Shinty: Bute face Fort for date with destiny

HECTOR Whitelaw believes getting to the Camanachd Cup final would be the biggest achievement anyone at Bute Shinty Club could imagine.

The Rothesay outfit will play the first Camanachd semi-final of their history this afternoon against holders Fort William at the Winterton.

It is a fantastic opportunity for an island club which only broke into the top flight two years ago after a century of trying. And reaching the game's biggest final would be the perfect climax to a remarkable story of a team's rise to the top against the odds.

Scotland international forward Whitelaw says it would be a dream for all the players to star in front of the TV cameras in September.

"This is the first Camanachd Cup semi-final for the club and, again, it is pushing the boundaries a bit further. It would be unbelievable for us if we could make it through today because no one would have imagined a few years ago we would be doing this."

In the other semi final, it promises to be a classic between Kingussie and Newtonmore in the Speyside derby at the Dell. Newtonmore recently hit Kings for 4 in the MacAulay Cup and haven't won this trophy for 22 years. But Kings want this trophy more than any other and will look to avenge their only campaign defeat.