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Strathdearn Shinty Club

A HISTORY OF STRATHDEARN SHINTY

The district of Strathdearn has always been synonymous with  highland pursuits such as Dancing and the sport of Shinty. Often when such entertainments were mentioned in newspaper reports in other areas,  the standard displayed on the day would refer to have done credit to the district of Strathdearn or Strathspey.  One of the most famous stories of Shinty in times long ago concerns a contest  in Strathdearn .

Near the picturesque Kirk of Dalarossie on the bank of the river Findhorn Inverness-shire, two families, the Shaw's of Strathnairn and the Mackintoshes of Strathdearn arranged to have a game of shinty on Christmas Day but when the Mackintoshes found out that Christmas Day would fall on the Sabbath, they called the game off. The Shaw's were not so easily put off and when the Mackintoshes did not show up, the Shaw's split themselves into two teams and played the game themselves. It seemed as though no harm had come as a result of breaking the Sabbath. They were tragically mistaken, for every man who had played, died during the course of the following year. Legend has it that the ghostly shinty players return to Dalarossie every Christmas that falls on a Sunday to play their game at dead of night on the same field next to the Kirk.    

Shinty in Strathdearn goes back to the early part of the 19th century when the hails were placed seven miles apart, one at Garbole Brae and the other at Freeburn Inn. Christmas Day (then on January 5) and New Year's Day (January 12) were the occasions of the matches. Also, as the Strathdearn correspondent of the Inverness Courier reported, a team from the Strathdearn and Strathnairn parishes used to meet the Inverness lads in friendly rivalry with a game of Camack at Drakies on New Year's Day. The Braes team won in 1820 but the Invernessians had their revenge the following year.

Later in the century there was a lapse of nine years before the game was revived on January 1, 1896, at upper Strathdearn when 58 players turned out. The sides were picked by Allan Mackintosh, Braes, and Alick Fraser, Glen Kyllachy. A well-contested game ended in a draw, three hails apiece.

After this game a meeting was held to form a club, the name of which was the Strathdearn Shinty Club. In season 1897-98 Strathdearn joined the Camanachd Association although they did not enter the Camanachd Cup. They did, however, compete in the Mac-ravish Cup losing to Foyers and the next year to Inverness, both in the first rounds.

Between 1900 and 1910 there are no reports of Strathdearn playing organised shinty, so one can assume only l that the club ceased to exist between these years. With the introduction of the Strathdearn Camanachd Cup, presented by Colonel George MacKintosh CB to be contested by teams representing the districts between Dalnain Water and Loch Ness-side, the club re-formed.

In the first round of the Cup Strathdearn disposed of Cameron Highlanders by 10 hails to one but in the final they met stiffer opposition in Inverness, losing by five hails to one.

The 1912 season saw Strathdearn also competing in the Campbell Trophy only to lose to Kingussie Snowdrops in the first round. However, in the Strathdearn Cup they defeated Duthhill (Carrbridge) by three hails to one to reach the final at Victoria Park, Inverness, against Foyers who won by two hails to one after extra time.

In 1913 Strathdearn again reached the final by beating Inverness by four hails to three at Tomatin on a pitch that in parts was up to six inches deep in snow. In the final, however, Strathdearn lost by six hails to nil against Foyers.

In 1923 to encourage the youth of the area, Strathdearn entered an Under 15 team in a six-a-side competition at Beauly and came runners-up. At this time the Sir William Sutherland Cup for junior teams was in progress but Strathdearn continued to contest the Strathdearn Cup only.

After an absence of eight years from the final, Strathdearn came up against the much-fancied Strathglass team, the holders, in 1930 at Beauty. It was to the great delight of their supporters when Strathdearn captain George Campbell received the cup from W.J.Cameron, Flichity, after victory by three hails to two. After 15 attempts the Strathdearn Camanachd Cup was at last on its way to Strathdearn.

The donor of the cup, Colonel MacKintosh, showed his appreciation of the club's success by presenting each member of the team with an inscribed silver medal. In 1932, the final was again reached against holders Strathconon who beat Strathdearn by a single hail. The final of 1933 was also reached by defeating Inverness and Boleskine en route.

Their opponents at Beauly were adversaries of the previous year, Strathconon who won again by four hails to two after extra time, the score at the end of normal time having been 1 - 1 .

In the next couple of years Strathdearn did not progress as far and in seasons 1935-36 and a 1936-37 were not able to field a team at all. The following two seasons Strathdearn re-entered the cup and also played for a couple of years after World War Two, then the club finally ceased to take an active part in Shinty.

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 Perhaps if they had  followed the example people of Laggan who used to play shinty on the Sunday before the Kirk round about  1747 with the minister Duncan Macpherson joining in as well then they all adjourned for Sabbath service, the Shaw’s would have survive the following year .

 Shinty in Strathdearn goes back to the early part of the 19th century when the hails were placed seven miles apart, one at Garbole Brae and the other at Freeburn Inn. Christmas Day (then on January 5) and New Year's Day (January 12) were the occasions of the matches.

In Strathdearn Shinty was played at New Year, the ball was hit off the high road ,The boundary between Moy & Dalrossie it was then played over walls and fields and ditches until it was too dark to see , or until it ended up in a free fight ,almost the entire male population joining in the fray . The celebrations that took place after the game were far from pussyfoot  

ry weather . 

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