Visiting athletes will use East Caithness Community Campus during their stay for Mey Games

VISITING athletes taking part in this weekend’s Mey Highland and Cultural Games have been given the go-ahead to use facilities at the East Caithness Community Campus during their stay in the county.

This year the Mey Games will host its first Adaptive Highland Games, with veteran athletes travelling from Australia, the US and France as well as other parts of the UK.

The RBLS believes the occasion to be a first for veteran adpative sports in this country.

Following efforts by the RBLS, Tannach and District Community Council, Highland Council, Wick High School and High Life Highland, permission has now been granted for the visiting athletes to make use of the community campus facilities.

Councillors representing the Wick and East Caithness issued a statement saying: “This was a very unusual request which introduced quite a logistical challenge for all the organisations involved with running the campus, but everyone felt it is such a special occasion it would be wrong not to rise to the challenge. We would like to sincerely thank High Life Highland in particular for what has been an outstanding demonstration of community spirit, and congratulate the RBLS on its tireless efforts in organising what we are sure will be a very successful Mey Games."

Captain Richard Otley, chairman of the RBLS Wick, Canisbay and Latheron branch, said: “Two years ago our committee began a process to change and reinvigorate the Mey Games, Scotland’s only veteran-organised games. We wanted to find a sustainable framework to support our Caithness veterans and maintain our core RBLS trinity of values remembrance, welfare and fellowship.

“The result is this year’s RBLS Mey Highland and Cultural Games, including the first Adaptive Highland Games. For this we received outstanding support from Invictus Games, Help for Heroes and the Returned Services League of Australia. The eyes of the world will truly be upon Caithness on Saturday, August 4.”