A RECORD number of 768 dancers from all over the world were among hundreds of competitors at this year’s Cowal Highland Games.

The three-day event has been declared as “the best in recent years” with thousands of spectators travelling to Dunoon for the Games and thousands more watching via an online live stream.

Dancers from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the USA flew into Scotland to compete in the World Championship finals, one of the biggest Highland dancing competitions in the world.

Beret Dernbach from California emerged victorious in the World Juvenile finals, followed by Robyn McMillan from Lanark with Rosey Watt from Macduff coming in third. The trophy for best Scottish Juvenile Dancer went to Robyn McMillan.

In the World Junior championship, Michelle Gordon from Huntly held off the challenge of Erin Blair from California and Morgan McDougall from Whitby who came third.

The best Scottish Junior Dancer was Michelle Gordon of Huntly, and the trophy for best Overseas Junior Dancer went to Erin Blair, California.

The Adult World Champion was Marielle Lesperance from Nova Scotia, followed by Rebecca Thow from Alberta and Siobhan Watt from Glasgow.

Marielle Lesperance is also taking home the Mary McHarg Quaich for best Overseas Adult Dancer. The cup for best Scottish Adult Dancer went to Siobhan Watt.

In the Argyllshire Highland Dancing competitions, top honours went to Eilidh Gammons from Helensburgh (under 13), with Isla Flint from Helensburgh winning the under 16 category and Linzi Cameron from Campbeltown triumphing in the 16 years and over.

One of the highlights of the Gathering’s final day on Saturday – and one of the most fiercely contested – was the Cowal Pipe Band Championship.

This year, Johnstone Pipe Band managed to hold off the challenge of Lomond and Clyde to be crowned winners of the Grade 1 Cowal Pipe Band Championships 2018.

Oban High School Pipe Band took the Juvenile trophy.

Meanwhile in the International Heavy Athletics Team competition, Scotland eventually carried off the trophy with Germany coming runners up.

In the overall individual heavy athletics, Daniel Carlin from Livingston triumphed in the men’s competition, with Daniel Dorow from Germany in second and Martin Schiller from Austria third.

In the women’s event, Lucy Marshall from England beat off the challenge of Christina Scheffaur from Austria and Rachel Hunter from Scotland who was third.

The Cowal Hill Race was won by 40-year-old Gavin Whiteside from Inverness while the winner of the women’s race was Katherine Sims of Dunoon Hill Runners.

Cowal Highland Gathering chair Ronnie Cairns said this year’s event would go down as the best in recent times.

He added: “A huge thank you must also go to the thousands of people who have come out to support the gathering over the last three days.

“We’ve welcomed spectators not just from Argyll and Scotland but from all corners of the UK and of course our international visitors who have travelled many thousands of miles, just to be with us.”