Shinty
Shinty or Camanachd is the native sport of Scotland. Its roots go right back beyond the first of the Gaelic people in Scotland to the beginnings of the Celtic race.
Introduced from Ireland over 2000 years ago it is one of the earliest sports in the world to still be played today.
Played with a small hard ball and a curved stick, it is a fast and physical sport not for the faint hearted! It appears similar to Hockey but as the stick has a triangular section it is a far more aerial game, striking the ball from the ground is much like driving a golf ball. Unlike hockey there is no restriction on raising the stick above shoulder height. In fact it is common to take the ball from the air with an overhead swing, much like an axe chop. It is easy to imagine how this can go when several people are after the same ball!
The rules are now standardised to two teams of 12, playing two halves of 45 minutes. But in its heyday when it truly was used as a relief for rivalries between clans and neighbours teams and pitches could reach epic proportions.
Described as the last truly gladiatorial sport in the UK it is now largely restricted to the Gaelic speaking areas, although most universities will also field a team. The combination of courage, skill, speed and a finely tuned survival
instinct are still obvious in a modern game and provide players with a proud link to their warrior forefathers.
The main competition is the Camanachd Cup Trophy which was instigated in 1895 and is still fiercely contested.
If shinty is being played, we will try and stop. It is not always possible as we sometimes have ferries to catch etc. but we will try!
