Photos and Video from the Bonnie Brae Scottish Festival, with Sights and Sounds to Behold

The Scots (and others as well) returned on Saturday to the fields of Bonnie Brae 
Educational Center in Liberty Corner for the 24th annual Scottish Festival and 
Highland games, an event that mixed hundreds of bapipers and drummers in kilts 
with plenty of food, Highland dancers, dogs and British cars and such uniquely 
Scottish games as caber tossing (throwing logs).

And of course there were rows of tents selling such specialty items as Scottish 
whiskey, tasty Scottish bakery items such as scones and shortbread and 
custom-made kilts to order.

Another booth offered a spot to check one's Scottish heritage. "They'll tell you all sorts of stories and lies," promised one speaker at the official noon gathering on the main field on the school campus.

The annual fundraiser for the school and residential treatment center for boys 
from troubled backgrounds included reminders of the facility's mission. The 
Bonnie Brae Knights drum corps — which gathered fame when the drummers were invited to march in President Obama's inaugural parade — was one of the events at the noontime gathering, following a procession of hundreds of pipers and drummers.

Bill Powers, CEO of the school, established in the early 20th century, said the 
Bonnie Brae Knights recently had achieved a second place standing in a musical 
competition involving national and international entrants.

But even more of an accomplishment, Powers said, was a graduation ceremony two weeks ago for 10 seniors at the school.

"That's a huge victory for these guys," Powers said. Bonnie Brae is an educational facilility, treatment center and home for 97 boys from throughout New Jersey who come from troubled backgrounds.

Some of the students assisted with the running of the day's program, lasting from 9 a.m. until about 5:30 p.m. The school's campus turned into a festival of bagpipes, drummers, Highland dancers, show dogs, hefty athletes playing traditional Scottish games, historic re-enactors, musicians and rows of booths selling everything from food to jewelry and more.

Gregory Begg of Basking Ridge, a member of the Bonnie Brae Board of Trustees and Grand Marshall of the event, said that the pipers and dancers to perform during the day were some of the best in the country.

Sean McKay of High Bridge in Hunterdon County pointed out that the throwers of the "stone putt," tossing heavy stones weighing up to 56-pounds were practicing an athletic event that dated back to the days when warriors were tested to their abilities.

His sister-in-law, Robyn Fera of Hoboken said that the "caber toss," using long logs may have developed as a way to test who could best throw logs to enable river crossings.

During the main ceremony, an announcer invited representatives from Scottish clans onto the field, and urged each to respond with their "clan yell." Familiar clan names included Murray, Cameron, Kemble, Henderson, Carmichael and more.

_ Linda Sadlouskos

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