The Northern Meeting is a gathering held in Inverness, Scotland, best known for its solo bagpiping competition in September.
The Northern Meeting was set up in 1798 "for the purpose of promoting a Social Intercourse", and early editions featured dinners, balls, concerts, and horse races.
[1][2] "An exhibition of Pipers and Dancers" was included in the 1841 meeting, and in 1848 the Highland Society of London donated a Gold Medal, after their own piping competition ceased in 1844.
[4] The Highland Games ceased to be run by the members of the Northern Meeting with the onset of World War II, and in 1946 the Northern Meeting Park was sold to Inverness Burgh Council who took over responsibility for running the Games and renamed it "The Inverness Highland Games"[3][5] The rooms were sold in 1962 and since then the Ball and piping competitions have been held in venues around Inverness, except for between 2005 and 2007 when the piping competition was held in Aviemore due to the renovation of Eden Court Theatre.
[7] The bicentenary in 1988 was celebrated with a week of events reminiscent of earlier gatherings, with the centre-piece being a ball at Beaufort Castle attended by 1000 people.