Iain promotes Gaelic through his love of shinty

With four pupils from Kingussie High School and two from Newtonmore Primary, it was Newtonmore that emerged victorious in a new shinty competition for '¨Gaelic-speaking pupils.

Coach Iain Robinson with his winning Newtonmore team. Picture: Neil G. Paterson Photography.

The event took place at the Eilan at Newtonmore, and teams entered from Glasgow Gaels and Edinburgh Park as well as from the more traditional shinty areas such as Lochaber, Skye, Lewis and Plockton.

Iain Robinson, a sixth-year pupil at Kingussie High, coached the winning team, and he was delighted to get the chance to use shinty to 
promote the language.

“The competition was a great idea,” he said. “Sport is a 
perfect way to promote 
Gaelic. We had a few training sessions and the team did 
really well.”

Iain gained an A in his Higher Gaelic in the summer and is now studying for an Advanced Higher in his final year at school.

He is also excelling at 
shinty – making his debut this season for the Newtonmore first team.

He also plays for his school, but admits it is a slightly strange experience considering the great rivalry between Kingussie and Newtonmore, two of Scotland’s most 
successful shinty teams that are separated by just three miles.