Shinty
Shinty is one of the oldest ball games in the world and, some say, that the origins of the sport lie in Scotland.
The game is a traditional sport of the Highlands but over time shinty has been exported to wherever Scots have settled around the world. The game is a cross between field hockey and lacrosse. Two teams with sticks compete to fire a ball into the back of their net, at either end of a grass pitch.
The Camanachd Association, or Comann na Camanachd in Gaelic, is the governing body for shinty and was established in 1893. The association, based in Inverness, presides over the game, its rules and regulations.
Scottish shinty players
One of the world’s most successful shinty players is Scotsman Ronald Ross. He is a renowned forward and the only man to have ever scored more than 1000 goals in the sport (so far). He’s broken many individual and team records, as part of the Kingussie’s first team. He was awarded an MBE for his services to shinty in 2011.
Shinty is a huge social sport in northern Scotland and you will frequently find family members playing on the same, or even opposite, teams. Ronald Ross’ father, Ian Ross, was a shinty coach and player and has also been awarded an MBE for services to the sport.
Shinty competition
Today, shinty competition in Scotland is based on a league promotion and relegation format. The competitive leagues are the Scottish Hydro Premier Division, the Marine Harvest League and the Women’s League.
The Scottish Hydro Premier Division has 10 teams and the Marine Harvest League is split into divisions 1, 2 and 3 for teams in the north and south of the country.
The shinty women’s league is a ten-a-side league with teams in the north, south, east and west of Scotland competing against each other for the Walker Cup.
The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup and the Scottish Hydro Premier Division Cup are the two main competitions in Scottish shinty.
Along with men’s and women’s teams, most regional Scottish shinty clubs have under 12s, under 14s and under 17s teams along with men’s and women’s teams. All clubs welcome new players and previous experience of playing shinty is not required. All that matters is that you are enthusiastic.
University Shinty Teams
There are seven universities in Scotland’s university shinty league including, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, St Andrews University, Strathclyde University, Robert Gordon University, the University of Dundee and the University of Abertay, also in Dundee.
Most university clubs have both a men’s and women’s teams and the only requirement for new players is that they attend the university as a full time student.
The Camanachd Association
View the The Camanachd Association YouTube channel
Shinty clubs in Scotland