Braemar Stone Toss

The Braemar Stone Toss is named for the ancient festival held in Braemar, Scotland, that requires that a heavy stone be put from a standing position, creating a test that relies as much on strength as technique.  The Braemar stone, weighing between 22 and 28 pounds, is thrown from a stand.  The athlete cannot use a run-up approach or spin; instead, both feet must remain stationary until the stone is released.  The athlete must not go past the wooden trig (a toe board that marks the backline and frontline) or touch the ground with any part of his body other than his feet.

Open Stone Toss

The "clachneart," or stone toss, is one of the world's most ancient tests of strength.  The challenge has always been simple: See who can throw a sizeable creek stone the farthest.  The Open Stone Toss developed into today's track and field shot put event.  The Open Stone Toss allows a run-up or spinning approach, with the stone usually weighing between 16 and 18 pounds.  The contestant must keep at least one foot within the sidelines of the 4'6" wide and 7'6" deep throwing box at all times.  The trig cannot be crossed at any time during the throw.

Heavy Weight Toss

In Scotland, the traditional measure of weight is a "stone," which equals 14 pounds.  Block weights weighing two stones (28 lbs.) and four stones (56 lbs.) were used to balance scales for measuring grain.  These weights were thrown by locals gathering around the grain store to determine who was the strongest man in the village.  The contestant must keep at least one foot within the sidelines of the 4'6" wide and 9' deep throwing box at all times.  The backline and frontline - marked by the toe board called a "trig" - cannot be crossed at any time during the throw.

Light Weight Toss

Drawing from the same roots as the Heavy Weight, the two-stone Light Weight is 28 pounds and was originally used to measure out grain.  The modern track and field 35 lb. weight throw is derived from Highland Games weight tosses. The contestant must keep at least one foot within the sidelines of the 4'6" wide and 9' deep throwing box at all times.  The trig cannot be crossed at any time during the throw.

Heavy Hammer Throw

Throwing the massive rock quarryman's hammer is a test of strength developed hundreds of years ago.  Being even larger than the blacksmith's hammer, the 22 lb. heavy hammer remains an event unique to the Highland Games.  The athletes will throw the hammer with their feet remaining stationary, aided by metal spikes that are mounted to the bottoms of their boots and jammed into the ground.  The thrower must remain behind the trig, avoid falling over and touching the ground, and keep both feet firmly planted until the hammer has been released.

Caber Toss

The caber toss draws upon the distant past to establish this test of strength and skill as the king of Highland Games Heavy Events.  Caber is Gaelic for tree, and lumberjacks are believed to provide the origin by turning small trees end-over-end to cross small rivers.  Soon, attacking warriors started landing 20' tree trunks against castle walls during siege, using them as crude ladders.  The Caber Toss is the only event that isn't measured for height or distance. Instead, judges score the event in a subjective manner.  A perfect score occurs when an athlete is able to turn the caber end-over-end, with the caber landing in line with the athlete's direction of momentum, resulting in a 12:00 score on an imaginary clock face.  If the caber turns, but does not land straight in front of the athlete, scores between 9:00 and 3:00 are assigned.  If the caber does not turn, the side judge awards a degree score up to 90°. Due to its subjective nature, and the fact that almost every competition provides a different caber, there are no records, only bragging rights.

Sheaf Toss

The sheaf toss originates from one of the most practical and common farm chores:  Throwing sheaves of hay up into the barn loft.  Traditionally contested at county agricultural fairs, the sheaf toss has made its way into the Highland Games over the last 100 years, becoming a fan favorite along the way.  Using a traditional 3-tyne hay fork, the athlete attempts to throw a burlap bag stuffed with materials such as straw or bailing twine over a horizontal bar.  Each athlete gets three attempts at each increasing height until there is a winner, with misses being counted against them should two or more athletes tie at a height.

Weight Over Bar

The standing Weight Over Bar, or weight for height as it is often called, is a tried-and-true test of brute strength and explosiveness. Originating from similar traditions as the weights tossed for distance, this is a staple event that is also often contested in strongman contests. The rules are minimal, simply stand under a horizontal bar and throw a 56 lb. weight over it with one hand.  A running or spinning approach is allowed at the discretion of the field judge.  Each athlete gets three attempts at each increasing height until there is a winner, with misses being counted against them should two or more athletes tie at a height.