YOUNG Highland dancers from across Scotland and further afield took to the floor at this year’s Bute Highland Games, with competitors battling it out across a wide range of age groups and categories.
The annual event, held on Saturday, August 22, once again attracted a strong field of dancers to the island, with local competitors from Rothesay, Port Bannatyne and Kingarth joined by dancers from across Scotland and international entrants.
There was plenty of success for dancers from the island, with Rothesay and Port Bannatyne competitors featuring prominently throughout the results.
The youngest competitors opened proceedings in the Primary sections, with dancers as young as four taking part in the Pas de Basques and Pas de Basques and Highland Fling competitions.
Olivia Bell of Dunoon took first place in both four-year-old Pas de Basques competitions, while Hannah MacDonald of Inveraray dominated the five-year-old Primary section, winning the Pas de Basques, Pas de Basques and Highland Fling.
Mia Soane enjoyed a successful day among the six-year-olds, taking first place in both Pas de Basques competitions, while Myah McCubbin claimed victories in the Highland Fling and Sword Dance.
The Beginners and Novice sections saw further strong performances from Bute-based dancers. Dasha Ivanova, Emily Wood, Leya McMillan and Sara Gero all took top honours in their respective classes, while dancers from Rothesay and Port Bannatyne featured heavily throughout the placings.
In the Intermediate categories, Sophia Osborne of Oban and Emma Litster of Lochgilphead claimed first place, with local dancers Jessica Muir, Cozy Allan, Aurora Pattison, Ella-May McInairnie and Isabella McGoldrick among those securing podium finishes.
The Premier Confined competitions also produced strong results, with Layla McFarlane, Maia Malai, Olivia Durrant, Ella Docherty and Kayla Crowe featuring in the 12-years-and-under section. Sophie Mellor of Port Bannatyne won the 13-years-and-over class, ahead of Kingarth’s Isabella Gray.
There was also a Male Confined section, with Ollie Henderson of Edmonton taking first place.
The Bute Championship provided a particularly international field, with dancers travelling from across Scotland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Aoife Purves of Edmonton won the 7-9 years championship, while Alyona Stephenson of Grangemouth took the 10-11 years title.
Ella Quigg of Inverclyde was victorious in the 12-13 years section, with Sadie Love of Alberta winning the 14 years category.
Korri McMillan of Campbeltown took the 15 years title, while Lucy McMaster of Carluke claimed first place among the 16-17-year-olds.
The 18 years championship was won by Eilidh Gammons of Helensburgh, with Rothesay’s Lucy Brown finishing fourth.
With competitors travelling considerable distances to take part, the championship once again demonstrated the wide appeal of Bute Highland Games and the continued popularity of Highland dancing.
Bute Highland Games 2026 Highland Dancing results
Primary (4 years)
Pas de Basques: 1 – Olivia Bell (Dunoon); 2 – Sophia Bowie (Dunoon); 3 – Theia Neil (Port Bannatyne); 4 – Sophia McGowan (Rothesay); 5 – Henry Dalton (Rothesay).
Pas de Basques and H.C: 1 – Olivia Bell (Dunoon); 2 – Sophia McGowan (Rothesay); 3 – Sophia Bowie (Dunoon); 4 – Theia Neil (Port Bannatyne).
Primary (5 years)
Pas de Basques: 1 – Hannah MacDonald (Inveraray); 2 – Iris Mary Docherty (Rothesay); 3 – Summer Sprowl (Rothesay); 4 – Amina Handzoshyn (Rothesay); 5 – Iona Zavaroni (Rothesay); 5 – Jasmine Tranter Rodenhurst (Rothesay); 7 – Bailey Bussey (Rothesay).
Pas de Basques and H.C: 1 – Hannah MacDonald (Inveraray); 2 – Iris Mary Docherty (Rothesay); 3 – Summer Sprowl (Rothesay); 4 – Jasmine Tranter Rodenhurst (Rothesay); 5 – Iona Zavaroni (Rothesay); 6 – Amina Handzoshyna (Rothesay).
Highland Fling: 1 – Hannah MacDonald (Inveraray); 2 – Iris Mary Docherty (Rothesay).
Primary (6 years)
Pas de Basques: 1 – Mia Soane (Rothesay); 2 – Ehra O’Connor (Rothesay); 3 – Grace Hendry (Rothesay); 4 – Myah McCubbin (Rothesay).
Pas de Basques and H.C: 1 – Mia Soane (Rothesay); 2 – Myah McCubbin (Rothesay); 3 – Grace Hendry (Rothesay); 4 – Ehra O’Connor (Rothesay).
Highland Fling: 1 – Myah McCubbin (Rothesay); 2 – Ehra O’Connor (Rothesay); 3 – Grace Hendry (Rothesay).
Sword Dance: 1 – Myah McCubbin (Rothesay); 2 – Grace Hendry (Rothesay).
