How should you prepare for your first solo competition? What should you do the night before? On the day? And what can you expect when you arrive, during, and after you compete in both band and solo contests?

This week, Andrew and Jim do a blow-by-blow walk through of a typical day at a highland games, including how and when to start preparing, and what to expect when you get there. They cover the detailed preparation routines for both solo competitors and band members, including travel plans, warm-up strategies, final tuning, competition etiquette, checking in with stewards, tactics for managing nerves, and the logistics of navigating through multiple events in a day. This is the ultimate comprehensive guide for anyone curious about what goes on during an average day at a highland games.

Got a question for a future episode? Leave a comment or email us: [email protected].

Here's what we cover this week:
00:00 Training Montage: Preparing for Competition Day
02:21 A Day at the Highland Games: Solos and Bands 03:00 Morning Routine: Getting Ready for the Games
03:33 Arriving at the Games: Timing and Check-In
06:57 Warm-Up Strategies: Preparing Your Pipes
11:23 Competition Etiquette: Checking In and Tuning
15:40 On Deck: Final Preparations Before Performance
30:07 Judging and Competitor Etiquette
30:30 Tuning and Warm-Up Techniques
31:36 Choosing the Right Warm-Up Tunes
35:51 Post-Performance Etiquette
37:45 Managing Multiple Events
42:15 Band Competitions and Mass Bands
50:20 Final Tuning and Entering the Circle
57:45 Exiting the Circle and Post-Competition
01:00:09 End of the Day: Mass Bands and Results