12th Highlandgames in Maximilianpark Hamm

Scotland in the heart of the Ruhr area

The Maximilianpark Hamm, a landmark of the Ruhr area as a former colliery site with the striking Glass Elephant, becomes a Scottish Highland plateau once a year: At the Highlandgames in Maxipark, muscular men and women in kilts lift, throw, and hurl their implements across the meadow by the Glass Elephant. 2026 marks the 12th edition — the event has long been established as a fixture in the park's summer program.

The Disciplines — from Tree Trunk to Tug-of-War

Highlandgames are the original strength sports competitions of the Scottish clans. In Maximilianpark Hamm, six-person teams compete in the following disciplines:

• Caber Toss — the king discipline
• Weight for Height over the bar and Weight for Distance
• Stone Put and Hammer Throw
• Sheaf Toss, Haggis Throw, Barrel Rolling
• Caber Slalom, Farmer's Walk, Weight Toss
• And of course, the crowd-pleasing Tug-of-War

The Supporting Program

The competitions are accompanied by the Highland Dragon Pipe Band, whose bagpipe sounds echo across the meadows all weekend. Stalls selling whisky, Highland souvenirs, wool products, and Scottish cuisine (including haggis and Scotch eggs) complete the scene. Those who appear in a kilt gain sympathy points.

Sunday = Children's Highlandgames

On Sunday, it's the turn of the next generation: The Children's Highlandgames feature age-appropriately adapted versions of the disciplines — light trunks, smaller stones, fair tug-of-war. An ideal opportunity for families to spend an afternoon in the park and immerse themselves in a foreign culture.

Hamm and the Maxipark

Hamm is located in the eastern Ruhr area, on the border of Münsterland, and was long considered a railway town. With the closure of the Maximilian colliery and its conversion into a park (State Garden Show 1984), Hamm has undergone exemplary structural change. The Glass Elephant, designed by Horst Rellecke, is now the symbol of this transformation. The Highlandgames are one of the most relaxed events in the Maxipark calendar — Scottish, sporty, family-friendly.