Shinty: Lochaber out to make amends on Premiership return

Lochaber are limbering up for their return to the Mowi Premiership next season and are determined to go one better than their 2024 campaign when, despite some good performances, they were eventually relegated.

The Spean Bridge club has confirmed that influential manager Ally Ferguson will stay on in charge.

Ferguson has a demanding day job as group managing director with family business, Ferguson Transport & Shipping but still makes time for the game he loves, travelling the country to attend training sessions far less matches.

He recognises the importance of a good back-up team and the support they provide.

He said: “I am personally delighted that John ‘Dino’ Macdonald and Angus Morrison will continue alongside myself to take the first team. They are important to what we do, and we’re all looking forward to the season ahead.

“We don’t lose any players from last season and some of the younger lads such as Innes White and Ross Loughray are a now a year older and there’s no doubt they will play their part during the season.”

The Red and Whites made a promising start to the 2024 Premiership season, taking four points from their opening four games and they were involved in some memorable high scoring matches.

In fact, goal scoring wasn’t an issue as they found the net 45 times over 18 matches, the same count as third placed Kinlochshiel.

Vulnerabilities in defence saw them concede 78 times though but that’s an area they’ve worked hard to improve, and they only conceded 15 times over 14 games in their 2025 Mowi National Division title winning season.

Max Campbell’s switch to a defensive role was a significant factor, earning him a place in Scotland manager Alan MacRae’s training squad ahead of the shinty-hurling international against Ireland. Campbell might not have made the final pool but still impressed.

Ally Ferguson said: “We’ve reflected on the season before last and know where we have improved and learned from our previous experience in the Premiership. We have some regrets, but we wish to make amends, and we’ll go into this season the stronger and wiser and a better team than we were back then.

“We recognise we’re going to be up against the best teams and players in shinty, and we know it’s quicker and much faster in the Premiership than in the National, so we need to be at our fittest to compete.

“We’ll prepare the best we can for this, and the players are very committed and up for the challenge and are already undertaking their own training.”

Lochaber’s preseason preparations ramp up as they play Kilmallie at Spean Bridge on 1 January 2026 in the annual Billy MacLachlan memorial trophy match, and they will then travel to Kilmallie to contest the BSW Cup on Saturday 7 February. Kyles Athletic visit Spean a week later whilst the side are also looking to arrange another friendly for Saturday 21 February.

Morrison set to miss 2026 campaign

Caberfeidh’s Craig Morrison is likely to miss the whole of the 2026 shinty season as he recovers from a serious knee injury.

Morrison was out in front in shinty’s scoring charts on a regular basis until injury majorly curtailed his participation last season.

Morrison is realistic about what lies ahead, and he said: “I had ACL reconstruction surgery on my knee at the end of November, so I probably won’t be playing shinty at all next season as I get myself back to full fitness.”

Spending the year ahead as a spectator is something the Scottish international has mixed feelings about as he added: “Watching from the sidelines is going to be difficult but I must say it’s a lot easier when Caberfeidh are winning.”

Tributes paid to Stewart

The Camanachd Association has paid tribute to their former director and vice president Donald Stewart who passed away peacefully on 27 November after a long illness.

Stewart was also president of the Camanachd Referees Association.

[Source: Press and Journal]