Masters Highland Games and imaginations of home

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the journeys of a group of North American Master athletes who travelled to Scotland to compete in the 2014 Masters World Championship Highland Games. Conceptualising, the Masters World Championship Highland Games as a unique form of sport heritage tourism, the paper explores how imaginations of the host venue are caught within individual and collective histories, while also being influenced by the socio-political context of contemporary Scotland.

Design/methodology/approach

After detailing the histories of the Highland games and Scottish emigration, the study draws upon a qualitative methodology to explore how such histories impact the imaginations of the Highland region.

Findings

This paper examines the journeys of athletes to the games, how they understood the games venue space and surrounding areas, and also how the Highland region itself was the site of contested meanings. The study concludes with a discussion of the narratives that frame imaginations of the Highlands and Scotland more broadly.

Originality/value

The paper adds to existing knowledge on sport heritage tourism and considers how conceptualisations of Scotland continue to be renegotiated in light of contemporary political developments.

Citation

Bowness, J. (2020), "Masters Highland Games and imaginations of home", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 441-452. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-10-2019-0179