p BL: 7908.dd.12 Includes a chapter on the Highland G mes. 331 Men of muscle, andthe Highland Games of Scotland, with brief biographies of the leading athletes of the last fifty years, with portraits/ Charles Donaldson. Glasgow: Carter & Pratt, 1901. vi, 133p; illus BL: 7912.df.34 This is akey book on the Scottish HighlGanadmes. It consists of a series of biographies of the greatest Scottish athletes of the 1560-1900 period, including the magnificentall-rounders, DonalDd innie and A. A. Cameron. Fewof the menwritten ofin this bookhave made their way into the ranking lists of modem statisticians, but many of them were amongst the greatest athesle of the nineteenctehntury. A work of great interest, particularly to the field-events historian. 332 Scottish sports anhdow to excel inthem: a handbook for beginners / JoJhanmes Miller, with many illustrations. DundeeJ:ohn Leng, 1910. 135p; illus BL: D Miller is one ofthe athletes mentioned in Donaldson's earlier work. Men of Muscle, as being responsible for the measurement Hofgg's great49ft 9m tripJluemp at Alva in 18 i 95. Scottish Sports is remarkable in that, though it lists in detail the performances of the great Scottish'heavies' ofthe nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it fails to provide the slightest mention ofthe greatest of them all, Donald Dinnie. 333 Crieff HighlandGathering: a retrospect of fifty years, 1870-1920 / A. Porteous. Perth: Munro, 1920. 334 The bookof the BraemarGathering. Arbroath: Arbroath Herald, 1926?- From1930publishedin Braemarbj theBraemar Kqyal HighlandSociety BL: P.P.2511.sf These books, which contain yearly record lists and interesting historical articles on the Braemar Games, were produced annually as programmes. 335 Highland gatherings: being accounts of the Braemar, Northern and Luss Meeting/s Iain Colquhoun and Hugh W. Machell, with contributions by John Macpherson and C. D. McCombe-Smith, and a foreword by HRH The Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife. London: Heath Cranton, 1927. 207p; illus; index BL: 10369.d.30 This book is mainly centred on the Luss Highland Games and has little historical or statistical detail on the Games gienneral, but there are some interesting stories of DonalDdinnie, the great nineteenth century Scottish professional athlete. 336 Aboyne Highland Games: results of principal competitions from 186t7o 1927 / edited by W. E. Nicol. Aberdeen: The Games Committee, 1928. 64p; illus ^ Subsequent ed. A338 337 Scottish HighlandGames / David Webster; illustrated by John Gardner. Glasgow: Collins, 1959. 160p; illus (Greetings booklets) BL: W.P.4810/2 A brief description of the Games, thepirersonalities and their history. Containsmuch of interest for the athletics historian, though lacking the detail of Donaldson orMcCombie Smith. ^ Subsequent ed. A341 [ 30 ]