THREE-HOUR BATTLE FOR A GALLON OF WHISKY

Following on from the theme of New Year shinty matches, as per our story posted last week Victorian New Year shinty showdown, dating from 1878 -  the Herald newspaper seems to have found similarly fascinating tales of ne'erday camanachd in the glens within its own archives.
The Herald's article from Saturday January 5 (reproduced courtesy of the Herald's managing editor) dates from 1863, and tells of a 20-a-side match in Glendaruel, nestled in the Cowal hills of Argyll.

After forty-odd players boorached -  for a gallon of whisky - for three hours in the mud of ColGlen, proceedings were declared a draw. Premiership players with luminous boots skipping around on manicured pitches might want to take note.

Shintyfan wonders that if whisky was on offer these days, pehaps ColGlen would be the Barcelona of the shinty world once again...