HISTORY will be made in Central Fife this Sunday when the first Bowhill Highland Games take place after a gap of 69 years.

The village is not surprisingly starting to get excited for Sunday’s Highland Games as people have had a long wait of seven decades, but it is finally going to arrive at Wallsgreen Park on Sunday starting at 12 noon.

Some of the highlights in a jam-packed programme include: 11.30 – wreath laying ceremonies at the war memorial in Woodend Road and the miners’ memorial in Bowhill Cemetery.

There will also be appearances by well known former Scotland football internationalists from Cardenden, both left wingers, Willie Johnston and Tommy Hutchison.

At 11.45am the parade, led by Lochgelly High School Pipe Band, will march down to Wallsgreen Park with the action officially starting at noon.

A full programme of athletics, including Scotland’s top sprinter, Greg Kelly, from East Kilbride, giving starts to all, will get the crowd on their toes.

Lochgelly man Don Campbell, Scotland’s top handicapper and member of the Games Committee, said: “We have runners from as far afield as Kendal, in the Lake District, to Inverness in the distance’s races.

“Our bikers will be on top form as they have been able to train through the Lockdowns and this will be their only competition this summer and on the 200 metres track it will be a fantastic sight.

“The dancers are in the same boat, and as its their only summer competition people will see many Scottish champions on display.

“Our Heavyweights Competition has a truly international flavour with the top Scots versus a couple of Czechoslovaks which could turn out to be an epic spectacle.

“The youth races will also be fiercely fought as a few of the Borders youngsters, fresh from medal winning performances at last week’s Scottish championships, are in attendance.

“Add to that one of the most keenly awaited and potentially vocally encouraged races will surely be the inter primary schools relay race with the local teams from Cardenden, Denend, Kinglassie and St.Ninian’s schools taking part.

“They will compete for the Michael Downey Shield and it will I’m sure become a keen annual event.”

Don added: “I’ve heard the schools have all been training hard for this race since they went back after the school holidays.

“Adding to the action-packed Programme there will also be kids and adults races during the afternoon."

A feature at Wallsgreen Park will be an appearance from the young miner! When the Games were last held in 1952, Bowhill Colliery was one of the biggest producers of the Black Diamonds in Fife and the crowd that day had hundreds of miners and their families attending.

So to bring a touch of the past to the Wallsgreen Park scene of 2021 will be around 10 primary school children dressed as miners.

It's all gearing up to a great day at ‘Bowhill Highland Games’.