The Carrick Lowland Gathering is Girvan's Highland games day. It is held every June in Victory Park, at the foot of the hills behind the town, and it packs a full games programme into one Sunday: a pipe band contest, Highland dancing, heavy events, solo piping, a hill race, walking football, charity stalls, a funfair and food. Entry is free.
The Gathering is opened each year by a games chieftain, a local figure invited by the Girvan Attractions committee. For 2026 that was Councillor Iain Campbell, Provost of South Ayrshire, who officiated through the day up to the pipe bands' march past.
The 2026 timetable
From the 2026 programme. The funfair runs all day.
| Time | What is on |
|---|---|
| 10:30 | Highland dancing competition begins |
| 11:30 | Girvan FC walking football competition begins |
| 12:00 | Juvenile solo piping competition begins |
| 12:45 | Official opening by the games chieftain |
| 13:00 | Heavy events begin |
| 13:00 | Pipe band competition begins |
| 14:00 | Saughhill hill race starts |
| 16:30 | Pipe band march past and presentation of prizes |
Pipe bands
The pipe band contest is organised by the Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway branch of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) and run under RSPBA and local rules. The branch runs six contests a year, one of them indoors, and the Girvan contest is one of them.
- Grades: Grade 2 / Open, Grade 3 and Grade 4, each with prizes for 1st to 4th.
- Special awards: best novice band, best juvenile band, adult marching and discipline, and juvenile marching and discipline.
- The finale: the bands march past together at 16:30 for the presentation of prizes. It is the moment to be at the arena.
Bands enter through Girvan Attractions, who publish the entry form and the running order (the draw) on their website.
Highland dancing
The dancing is organised by the Aileen Robertson School of Highland Dance and starts the day at 10:30. It draws over a hundred dancers, some of them from overseas, and is run under the rules of the Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (RSOBHD).
- Sections: Primary, Beginners, Novice, Intermediate and Premier.
- Dances: the Fling, Swords, Seann Truibhas, Hullachan, Special Fling, Barracks Johnnie, Highland Laddie, Flora, Lilt, Pas de Basque, and Pas de Basque and Highcuts.
The Aileen Robertson school teaches across South Ayrshire, with lessons from the age of three.
Heavy events
Organised by Jan Dearie, the heavy events start at 13:00 and are open to anyone. Athletes score points for their finishing place in each of five traditional events, and the best total wins the championship trophy.
- Putting the 16lb shot
- Throwing the 28lb weight for distance
- The standing stone putt
- The 56lb weight for height
- Tossing the caber
| Place | Prize money (2026) |
|---|---|
| 1st | £230 |
| 2nd | £170 |
| 3rd | £120 |
| 4th | £100 |
| 5th | £70 |
| 6th | £50 |
| 7th | £30 |
Entries for 2026 filled up before the day, so heavy athletes should get in early.
Juvenile solo piping
Organised by Rhona Walker, starting at 12:00. It is open to any young piper, and you do not need to be in a band to enter.
- 13 and under: march only.
- 15 and under: march, strathspey and reel.
- 18 and under: march, strathspey and reel.
The winner gets a shield, 1st to 4th get certificates, and there is prize money of £30, £20, £10 and £5. Entry is through the Girvan Attractions website.
The Saughhill hill race
At 14:00 the runners leave the park for the hills: 4.5km with 265m of climbing, organised by Girvan Harriers and open to any runner, with entry on the day for £2 (seniors) or £1 (juniors). There is a shorter kids' race too. Course records, registration and training details are on the Saughhill Hill Race page.
Walking football
Girvan Football Club's walking football section runs an over-50s competition, a mini tournament with teams from across Ayrshire. Any walking football team can enter; the organisers' contact details are on the Girvan Attractions website.
Stalls, funfair and food
Local organisations and charities take stalls to raise funds and raise their profile, which makes the Gathering a good way to see what goes on in the town. There are catering vans, and a funfair runs all day:
- All-day unlimited wristband: £10 (2026)
- Single ride or inflatable voucher: £3, restrictions apply (2026)
Wristbands and vouchers are sold on the day.
Become a patron
The patron package costs £15 a person and gets you into the patrons' tent with a close-up view of the competitions, complimentary refreshments, a patron's rosette, a Girvan Attractions pen and the games programme. It is paid yearly, booked through the Girvan Attractions website, and is non-refundable. For many people it is less about the tent and more a way to support the games.
Chieftains since 1982
Every year the committee invites a local dignitary to be chieftain. This is the roll as Girvan Attractions publishes it, with 2026 from the programme. No chieftain is listed for 2020 or 2021.
| Year | Chieftain | Year | Chieftain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Provost Dr James Boyle | 2004 | Provost Gordon McKenzie |
| 1983 | Dr Neil Brown | 2005 | Cathy Jamieson MSP |
| 1984 | Alick Sim | 2006 | Provost Winifred Sloan |
| 1985 | Provost Gibson Macdonald | 2007 | Conn Lynch |
| 1986 | Jimmy McGregor | 2008 | Jimmy Lindsay |
| 1987 | Alistair Murray | 2009 | Linton McMillan |
| 1988 | Cpt North Dalrymple-Hamilton | 2010 | Kevin Reilly |
| 1989 | Malky McCormack | 2011 | John Dalrymple-Hamilton |
| 1990 | Provost Daniel McNeil | 2012 | Denis Reid |
| 1991 | Marquis of Ailsa | 2013 | Provost Helen Moonie |
| 1992 | Ezekiel Sturgeon CA | 2014 | Elaine Mitchell |
| 1993 | Gerry Brennan | 2015 | Hugh Brown |
| 1994 | Provost Gibson Macdonald | 2016 | Robert Jess |
| 1995 | Jim Delahunt | 2017 | Robert Gibson |
| 1996 | Cllr Ian Walsh | 2018 | Patrick Dromgoole |
| 1997 | Sandy Grant Gordon | 2019 | Steven Brown |
| 1998 | Inspector David Seawright | 2022 | Lorna & Ritchie Conaghan |
| 1999 | Malky McCormick | 2023 | Callum Govus |
| 2000 | Provost Liz Foulks | 2024 | Alan Jeans |
| 2001 | Eric Allan | 2025 | Adam Oellermann |
| 2002 | George Deed | 2026 | Provost Iain Campbell |
| 2003 | Marjory Gibson |
Getting there
Victory Park is in the town, beside Queens Drive (postcode KA26 9DQ). Most of Girvan is within walking distance, and the station is on the Glasgow–Stranraer line, although Sunday trains are fewer, so check before you rely on one. If you are driving, the town's car parks are free; see parking, and expect them to be busy.
When is the next one?
The Gathering is held on a Sunday in early June; it was Sunday 7 June in 2026. As of November 2026 the 2027 date had not been published, so watch the Girvan Attractions website and Facebook page. Civic Week follows a couple of weeks later — see Civic Week.
Supporting Girvan Attractions
None of this happens without volunteers, and none of it is free to put on. Girvan Attractions pays for its events through grants, sponsorship, advertising, donations and its own fundraising, so if you have enjoyed one of them, there are simple ways to give something back:
- Donate online through the link on the Girvan Attractions website.
- Drop something in a collection tin while you are out in the town — there are tins in a long list of Girvan shops, pubs and cafés. See the full list.
- Come to their fundraisers — bingo nights, psychic nights, raffles and the monthly lucky draw on their Facebook page.
- Lend a hand. Their committee meetings are open to everyone. Email info@girvanattractions.co.uk or message them on Facebook.
