For 2021-22, the ambassador programme has gained huge traction with 15 schools signing up to be a part of the process. A training weekend took place on the 13th and 14th November with 30 ambassadors in attendance throughout the two days. In person training delivered by Active Advantage was a big part of their leadership training which will unquestionably help them move forward as the shinty leaders of tomorrow.

Anna Nicolson and Ross Donald from Dunoon Grammar said:

“We wanted to be Shinty Ambassadors so they can improve and create different shinty opportunities within our local area. We each bring our previous shinty experience, knowledge and skills to the role as Ambassadors and are excited to be shinty leaders.
The best thing about shinty is getting to play with your friends, not to mention winning games!”

Eilidh Cameron & Innes Cameron said:

“We are both experienced players and are determined to use our expertise to motivate others to participate in Shinty. We have a particular interest in increasing uptake among the younger years in the school and plan to introduce small, fun tournaments to help achieve this.”

Bught Park

The Bught Park is set to undergo a major redevelopment following work carried out in 2019 by the Camanachd Association that led to the development of a user group and a subsequent feasibility study that laid the foundations for a Highland Council funding application in October 2021 to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Levelling Up, the Union and Constitution wrote to the Leader of The Highland Council to advise that the bid for £19,856,253 to deliver the ‘Inverness Zero Carbon Cultural Regeneration’ project had been successful. The ‘Inverness Zero Carbon Cultural Regeneration’ project combines three independent, complementary schemes that will drive the environmental, cultural and economic regeneration of Inverness. The schemes located along the river in the heart of the city, in areas of deprivation, will provide transformational opportunities for both residents and visitors at a local,
regional and national level.

The Bught Park Stadium Complex is one of the three projects that also includes the Castle Project and the Northern Meeting park and the Bught Park is expected to receive in the region of £7.1M. Currently the facilities lack the infrastructure
required to drive footfall and revenue and the plan is to have an impact on culture by redeveloping the historic home of shinty with refurbished grandstand (incl. improved changing, spectator facilities), an interactive museum of shinty and event infrastructure to facilitate more large-scale outdoor events (up to 20,000 capacity).

Another exciting element to the project is the Net Zero: Ground Source Ambient Loop providing heat energy to the
Grandstand, Exhibition of Shinty, welfare facilities and scalable to supply other adjacent properties

Fort William

In 2021 the opening of a new youth pitch at Fort William was one of the major successes this year the first new shinty field in the area for many years was officially opened by Duncan and Rosemary MacPhee, dedicated to the memory of their late son and Fort William Junior shinty player, Fraser.

Laid out adjoining the main pitch at An Aird, an area of waste ground was turned into a purpose built training pitch which meets requirements for Junior League shinty matches and also boasts floodlight coverage making it one of only a few shinty parks in the Highlands to do so.

Bute

Elsewhere, Bute Shinty Club received ownership of The Meadows from the Mount Stuart Trust who generously donated the grounds to the club at no cost.

The Bute Shinty and Amateur Athletic Club Chairman, Barry Martin said: “This gift of the Meadows pitches will have a huge impact for the Isle of Bute Shinty Club. We are very much a community club with our clubhouse used for a huge range of events, with everything from Yoga Classes to Irish Dancing, weddings and funerals taking place here.