Finlay “Stork” Maclennan is the latest player to feature in Shinty Spotlight.
The 17-year-old is the taller of two players with the same name at Beauly, which led to his nickname.
The Premiership starlet also captained Scotland’s under-17s on their tour of Ireland this summer.
What is your earliest shinty memory?
Watching my dad lifting the Lovat Cup in 2007. My dad (Jamie “Stork” Maclennan) played for Beauly his whole career.
Who was your senior debut against and can you recall the result?
It was against Glenurquhart, and the result was 4-2 to Beauly. The game was played in Drumnadrochit and I believe was in 2017.
I came on as a sub at half-time.
What is your best moment in the sport so far?
Captaining Beauly to winning the MacTavish Juvenile Cup final, and winning the Sandy Mackay man of the match medal.
This was in 2022 and we beat Kinlochshiel 3-1 in the final.
And the worst?
That would have to be getting knocked out on penalties in the Camanachd Cup quarter-final against Kyles Athletic in 2021.
It was the first time the club had reached the quarters stage in a good few years and was a really good chance of getting to a semi-final.
What is the worst injury you have suffered in shinty?
I’ve been lucky enough not to suffer too many bad injuries in shinty, but the worst was my hamstring injury at the start of this season.
Who is the joker in your team?
Definitely Ryan Mackay. He’s always got a trick or two up his sleeves and loves winding everybody up.
What is your favourite away ground and why?
I’ve always enjoyed playing at Mossfield Park in Oban.
I have fond memories from when I played primary shinty there and it’s always a great surface to play on.
Who is the rival player you would love to have in your team and why?
That would have to be Caberfeidh’s Craig Morrison as he always seems to find the target and scores a lot of goals.
What is the favourite goal scored by you or a team-mate?
My favourite goal I’ve scored has to be from the 2021 MacTavish Juvenile Cup final against Kingussie.
It was my second of the match and Beauly’s third – it killed the game off and we went on to win 4-0.
Describe shinty in three words?
Physical, community, dedication.
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