19 Jul 2026
Harpenden’s annual Scottish-themed charity fundraiser made a triumphant return to Rothamsted Park last Sunday – marking the 30th anniversary of its revival.
Organised by the local Lions Club, the Highland Gathering featured pipe bands, Highland dancing, Highland games, stage performances from Upbeat Choir, Dance Studio, Sunny Side Up and John Knowles, and a host of other entertainment including children’s races, archery, go karts and ferret races, all in aid of Hertfordshire Mind Network and Lions charities.
This year’s event included a Sealed Knot re-enactment, in which visitors were transported to the 1640s, a tumultuous era of Cavaliers and Roundheads, to explore Parliament’s historic struggle against the King during the English Civil War. Musketeers and pikemen from Prince Rupert’s Bluecoats, an elite Royalist regiment once commanded by the King’s own nephew, took to the field for a demonstration of 17th century warfare.
Harpenden Highland Gathering dates back to 1946, when it was organised to thank the Scottish workers in the area’s aircraft factories for all they did during the Second World War. It faded away in the 1970s before being revived by the Lions Club in 1996.
All event photos by Steve Collins. Drone photos by Steve Collins and Jessica Frankish.
