Nairn Highland Games promises an intergalactic flavour

Characters from Star Wars are set to converge on Nairn Links this Saturday.

Stormtroopers, Darth Vader and Wookies will join a parade of massed pipe bands, delight the crowds and collect to raise funds for the Games – which is the only free Highland gathering in Scotland.

Local Stormtroopers Trevor Ross and Dougie Grant are delighted to be back at their home games although Trevor, an offshore worker is now a familiar sight at events in Inverness since moving to the Highland capital with his family.

They will be accompanied by the ‘goodies’ of the Star Wars series Darren Pellet and Phil Buckle and another character from the franchise’s dark side – Scott Grant as Darth Vader, if he gets home from his work on a rig in the North Sea. Trevor said: “We all met up at a comic convention in Inverness and we now have our own Facebook page – Highland Cos Play.

“There are all sorts of characters – from Spider-man, Star Wars, Batman to Captain Marvel – we can call on.

“We do it for fun, don’t charge anything and if groups contact us we help out depending on our work situation.”

Scott Grant is the administrator of the team and Trevor and Dougie have helped at the Games for a number of years now.

Once they teamed up with TV celebrity Carol Vorderman who was on a trip to RAF Lossiemouth for a TV documentary and landed up at the games.

“I think Carol was as thrilled to meet up with us as we were with her,” said Trevor.

“It was completely unexpected but we had a great time and it’s great to help out our local games, which is run by volunteers.

“We interact with the crowds and there’s always lots of people want to be photographed with us – and it’s not just the kids.

“Lots of adults are great sci-fi fans and they’re just like big kids when they see us and want their picture taken too.”

Darren and Phil play the 7ft-plus Wookies from the series and they are cuddly characters.

“We have voice boxes which are triggered by transmitters in our hands,” said Darren.

“The outfits are the same as you will see in Disneyworld and the kids just love it.

“We have great fun and it’s lovely to bring a smile to people’s faces.

“The outfits are very hairy and look hot but they are a mesh material which keeps the temperatures down. However because of the boots which gives us the extra height we can only walk on flat surfaces and probably need to take a break every half-hour.

“It’s not just the kids who have fun with us. We get old ladies coming up for hugs and it’s great to see the pleasure it brings.”

Nairn Games Convener Sandra Ross, who is standing down after over 35 years on the committee and fifteen as Convener said she is looking forward to seeing Trevor and Dougie again.

“They always add some colour and fun to the gaes, and it’s great that they are bringing along the Wookies and Darth Vader. They’ll go down a storm.

“But we are all just delighted to be back for the Games after two years off through Covid. It is the first years apart from the war years in our history we have not been able to stage the games.”

Making a sentimental trip to the Games this year is Hendrik Ronsch from Germany and his family. They have presented a new dancing trophy in memory of Hendrik’s wife Jocelyn who died of cancer last year.

Jocelyn was brought up in Nairn and was a Highland dancer and the family made a return trip to Nairn n what would have been Games Day last year to scatter her ashes in the Moray Firth.

“We were delighted to accept the kind donation from the Ronsch family and look forward to welcoming them to the games on Saturday” said Sandra.