A new shinty museum being built in Inverness will generate new interest in the historic sport from beyond its traditional areas.
The museum will form part of a refurbished Bught Stadium due to open in the spring.
Work on the major project, which will include a two-storey pavilion, is moving apace.
We got inside for a look at the work so far and had a chat with those in the know.
What can people expect to see?
Bught Stadium will host the country’s only dedicated shinty museum on the ground floor with a large space upstairs to watch games or hold events.
The £9.6 million development also includes upgrading the stadium’s outdated changing rooms and Victorian grandstand.
It is hoped it will increase the uptake in shinty at all age levels, similar to what rugby has experienced since the completion of nearby Canal Park.
The museum will showcase historic artefacts but also have digital interactive attractions for visitors.
Ruari Davidson, CEO of the Camanachd Association, the game’s governing body, said it is hoped it can attract visitors from home and abroad, including those with no direct connection to shinty.
He said: “To see the museum progressing is really exciting.
“It will tell the story of shinty in an interactive experience to help people learn and understand more about the game and the impact it has on our communities.
Attracting a new audience
“We want to engage with existing members and draw a new audience to know more about the sport.
“This is a real opportunity for us to connect with people that are not traditionally from a shinty background.
“The history and cultural aspect piece will be exciting and I think that will be really appealing to people.
“It gives us a focal point. The challenge for us is in ensuring we engage our whole membership and its not just an Inverness facility.”
One of the exhibits will be a shinty ball, said to have been used in a match played at the Bught in 1887.
The Great Game, between Strathglass and Glen Urqhuart, was a significant milestone in the development of the game.
It is said to be the first organised shinty match and the birth of the game’s rules and also the Camanachd Association.
An important development for Inverness
Colin Henderson, principal architect on the Bught Stadium project, said it is an important development for shinty and Inverness.
He said the low-energy pavilion building will offer fantastic views of sporting events and provide space for other events, including weddings.
“The idea is to promote shinty which has strong traditions in the Highlands.
“It’s also a place where people can enjoy other large sporting events and it improves the appearance of the Bught which is very important to Inverness.”
The Bught project, and a similar upgrade at the Northern Meeting Park also due to open next year, are being supported by the Levelling Up Fund.
They are part of a series of major developments along the River Ness, including the transformation of Inverness Castle and its energy centre.
Together they represent a total investment of around £56 million.
Great for shinty
Highland Council’s city leader Councillor Ian Brown said “The new facility is great for shinty and will bring the stadium up to the current century as opposed to what it was.
“Shinty is a Highland sport and we should be celebrating it. This museum in Inverness will do that.
“Having all these developments coming next year is a huge boost for the city.”
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