HOT, HOT, HOT

Summer shinty?

Sunny weather on Bute last weekend - but it's only got hotter this week

It's been a long time coming, but it's here at last.

Anyone who has been a follower of my shinty-based mumblings since Shintyfan was started a couple of months back will know that I am obsessed by weather - bad, very bad, in-betweeny and (that rarest of occurences) dry, sunny weather.


Have a squint at this post from late March and you'll see what I mean.

But just have a look at Shintyfan's special shinty weather map on the right hand side of this page to see sunny weather all round for the next few days.

Granted I'm writing this on Thursday, but I'm confident enough in the Met Office's crack shinty weather prediction team to carry on.


The Camanachd Association, in partnership with new sponsor the Orion Group, has organised the first of a couple of Derby Days for this coming weekend, and with the BBC ALBA cameras due to be at the Dell for the Badenoch derby, the weather at least should be stunning. Let's hope the shinty is as good.

After an impressive start to the season, few would argue that Newtonmore start as favourites, particularly after Kingussie were knocked out of the MacTavish Cup last weekend at the hands of (admittedly on-form and fired-up) Lochaber. They have players for the future, and plenty of them, but for the moment the Ronald Ross factor is still much too important for comfort for the Dell lads.

Fort William should start as favourites versus struggling Kilmallie - though after a few recent stumbles by Fort and Kilmallie fighting for premiership survival, who would know?

Lovat against Glenurquhart should be close, and familiarity might mean these two very good teams stifle each other, though I hope not.

Bute, fresh from a poor performance and Celtic Cup semi-final defeat at home to Inveraray, travel to Tighnabruaich to face Kyles Athletic. If Kyles are on-song, they will win. Give these hardy Bute lads a sniff, and it won't be easy for the Cowal side.

Then there's Kinlochshiel versus Inveraray. Not a local derbythis one, but it should be a cracker of a game. My prediction is that this will be the pick of the bunch. Kinlochshiel are pretty much at the top of their game, while Inveraray have had confidence boosted after finding the net with surprising ease versus Bute last week.

And I can't let this sunny summary go by without special mention of two great local clubs - Lochaber and Taynuilt.

The Spean Bridge outfit and the Argyll side each face the exciting prospect of their first senior final  - the Mactavish and Celtic Cups respectively.

Well done to everyone at these clubs. Enjoy the run-up, train harder than you've ever trained before -  and good luck in the big games.