Scalpay is an island very famous for punching above its weight in all sorts of different fields; music, religion and business, and the same is true of shinty. This piece will look at the legacy that one family has had for shinty, coming from an island which had it’s own shinty heritage (“feala” is recorded as the Scalpach Gaelic for a goal) but which by the time of the 1920s and 1930s had faded like the sport had in communities across the Long Island.
Born and brought up in Scalpay, the six “stalwart sons” of Kenneth and Rachel Campbell, who had the post office had quite remarkable lives. Ruairidh became postie for the island, Murdo would rise to be headteacher of Merkinch Primary School in Inverness, Kenneth would be a ministry veterinarian, Calum headteacher of Lochmaddy Primary, Neil headteacher of Tomnacross PS in Kiltarlity and Norman an English teacher at James Gillespie’s High School, Edinburgh.
Kenneth, Murdo and Neil all became involved in shinty, and left a legacy to a wide range of communities where they lived and worked, and in Kenneth’s case in his own native isle.
Kenneth Campbell was born in Scalpay in 1922 and like all islanders at that time on a professional trajectory needed forced to leave home to extend their schooling, and like many Scalpaich Portree was his destination where they were able to pick up shinty. He left school in 1941, so shinty was off the menu but he attended Edinburgh University to study veterinary science after the second war ended and gained a Blue and won the Littlejohn with Edinburgh.
He graduated in 1951 and whilst based initially in areas that were not conducive to playing shinty, he moved to Taynuilt in 1961 with his wife Màiri (SG 23/2/1954) and whereupon he would have an outsized influence on the sport starting off with “Muckairn Athletic” in the village. Sadly Màiri died tragically young in 1963 and the community rallied around the family.
A few years later, Kenny would marry the schoolmistress Mary Campbell and she introduced shinty to the primary school. Taynuilt and Dalmally amalgamated as Cruachanside and they would win the MacKay Cup, the primary equivalent of the Camanachd Cup in 1971. Kenny would also be involved with Oban Camanachd, and was very happy to see his young charges involved with whichever club they were involved with at adult level. He would move to Caithness in 1974, but stayed in touch with shinty through his work on the shinty yearbook which became a valued source for shinty history and record. (SYB 2001) The Mary and Kenneth Campbell Trophy was awarded annually by the Shinty Yearbook Committee to the most promising primary school. It was already a full shinty life, but Kenny would have even more to add to the story of shinty, including that of his native islands.
Kenny and Mary moved to Dunvegan in Skye on his retirement in 1985 where Kenny got involved in running shinty at primary school level for the schools in the West of Skye under the Bracadale banner. Sadly Mary would pass away in 1988, and he busied himself with his flock of sheep and being an avid supporter of Skye Camanachd. When they won the Camanachd Cup in 1990, it was a fulfillment of a victory that Kenneth had manifest in his profile of his friend and fellow Hebridean shinty legend, D.R. Macdonald in the 1974/75 Yearbook.
“Tha mi uasal as na rinn thu, Charaid, agus is e mo dhùrachd gu’m bi mi’n làthair an là choisneas na Gillean Sgiathanach àrd chuach na h-iomain.”
I’m proud of you friend, and it’s my wish that I’ll be there the day the Skye boys win the Camanachd Cup.“
In the same year, Glenorchy also faced Kingussie in the National League final between North and South at the Bught and took an early lead before the great Kings clawed them back and eventually won comfortably. His Cruachanside team had a great legacy with players playing for teams throughout the area.
However, there was a final shinty act for Kenneth as shinty returned to his home island. When Dr Alasdair Barden secured the Lord of the Isles trophy, it wasn’t a royal dignity who opened the new tournament. It was a shinty son of Scalpay who got things going. The Gazette reported that Kenneth was “delighted to be opening an inaugural event which brought mainstream shinty back to Westem Isles. Mr Campbell’s encouragement to all participants to enjoy the shinty festival in a spirit of friendship and good sportsmanship was echoed in all events throughout the day” (SG 24/7/97)
Kenny kept up his support for the sport in Lewis and in particular provided moral support to Back Camanachd as Boyd MacKenzie kept the flame of shinty burning after the untimely and tragic passing of Dr Barden.
