Inverkeithing Highland Games set to attract crowds to Fife

With similar events across the country cancelled, organisers have seen a rise in interest for the West Fife calendar fixture.

The event is taking place on Saturday, August 3, at Ballast Bank.

The games' director and track convener, Frank Coyle, explained: "The cancellation of North Berwick Highland Games as well as the well documented demise of a number of others, has substantially reduced the number of games within striking distance of Fife and Tayside.

Highland Dancers at last year's Inverkeithing Highland Games (Image: Jim Payne)

"This has happened when Inverkeithing have noticed a big increase in Advanced Bookings from Edinburgh, Fife, The Lothians, Tayside and, especially, from abroad, indicating a definite global interest in Highland Games this year."

READ MORE: Strong line up at this year's Inverkeithing Highland Games

This year's games will see a slight change in format with several additions to the programme.

These will include a ladies' heavyweight competition, with shot put, hammer, tossing the caber, weight-for distance and weight-over-the bar events all included.

This follows popular demand from regular visitors and brings the games into line with other major sporting organisations.

Competition at last year's Inverkeithing Highland Games (Image: Jim Payne)

Also new for this year is a junior heavyweight competition, with a contingent of young athletes brought forward by Bruce Robb, a past winner of the Glenfiddich heavyweight competition and the Braemar Caber competition.

There will also be a 4 x 100 metre relay event which is intended to provide an exciting, crowd-pleasing, race just before the final event of the 'De’il Tak the Hindmost' cycle race which has traditionally rounded off the track events.

More than 100 adults and juniors are expected to take part in the Highland Dancing including contingents from America and Canada.

Frank added: "This provides a very popular, colourful and competitive spectacle with both dancing platforms likely to be fully used throughout the day.

"Recent interest in the solo piping competition has increased expectations of a full entry and preparations are underway to accommodate this.

"The main open heavyweight competition remains one of the main attractions of Inverkeithing Games, however, the increasing number of ladies and the addition of junior athletes in this category is expected to produce a substantial competition which could run from 10.30am through to the late afternoon.

"A large number of cyclists racing round the track, plus the final event of 'De’il Tak the Hindmost', will round off a veritable feast of entertainment being put on by the Inverkeithing Highland Games volunteers."