The Duke of Rothesay Highland Games Pavilion

The Duke of Rothesay Highland Games Pavilion is a visitor centre and exhibition beside the field where the Braemar Gathering takes place, in the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park. It’s a good stop even when the Games aren’t on: the self-guided displays explain the sport and the Society behind it, while the windows look straight onto the ground where it happens.

The octagonal Kaufmann Exhibition Hall has a decorated ceiling. In the J.S. Milne Gallery, French windows overlook the games park, with historic photographs and trophy cabinets inside. The Baxter Room brings together objects, records and photographs of athletes, dancers and pipers. Staff or volunteers are available if you want to ask about something you’ve seen.

The Braemar Royal Highland Society was founded in 1815, and its archives help tell the story of the Gathering. Queen Victoria first attended in 1848; reigning monarchs have returned regularly since. That long royal connection is part of the event’s identity, but the exhibits also get into the piping, dancing and heavy events that make Highland Games more than a ceremony.

The Inver Stone, a traditional Scottish lifting stone, is kept behind and to the right of the Pavilion. June Richard cared for it at her cottage in Crathie for more than 40 years, welcoming visitors to see it. The stone helped inspire the later McGlashen lifting stones, and the Pavilion’s stone-lifting display explains the stages of a successful lift.