Bagpipe Appreciation Day sets the tone for Highland Gathering
The occasion comes just days before the Fort Nottingham Highland Gathering in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
Bagpipe Appreciation Day is being marked on Monday, celebrating the history, music and cultural significance of one of the world’s oldest and most distinctive instruments.
The occasion comes just days before the Fort Nottingham Highland Gathering in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, where bagpipes, Highland games and Scottish traditions will take centre stage on Saturday, August 1.
The event follows renewed global interest in Scottish culture after the opening ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow featured massed bagpipe performances.
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Visitors to the annual gathering can expect a full programme of traditional Highland games, including caber tossing and tug-of-war, alongside performances by the Durban and Pietermaritzburg Caledonian Society pipe bands.
The event will also feature Scottish dancing, medieval sword-fighting demonstrations, dog agility displays, museum talks, children’s activities, food and craft stalls, fire engine demonstrations and motorcycle displays.
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Food and drink enthusiasts will have the opportunity to sample traditional haggis and Scotch whisky.
The Fort Nottingham Highland Gathering has become one of the Midlands’ signature cultural events,
