The Cowal Highland Gathering is an annual Highland games event held in the Scottish town of Dunoon, Argyll, over the final weekend in August.

The Cowal Highland Gathering is an annual Highland games event held in the Scottish town of Dunoon, Argyll, over the final weekend in August. Also known as the Cowal Games, it is the largest Highland Gathering in the world.

Nowadays, the Cowal Games attracts more than 3,500 competitors, with many coming from overseas countries, including Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Dunoon regularly welcomes around 15,000 to 20,000 visitors for the Games, doubling the town's population for the weekend.

On the Saturday morning, on average, 150 pipe bands arrive to contest the Cowal Championships. The day starts with all the bands marching from Dunoon pier, up Argyll Street, Dunoon's main thoroughfare, to the stadium, a distance of approximately one mile. On completion of the day's events, the bands close the Gathering with the landmark ceremony which is unique to Cowal: the march-past and salute to the chieftain of the Games by 3,000 pipes and drums. The bands then march back to the pier, displaying the trophies they have won on the day.

As a result of the changes that the Gathering introduced for the 2007 event, and the positive feedback from competitors and spectators alike, discussions involving the RSPBA have resulted in a new three-year deal being agreed commencing with the 2008 Gathering.

The Cowal Gathering is host to some of the most prestigious highland dancing competitions in the world, including the World Championships. Around 750 dancers compete over the three days with many travelling from Canada the USA, Australia and New Zealand.

The Highlight is undoubtably the finals of the World Highland Dancing Championships which takes place on the Saturday of the event.