EVERY July, Matthew Connell travels hundreds of miles from

his Scottish home to Derbyshire.

He has been across the UK to watch Highland gatherings but

is always drawn back to Ashbourne's annual event because he

believes it is one of the finest.

And yesterday, just as he had done each year since the event

was launched in 1984, he heard the pipe bands compete and

watched the traditional Scottish games.

The 75-year-old, a bagpipe player for more than 60 years and

honorary vice-president of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band

Association, said it had been as wonderful as ever.

He said: “I've travelled to England, Ireland and Scotland

and this is one of the best Highland gatherings.

“It gets bigger and it gets better, which is why I've

travelled all the way from Ayr to be here.

“What surprises me as a Scot is to see thousands of English

people turning out to watch a Scottish event.”

An estimated 10,000 people attended. The gathering attracted

musicians from all over the UK who took part in a variety of

competitions before parading through the town.

And central to the gathering was the heavyweight

competition, organised by strongman Geoff Capes and featuring

six games, including throwing the hammer and tossing the

caber.

Mr Capes said: “The crowd was five to six people deep all

the way around the main arena.

“It was a very high standard with several national shot-put

champions competing and also the three-times winner of

Britain's strongest man contest, Adrian Smith.

“All in all, it was a fantastic day.”

Held at the town's recreation ground, in Cockayne Avenue,

the gathering also included Scottish dancing, a display by a

gun crew, a dog show and a four-mile hill race.

Children enjoyed inflatables, a helter-skelter,

paintballing, darts and football, and there were a range of

stalls selling Scottish goods, such as kilts, as well as arts

and crafts.

Event co-ordinator Neil Featherstone said the weather

compared favourably with last year, when heavy rain resulted in

just 2,000 people attending, rather than the 10,000 attracted

in previous years.

He said: “It was awful last year, so this year has been

great by comparison.

“It's been superb.

“The weather cleared and we had a lovely day.”