British soldiers show the Americans how it's done as they host Highland Games in Afghanistan (all washed down with haggis and Irn-Bru)

Morale boost for forces after recent deaths of three comrades

They're thousands of miles from Scotland but that didn't stop soldiers, sailors and airmen stationed in Afghanistan letting off steam and celebrating their own Highland Games.

They used rocks from the desert as improvised 'shots' at the fun event, held at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province, with armed forces from the UK and the USA taking part.

It came as a morale boost for the forces, taking place days after two soldiers from 2 SCOTS and another from the 51st Highland 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (7 SCOTS) were killed in Helmand Province.

Nice technique: More than 100 soldiers stationed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, took place in their own Highland Games

Corporal William Savage, 30, Fusilier Samuel Flint, 21, (2 SCOTS) and Private Robert Hetherington, 25, (7 SCOTS) were part of a patrol when their Mastiff armoured vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device on 30 April.

All the participants in the games were dressed in kilts which were shipped from home, purchased online, or homemade.

A piper from The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 SCOTS), played a range of traditional pipe music throughout the fun.

Due to the busy work schedule in Afghanistan the games, which took place on May 3, were just two hours long with three events held - tossing the caber, the kettle bell throw, and shot putt using round Afghan rocks from the desert.

The participants were split into three groups and spent half an hour at each event taking three attempts to produce their best attempt throw at each.

Special t-shirts were worn which were designed and ordered from a company in the US.

That's the spirit: One soldier gets a reminder of home with a refreshing Scottish soft drink during the fun event

Hankering for haggis: A soldier can't seem to wait to tuck into the Scottish delicacy after the exertions of the games

The games came as a moral boost after three of the soldiers' comrades were killed last month

Fusilier Samuel Flint, Corporal William Thomas Savage and Private Robert Murray Hetherington were tragically killed on duty last month



Prizes were handed out to winners at a ceremony following the games and the forces lunched on haggis, which was piped in with the 'Address to the Haggis' recited by William Garrick, the Regimental Sergeant Major from 2 SCOTS, and cut with a bayonet.

The haggis was washed down with cans of Irn Bru.