A missing Scottish trophy will be awarded again after 95 years

At a traditional Scottish Highland Games, fit athletes perform rigorous activities such as caber throwing, hammer throwing and stone carrying.

For decades, the best athletes in Northern Scotland would compete in the Cabrach Games. And one of the legends of those games was Charles Taylor. He was rated the best performing athlete of the Games in 1926, 1928 and 1929; the third win meant he got to keep the trophy from the event, known as the Rose Bowl.

The Games stopped in 1935. No longer cabers would be thrown (a caber is a 6 meter long wooden pole). Hammers would no longer be thrown (a hammer is a metal ball attached to a pole). And perhaps saddest of all: no more stones would be carried (in that case, competitors carry heavy stones across a field. If they reach the end of the field, they get even heavier stones. Perhaps a gloomy metaphor for life).

But the Cabrach Games were revived in 2022 and it seemed logical to look for the Rose Bowl to present it to the best of a new generation of athletes.

There was a three-year search for the trophy in the 1980s, with the trophy eventually found in the possession of Ron Taylor, Charles' son.

But as time passed, organizers lost sight of the trophy again.

Good news: after an appeal to the public – “If you have a suspicion regarding the whereabouts of the Rose Bowl, please contact us” – the Rose Bowl was found again…in the possession of Adrian Taylor, Charles’ grandson.

According to Adrian Taylor, his grandfather had many talents. “He was both a brilliant athlete and an excellent musician, and he was especially talented at the bagpipes,” he told the news media in Great Britain.

In reality, it probably wasn't the most exciting rediscovery of its kind. For that we have to turn to a slightly better known prize, the original World Cup trophy stolen from the Methodist Central Hall in London in 1966. A dog named Pickles gained fame when he and his human found the trophy wrapped in newspaper near a parked car in south London a week later.

Still, the organizers of the Cabrach Games (full title: the Cabrach Games and Picnic) are enthusiastic. “We are extremely pleased to welcome the Rose Bowl back to its rightful home,” said Jonathan Christie, chief executive of the Cabrach Trust, which runs the Games.

This summer the Games will continue again with tug-of-war, running competitions and of course stone carrying, with an expected attendance of around 200 people.

“This is a family-friendly event where visitors can experience and participate in the traditional Highland Games rather than just sitting and watching,” said Sam Dowdall of the Trust. told The Northern Scot newspaper.

A highlight will undoubtedly be the presentation of the Rose Bowl after 95 years.

Perhaps just as exciting for many visitors, as The Northern Scot said in its preview of last year's event: “Guests can also enjoy a delicious pork roast for a small fee of £2.50.” (That's about $3.15.)