Boleskine Camanachd
Encyclopedia
Boleskine Camanachd is a shinty
club from Loch Ness
-side, Scotland
. They play in the Marine Harvest North Division Three, at present they also have a thriving Junior team. The club in its present form has existed as such since 1953.
, the team played at various venues throughout the Stratherrick area, a glen which lies barely two miles to the south of the village of Foyers
, running parallel with The Great Glen. A team from Foyers was formed in 1898 after the completion of The British Aluminium
production works at the village in 1894. These teams ran concurrently and met on many occasions over the period leading up to the first amalgamation of these teams in the late summer of 1927. It was hoped that a local team would be produced from the amalgamation, which could take on the best in Scottish shinty.
Stratherrick had been a member of the senior ranks in shinty since 1920, but without making a sustained impact on the game at national level and for a first few years of the twenties had also fielded a successful junior team. Foyers had also contested in both the senior and junior ranks, competing in the Camanachd Cup
for five years since 1921 and the MacTavish Cup
since 1920. Their junior side had been successful in the Strathdearn cup and the feeling locally was that a combination of the best players from each club, would be hard to match at any level of shinty! The resulting team was called Boleskine.
The newly formed team reached the final of the Camanachd Cup
in their very first season, 1928, going down heavily to Kyles Athletic by 6 goals to 2 at Glasgow, despite leading by 2 goals to1 in the first half. The club continued in the senior shinty ranks reaching three consecutive senior shinty finals in the early thirties. Despite this apparent strength Boleskine was technically dissolved in early 1934 when a breakaway team called Foyers entered and won the Strathdearn cup . Season 34-35 Foyers reformed and rejoined the junior ranks , Stratherrick reformed in 36-37 season, both continuing to play as separate entities until the Second World War. Following the war Stratherrick and their near neighbours to the east, Strathnairn
, combined to form Straths Athletic who, along with the reformed Foyers team played in Junior competitions over the next few seasons.
At the start of season 1953-54 the teams again amalgamated to form Boleskine and have competed since that date under this name. The team has remained as one unit and has drawn its players from the surrounding areas covered by the individual teams.
The club went into abeyance for a year in the 1970s but Jim Chisholm, who died in 2011, was a driving force in ensuring the club rejoined the leagues within a year. http://www.shinty.com/news/jim-chisholm-boleskine/
During the eighties and into the early nineties the team was mostly made up from local players, the last generation to be born in the area when the British Aluminium or The Hydro Electric Board, brought full employment to the area. In the last few years some of the older players have been forced to retire from the game but have remained within the club structure. With this experience and dedication to the local team, they have begun to implement a youth team development policy, encouraging local youngsters to take up the sport with the aim of nurturing home grown talent.
In season 2002-2003 the club moved from the area's traditional, yet deteriorating, home since the fifties, Factory Field, Foyers, to a new purpose built shinty field at Smith Park, Inverarnie.
In 2007 the senior team was relegated to North Division Three and finished 3rd in that league in 2008. They finished 6th in 2009 and Bob Black was replaced by Gus Fraser as manager.
Shinty
Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands, and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas in the...
club from Loch Ness
Loch Ness
Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...
-side, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. They play in the Marine Harvest North Division Three, at present they also have a thriving Junior team. The club in its present form has existed as such since 1953.
History
Boleskine Camanachd has been in existence in one form or another for over 100 years. Initially called StratherrickStratherrick
Stratherrick is a strath, a wide and shallow valley, situated above the south-eastern shore of Loch Ness, in the Scottish Highlands, Scotland. Much of the strath is covered by Loch Mhòr...
, the team played at various venues throughout the Stratherrick area, a glen which lies barely two miles to the south of the village of Foyers
Foyers
Foyers is the name of a village in the Highland local government council area of Scotland, lying on the east shore of Loch Ness...
, running parallel with The Great Glen. A team from Foyers was formed in 1898 after the completion of The British Aluminium
British Aluminium
The aluminium producer British Aluminium Ltd was originally formed as the British Aluminium Company Ltd on 7 May 1894 and was subsequently known as British Alcan Aluminium Plc...
production works at the village in 1894. These teams ran concurrently and met on many occasions over the period leading up to the first amalgamation of these teams in the late summer of 1927. It was hoped that a local team would be produced from the amalgamation, which could take on the best in Scottish shinty.
Stratherrick had been a member of the senior ranks in shinty since 1920, but without making a sustained impact on the game at national level and for a first few years of the twenties had also fielded a successful junior team. Foyers had also contested in both the senior and junior ranks, competing in the Camanachd Cup
Camanachd Cup
The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup AKA the Camanachd Cup or Scottish Cup is the premier prize in the sport of shinty...
for five years since 1921 and the MacTavish Cup
MacTavish Cup
The MacTavish Cup is a knock-out cup competition in the sport of shinty. It is competed for by senior teams from the North of Scotland district...
since 1920. Their junior side had been successful in the Strathdearn cup and the feeling locally was that a combination of the best players from each club, would be hard to match at any level of shinty! The resulting team was called Boleskine.
The newly formed team reached the final of the Camanachd Cup
Camanachd Cup
The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup AKA the Camanachd Cup or Scottish Cup is the premier prize in the sport of shinty...
in their very first season, 1928, going down heavily to Kyles Athletic by 6 goals to 2 at Glasgow, despite leading by 2 goals to1 in the first half. The club continued in the senior shinty ranks reaching three consecutive senior shinty finals in the early thirties. Despite this apparent strength Boleskine was technically dissolved in early 1934 when a breakaway team called Foyers entered and won the Strathdearn cup . Season 34-35 Foyers reformed and rejoined the junior ranks , Stratherrick reformed in 36-37 season, both continuing to play as separate entities until the Second World War. Following the war Stratherrick and their near neighbours to the east, Strathnairn
Strathnairn
Strathnairn lies 8 miles South West of Inverness and borders the Monadhliath Mountains. The Strath's borders reach to the north where Clava cairn and the Culloden Battlefield lie, following the River Nairn south through Daviot, Farr, Brin, Croachy, and finally ending near Dunmaglass....
, combined to form Straths Athletic who, along with the reformed Foyers team played in Junior competitions over the next few seasons.
At the start of season 1953-54 the teams again amalgamated to form Boleskine and have competed since that date under this name. The team has remained as one unit and has drawn its players from the surrounding areas covered by the individual teams.
The club went into abeyance for a year in the 1970s but Jim Chisholm, who died in 2011, was a driving force in ensuring the club rejoined the leagues within a year. http://www.shinty.com/news/jim-chisholm-boleskine/
During the eighties and into the early nineties the team was mostly made up from local players, the last generation to be born in the area when the British Aluminium or The Hydro Electric Board, brought full employment to the area. In the last few years some of the older players have been forced to retire from the game but have remained within the club structure. With this experience and dedication to the local team, they have begun to implement a youth team development policy, encouraging local youngsters to take up the sport with the aim of nurturing home grown talent.
In season 2002-2003 the club moved from the area's traditional, yet deteriorating, home since the fifties, Factory Field, Foyers, to a new purpose built shinty field at Smith Park, Inverarnie.
In 2007 the senior team was relegated to North Division Three and finished 3rd in that league in 2008. They finished 6th in 2009 and Bob Black was replaced by Gus Fraser as manager.