In the early autumn of 1999, Back Camanachd made a trip to the Assynt/Lochinver Shinty Festival. The team consisted of Daniel Gallagher, Andrew Ross Maclennan, Craig Macdonald, Gavin Macdonald, John Mackenzie and James Mackenzie. Angus Macdonald travelled as an adult helper. The youngsters made a trip out of it having a barbeque and sports quiz on the night before at Inchnadamph. Despite a 4am alarm clock mix up, Back defeated an experienced Beauly team in their first fixture, Craig Macdonald scoring the winner, as well as securing a draw in another game. Andrew Ross Maclennan did well in goals. The tournament was won by Assynt. Medals were presented by broadcaster and former shinty commentator Ian Anderson. Kenny had travelled all the way up to watch the team with his third wife, Effie Macdonald, with whom he spent the last 11 years of his life. The team got a photo with Kenny and Effie which was published the Loch A Tuath News. (LATN October 1999)
Kenny supported shinty in Lewis and Harris right until the very end. In fact just a couple of weeks before his passing in the spring of 2001 he had taken a Bracadale team over to Stornoway for the third runnign of the LOTI, a tournament which also saw Ronald Ross and the late Donnie Grant in attendance. (SG 15/3/2001) He was “pleased to see the game of shinty developing in the Outer Isles and he enjoyed this trip greatly.” (SYB 2001-02)
His passing was marked with a fine obituary in the Shinty Yearbook. 2001-Shinty-Yearbook-2001-Review-of-season-2000-2001.pdf
The next brother to contribute to shinty was Murdo. Murdo passed away the year after Kenny. In his obituary in the 2001-02 Shinty Yearbook, the headline read A Man of Parts. Murdo certainly was that. Murdo had also started shinty at Portree School, before playing for and being secretary for Aberdeen Uni (SYB 2002). He fulfilled this role at Glen Urquhart from 1957 to 1966 whilst being a deputy head at the local school. He was described as “A great supporter of the Glen Urquhart Club, a fine character and a most efficient secretary”, (P196, Glen Urquhart, English) Murdo and his successor, compatriot and namesake Murdo MacKay, also a Hearach, from Collam, both received the credit for the “building, coaching and encouragement” of the Glen Urquhart under 17 side which clinched a clean sweep of the school competitions in 1967, and the MacTavish Juvenile Cup in 1968 defeating Newtonmore 3-1 at the Bught Park. Peter R English remembered them as “both great shinty enthusiasts and the boys responded brilliantly to their prompting.” (P219, Glen Urquhart, English) Murdo MacKay would sadly die at the young age of 47 (SG 16/11/1968). Many of the players the two Murdos developed would go on to fantastic success for the Glen.
Murdo would also become deeply involved in the Camanachd Association, the North of Scotland Shinty Association and the School’s Shinty Association of which he was secretary for 20 years. Previous to his time in Glen Urquhart he had worked in Lochaber and co-founded the Fort William Primary School League. He retired as headteacher of Merkinch Primary School in 1990 (SG 17/11/1990) and for his achievements in shinty administration he would be presented with a silver mounted caman. (SG 4/7/2002)
The final Campbell brother to leave a fine legacy in shinty was one who never played the game, but who gave the sport a platform in its native area, Neil (1929-2018) was headteacher at Tomnacross Primary in Kiltarlity and although he himself didn’t play shinty, his forthright support for the game in the area and in the school itself helped revive a fairly moribund sport at the time of his arrival and bring through a whole generation of Lovat stars. Famous shinty surnames such as Gallacher, Munro and Mainland were nurtured by the shinty-positive environment that Niall fostered. His sons own Norman and Coinneach would go on to play the game, Norman playing for Lovat and Glasgow Mid-Argyll, and Coinneach becoming a famed stalwart of Tayforth in Perth and Edinburgh for many years (with Norman joining him from time to time). Coinneach has also featured at the Craig Morrison Sixes on occasions as well as played alongside many a Camanachd Leòdhais player with Alba.
Whilst many players and clubs benefitted from the Campbells’ efforts, the pinnacle of their endeavours was the MacKay Cup Final of 1979 between Neil’s Tomnacross and the Cruachanside team who were led by Tommy Gibson, handpicked by Kenny and Mary to continue their legacy. (Cruachanside also had Capercaillie’s Donald Shaw playing full centre for them!) Cruachanside won the game 4-3.
One small island, three important individuals in the history of the game.