Caber Toss
Photos by Amy Kenneley

The caber toss is a traditional Scottish athletic event practiced at the Scottish Highland Games involving the tossing of a large wooden pole called a caber. It is said to have developed from the need to toss logs across narrow chasms to cross them.

In Scotland the caber is usually made from a Larch pine tree. A caber typically is 19 feet 6 inches (5.94 m) tall and weighs 175 pounds (79 kg).

Caber Toss at 2011 Ohio Scottish Games

If the throw is not perfect, it is scored by viewing the caber as though it were the hour hand on a clock. A perfect toss is 12:00. A caber pointing to 11:00 would yield a better score than one pointing to 10:30 but would be the equivalent of 1:00.