Celebrating the history and culture of Scots in North Carolina, it is among the first and largest modern Highland games established in the United States.
Competitions and displays take place in Scottish styles of piping, drumming, costume, dance, and traditional sports.
At first, many groups kept to the eastern shores of North Carolina, but as populations in the states rose, many went west in search of farm land and more space.
The most famous Scottish resident of North Carolina was Flora Macdonald, who immigrated the then-colony after the battle of Culloden and lived in Harnett County from 1774 to 1778.
The Scots kept their Highland culture alive in the United States, speaking Scottish Gaelic among their families and in church.
Donald MacDonald's vision for the games was based on the Royal Braemar Gathering, which he'd attended a few years before in Scotland in 1954.
It was special in many ways, by boasting an oval track in which traditional foot races could be held, along with the heavy events in the inner field.
The MacRae family owned the land where the games were held at the foot of Grandfather Mountain in Linville, North Carolina.
The MacRae family actually founded the town of Linville in 1892 and had always wanted to have a Highland gathering there, even if just a small event.
Knowing his dedication to Scottish culture, Morton set out to convince him to help her start Highland games in North Carolina.
MacDonald agreed and the first games were held on August 19, 1956, on the anniversary of the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie in Scotland and the beginning of the Jacobite rising of 1745.
The stated mission for the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games is: To carry on and promote the annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans, to foster and restore interest in traditional dancing, piping, drumming, athletic achievement, music and Gaelic culture, and to establish scholarship funds to assist students from Avery County High School to study at American colleges and universities.The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games is one of the largest in the country, continuously drawing a crowd of over 30,000.
The United States Inter-regional Championship has been held at the games twice in the past, thanks to retired dance director Anne Andrews.
In addition to the competitive games, one of the crowd favorites is the exhibitions of sheep herding with border collies on the playing field.
There is an extensive summer school for bagpiping and drumming during the weeks leading up to and after the games at the historic Conference Center in Valle Crucis, North Carolina.
At each Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, there are numerous vendors selling items such as kilts, hats, swords, and daggers.
There are also vendors selling packaged food that is difficult to find in the US such as Cadbury candy, shepherds pie mix, and Highland honey.