Scotland invades Oak Brook for celebration

A burly man wearing a kilt spun around, drew his arm back and flung a 28-pound weight some 71 feet through the air.

He grunted, loudly.

A good throw, but not good enough to beat the standing record of 81 feet, 4¾ inches.

The field events known as "Heavy Athletics" also featured the hammer throw and the caber toss, an event involving the throwing of tapered pine trunks that resemble telephone poles.

The occasion was the 22nd annual Scottish Festival and Highland Games, a two-day celebration that ended Saturday at the Oak Brook Polo Grounds.

All the contests have their historical roots in feats needed to accomplish agricultural and military objectives, said Gus Noble, a Scotsman who has lived in Chicago for 16 years and is the president and chief executive officer of the Illinois St. Andrew Society.

The festival, a fundraiser for the society, also includes music, dancing, food, crafts and gatherings of clans.

"It's like a trip to Scotland without leaving the suburbs of Chicago," said Noble, who added that reveling in Scottish culture is a pleasure anyone can partake in, whether they are Scottish "by birth, by heritage or by inclination. Everything we do is in celebration of Scottish identity."

Tartan plaids were in evidence all over the Polo Grounds, where family clans gathered under tents bearing their names, eager to share with others their family histories.

Alan MacIntyre of Chapel Hill, N.C., is the president of the MacIntyre clan.

"We've got about 500 members worldwide," he said.

MacIntyre said his family's ancestors settled in an area in Scotland known as Loch Etive, a place he's visited on his three trips to Scotland.

The first MacIntyre to journey to the United States, he said, was his great-grandfather, James MacIntyre, a medical student who arrived in 1782.

A frequent guest at Scottish festivals and games, MacIntyre said he's been to the annual festival in Oak Brook at least once before. What he enjoys most about the event, he said, is the chance to meet people.

As the rainy morning blossomed into a sun-drenched afternoon, the games continued and the pipers played.

The day would culminate with an early evening performance by 1,000 bagpipers and drummers, Noble said.

"It all begins with one lone bagpiper off to the side, playing 'Amazing Grace,' " Noble said, adding that the music swells as the rest join in. "It'll make the hair on the back of your neck stand up."

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