Corby's Highland Gathering returns after four years

Corby held its first Highland Gathering in four years yesterday (Sunday).

The traditional Corby event went ahead for the first time since 2019 on the Charter Field in the town’s Old Village.

The annual day out attracts locals and visitors from across the UK and beyond. This year’s event even featured a pipe band from Australia.

The Gathering brought a day filled with vibrant games, traditional music, stalls and the All England Highland Dancing Championships, as well as the return of the popular pipe-band competition.

This event is a cornerstone of community spirit, heritage, and entertainment for people of all ages.

Mark Pengelly, secretary of the Highland Gathering Committee, said: “It helps keep the Corby traditions alive. People say that Corby is losing its Scottishness but I think an event like this shows that it’s still there.

“So many people have come to me today and shook my hand and said ‘Mark thanks for the committee, it’s absolutely brilliant you’re back on’.

“We’ve gone back to basics this year but what we’re looking at doing is building on and trying to get it a bigger event. We’re limited on where we are here but we’re limited in Corby for where you can have outdoor shows because of the football season.

“So we’ve got to look around, and if we need to go somewhere bigger so we can have tossing the caber and things like that, we’ll do it.”

Amanda Hill Tilley, another organiser of the Highland Gathering, said: “When you’re local to that Scottish heritage, it’s in your veins.

“I would probably say that 75 to 80 per cent of the dancers here today are Corby based. In Corby alone we’ve got six dance schools and we need it to stay here, to keep it outside, when the weather’s good like this, why wouldn’t you want to be outside enjoying your day?

“The girls are working hard, they work hard all year and I’m sure the pipe bands are the same but it’s just a special day.”