Beginners (7 years and under): 1 – Lily Clark (Inveraray); 2 – Emelie McFarlane (Rothesay); 3 – Mia McGregor (Rothesay); 4 – Darcey Bryson (Rothesay); 5 – Ellie Hatton-McMillan (Rothesay); 6 – Ariana Bowie (Dunoon).
Beginners (8-9 years): 1 – Dasha Ivanova (Rothesay); 2 – Ellie McGregor (Port Bannatyne); 3 – Alaina Thomas (Rothesay); 4 – Nairne Somerville (Rothesay); 5 – Autumn McTaggart (Rothesay); 6 – Sophie Caley (Rothesay).
Beginners (10 years and over): 1 – Emily Wood (Inveraray); 2 – Katherine MacCuish (Oban); 3 – Kali Rutherford (Rothesay); 4 – Sophia Cairns (Rothesay); 5 – Ayla Keith (Rothesay); 6 – Arabella Elliott (Rothesay).
Novice (8-10 years): 1 – Leya McMillan (Rothesay); 2 – Eva Sprowl (Rothesay); 3 – Lucy Matilda Clark (Inveraray); 4 – Bonnie Purdon (Helensburgh); 5 – Gracie-Mae Bryson (Rothesay); 6 – Eilidh MacDonald (Cairndow).
Novice (11-16 years): 1 – Sara Gero (Rothesay); 2 – Addison Northey (Rothesay); 3 – Chloe Kristina Jamison (Rothesay); 4 – Anna Gemmell (Oban); 5 – Rachel Hunter (Rothesay); 6 – Orlaith Collings (Dunoon).
Intermediate (12 years and under): 1 – Sophia Osborne (Oban); 2 – Jessica Muir (Rothesay); 3 – Cozy Allan (Rothesay); 4 – Aurora Pattison (Rothesay); 5 – Poppy Gray (Kingarth); 6 – Jessica-Dawn Hatton-McMillan (Rothesay).
Intermediate (14 years and over): 1 – Emma Litster (Lochgilphead); 2 – Ella-May McInairnie (Rothesay); 3 – Isabella McGoldrick (Port Bannatyne); 4 – Lola-Jane McMillan (Rothesay).
Premier Confined (12 years and under): 1 – Olivia Moffat (Helensburgh); 2 – Layla McFarlane (Rothesay); 3 – Maia Malai (Campbeltown); 3 – Olivia Durrant (Rothesay); 5 – Ella Docherty (Rothesay); 6 – Kayla Crowe (Benmore).
Premier Confined (13 years and over): 1 – Sophie Mellor (Port Bannatyne); 2 – Isabella Gray (Kingarth); 3 – Sophie McFarlane (Rothesay); 4 – Ashlyn Williamson (Rothesay); 5 – Alyssia McDermid (Rothesay).
Male Confined (Under 16 years): 1 – Ollie Henderson (Edmonton).
Bute Championship
7-9 Years: 1 – Aoife Purves (Edmonton); 2 – London Webb (Toronto); 3 – Isla McKeown (Ontario); 4 – Etta Humphrey (Peterborough); 5 – Amber Richardson (Laurencekirk); 6 – Kyah Murray (New Zealand).
10-11 Years: 1 – Alyona Stephenson (Grangemouth); 2 – Sophie Strachan (Forfar); 3 – Rose Van Steenkiste (Michigan); 4 – Naomi Gilfillan (Annan); 5 – Innes O’Connor (Wisconsin); 6 – Gracie Whyte (Monifieth).
12-13 Years: 1 – Ella Quigg (Inverclyde); 2 – Piper Lindsay (Braco); 3 – Georgia Dow (Helensburgh); 4 – Abigail McAllister (Campbeltown); 5 – Ollie Henderson (Alberta); 6 – Eilidh Roarty (Innaloo).
14 Years: 1 – Sadie Love (Alberta); 2 – Lucy Funnell (Glenrothes); 3 – Farrah Lindsay (Paisley); 4 – Mackenzie Gill (Vermont); 5 – Ruby Alexander (Dartmouth); 6 – Isla Jean Brake (Alberta).
15 Years: 1 – Korri McMillan (Campbeltown); 2 – Erin Loubser (Queensland); 3 – Brooke Hayne (Nova Scotia); 4 – Millie Cameron (Ocean Reef); 5 – Sophia Matthews (Lisarow); 6 – Maelle Naime (Nova Scotia).
16-17 Years: 1 – Lucy McMaster (Carluke); 2 – Ellie Murgha (Queensland); 3 – Ellie Kilfedder (Tranent); 4 – Gracelynn Simms (Alberta); 5 – Rosemary Walker (North Carolina); 6 – Sam Synishin (Antigonish).
18 Years: 1 – Eilidh Gammons (Helensburgh); 2 – Alice Gill (Victoria); 3 – Katjana Bruinsma (Alberta); 4 – Lucy Brown (Rothesay); 5 – Willow Brown (Newmachar); 6 – Lucy Edwards (South Australia).
