Major boost for ‘Shinty’s Story – Sgeul na Camanachd’ exhibition plan as Camanachd Association secures National Lottery support
Plans for a permanent exhibition telling the story of Shinty – its history, culture and people – have secured crucial development support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Camanachd Association has announced the award of more than £180,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund as it launches a call for the community to come forward with their stories and memories to help shape ‘Shinty’s Story – Sgeul na Camanachd’, a bilingual exhibition set to celebrate the rich history of Scotland’s community sport.
The Heritage Fund grant will support development, planning, and content creation for ‘Shinty’s Story – Sgeul na Camanachd’
The exhibition will be housed at Bught Park, Inverness in the new pavilion recently completed by The Highland Council.
This initial grant represents a significant milestone in the journey to create an engaging and immersive space that captures the essence of shinty through stories, artefacts, and visual displays.
Camanachd Association Finance Director Alister MacKinnon expressed his excitement at this crucial step, stating, “This grant marks the beginning of an exciting journey to bring shinty’s story to life in a way that will resonate with generations to come. We’re looking forward to creating a space that will both educate and inspire.”
Former Camanachd Association President and current Heritage Chair Steven MacKenzie encouraged the wider shinty community to get involved during the consultation phase. “Over the next six weeks, we are inviting shinty clubs, players, and, vitally, the wider public to share their stories and contribute ideas as to how they want to be represented. By engaging with this process, we can ensure the exhibition is as inclusive as possible.”
Aarron Duncan-MacLeod, Marketing and Communications Manager, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to National Lottery players. Without their support, this important heritage project would not be possible.”
Cllr Ian Brown, Leader of Inverness City and Area and Chair of the Levelling Up Fund Programme Board, said, “The Highland Council and High Life Highland are delighted to have played a role in supporting the ‘Shinty’s Story – Sgeul na Camanachd’ project.”
“This project will not only celebrate the rich heritage of shinty but ties in perfectly with the transformation of Inverness Castle, both projects reflect our commitment to preserving and promoting our traditions, and we look forward to seeing how they will inspire future generations.”
The Camanachd Association is currently collecting stories and memories from the community to help shape the exhibition. You can have your say by filling out the form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsRt-DEudhD2AmLrFFsy086Qu-DYh9a8Rx9br_UTCrKaErKw/viewform?pli=1 or by emailing Aarron Duncan-MacLeod at aarron.macleod@shinty.com with any stories, objects, or ideas.
The development support of £188,518 is the first part of the two-stage funding process applied to many of the larger projects supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Camanachd Association plans would see second stage Delivery funding in place for the grand opening of ‘Shinty’s Story – Sgeul na Camanachd’ to coincide with the lead-up to the 2025 Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final at Bught Park.
As this grant is specifically for heritage projects, the funding cannot be redirected towards other initiatives.
