Officials from Beauly Shinty Club are considering installing more security after vandals damaged their pitch.
A vehicle was driven across the grounds earlier this month, leaving dark tyre marks in the grass.
The pitch at Braeview Park is fully open to vehicle access as it needs to be mowed regularly.
But the incident – which left members “disappointed” and questioning why “thoughtless individuals” would target the pitch – has now prompted a rethink.
Members have now met local councillor David Fraser, who was “receptive” to new security such as a fence and lockable gates.
A few weeks after the incident, club secretary Arron Macleod said the pitch has been rolled and was “recovering fairly well”.
Beauly Shinty Club is well-supported and this year entered the premiership, meaning more home games in addition to regular pitch use six days a week.
‘It’s a positive first conversation’
Another act of vandalism could derail the club’s bright future as a premier club and disappoint a lot of up-and-coming young teams.
If a new gate is installed, the club has stressed the pitch would still be accessible for pedestrians.
Mr Macleod said: “It was positive meeting for us and now it’s about moving onto those next steps.
“We also brought up the issue of the car park next to Braeview Park, which we are hoping to get it lined, as right now it’s a free for all due to there being no lines drawn.
“As far as the security measures to prevent people driving on the pitch, it’s a positive first conversation but there is still a long way to go to get the funding and the support of the wider community.”
Mr Macleod doesn’t expect the erection of a fence around the pitch to be an issue with locals.
He says the club is “happy” with the outcome of the meeting and looks forward to working with local councillors to future-proof the pitch and prevent similar acts of vandalism.
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