What is "highland fling"

Highland \High"land\, n. Elevated or mountainous land; (often in the pl.) an elevated region or country; as, the Highlands of Scotland.

Highland fling, a dance peculiar to the Scottish Highlanders; a sort of hornpipe.

n. a vigorous Scottish reel

The Highland Fling is a solo Highland dance that gained popularity in the early 19th century. The word 'Fling' means literally a movement in dancing. In John Jamieson's Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, 1808, Highland Fling was defined as 'one species of movement' in dancing, not just one particular movement. There is some speculation that the first solo Highland Fling dances simply showed off steps that individual dancers preferred in the Strathspey Reel, a social dance.

This dance is now performed at dance competitions and events around the world. One goal of dancers today is to stay in the same spot throughout the dance. The Highland Fling is danced at almost all competition levels, from Primary to Premier. It is also performed for Highland and Theory examinations. Dancers wear the standard kilt outfit to perform this dance. It is in time.

A version of a Fling in a percussive dance style was remembered and danced by John Gillis in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, and those steps were written down in 1957 by Frank Rhodes. Each step was preceded by a travelling step in a circular pathway danced to the first part of the tune Sterling Castle, while the individual Fling steps were danced to the second part of the tune.

The Highland Fling is referenced in the lyrics of Harlem hot jazz musician Harry Gibson's 1947 hit, "Who put the Benzedrine in Mrs. Murphy's Ovaltine?"

Highland Fling was a New Zealand bred Standardbred racehorse. He is notable in that he won two New Zealand Trotting Cup races, the richest harness race, and sometimes the richest horse race in New Zealand. Highland Fling was a leading performer in the years 1947 and 1948. He won the 1948 New Zealand Trotting Cup with a handicap of 60 yards.

Highland Fling was the winner of the last race he contested. He retired with an unequalled record at the time. Highland Fling not only held the world's two-mile record, and the 2:10 race record as a two-year-old. He bettered 2.00 on three occasions, his best being 1:57.8, and he held the world's grass track record of 2:00 for a mile.

As a two year old Highland Fling won the Great Northern Stakes in Auckland on debut in 1945 and also won the Timaru Nursery Stakes. He was second in the Great Northern Derby in 1946 at age three.

As a four year old Highland Fling developed bad barrier manners spoiling his chances of winning races and he was transferred to the stables of Leo Berkett who reduced the amount of gear (equipment) that he was wearing. His form improved with Berkett and he won six of his last eleven starts as a four year old and he effortlessly won the 1947 New Zealand Trotting Cup by two lengths at age five. In the 1947-48 season Highland Fling also won the Wellington Cup, Otago Free For All and Rattray Handicap and £15,835 for the season which was a record for any horse in New Zealand. In the 1948 Inter Dominion at Alexandra Park he won a heat by 3 lengths on the second day in a time for 3:09.8 which was a New Zealand record for a 1 ½ mile race but he was unplaced in the final won by Emulous.

In 1948-49 Highland Fling won the New Zealand Trotting Cup for a second time passing Gloaming as the leading stakeswinner in New Zealand for either the thoroughbred or Standardbred breed. His winning time in the Cup of 4:10 3/5 was the fastest two mile time in the world and he overcame a 60 yards handicap to win. He then raced two separate miles against the clock at Addington. In the first he paced the mile in 1:59 2/5 equalling the Australasian record of Lawn Derby set in 1938 and then in the second mile he established a new record of 1:57 4/5. The quarter mile times were 29, 58.2 and 1:28.3. On the same day as the second mile time trial he won the Premier Sprint Championship. In two further time trials he broke the track record at Forbury Park, Dunedin with a 1:58 mile and in February 1949 he paced 2:00 for a mile on grass, a record for a grass track. There was interest from the United States in attracting Highland Fling to race in lucrative races at Hollywood Park, California but it did not eventuate as the owners preferred to attempt to win a third New Zealand Cup. In April 1949 he beat Captain Sandy at Addington but a broken bone in a leg ended his career.

In his career Highland Fling won 25 races with 6 second and 4 third placings from 70 starts and £32,920.

He stood at stud in New South Wales and Victoria where he sired many winners. He died in June 1975.

Highland Fling was an inaugural inductee into the New Zealand Trotting Hall of Fame with the immortals Caduceus, Cardigan Bay, Harold Logan, Johnny Globe and Ordeal.

Highland Fling is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Manning Haynes and starring Charlie Naughton, Jimmy Gold and Frederick Bradshaw. It was made as a quota quickie by the British subsidiary of 20th Century Fox at Wembley Studios. Two incompetent detective search for a missing document at the Highland Games.