Braemar Highland Gathering

An early engagement for a future Queen at an annual sporting fling in the Highlands down the road from Balmoral.

Nestled in spectacular mountains, the village of Braemar welcomes Royal regulars and tartan-clad clans to its traditional Highland Gathering. There’s a show of brawn and artistry as pipe bands and Highland dancers compete, and sportsmen demonstrate their prowess in putting the stone and throwing the hammer. This rare amateur film by a cine enthusiast from Newcastle upon Tyne also captures the first ever visit of the future Queen Elizabeth II as a 7 year old child.

The filmmaker was James Cameron, one of the original founders of the Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers Association back in 1927. The cine club was one of only five in Britain at the time. Against all the odds, the club was still operating in the city in 2018. This film is part of a unique and eclectic collection, which dates back to those pioneering early decades of amateur cinematography.