Camanachd

No, not just a few random letters thrown together, but the Gaelic name (pronounced ca-man-achd), for the Scottish sport of Shinty.

On a quiet Sunday afternoon I caught the ferry across the Clyde River to Dunoon to watch the National final and discover how exactly the game of Shinty is played. I was delighted to find that shinty is a more violent version of hockey mixed with lacrosse, that is historically derived from golf and ice hockey, and is similar to the Irish game of hurling. However, different from both hockey and lacrosse, feet can be used to stop the ball, you can carry the ball on your caman (stick), both sides of the caman are used, and just to keep the medics busy, the ball and stick are allowed above shoulder height. With very few rules, and no protective equipment, this has got to be one of the manliest sports ever invented. At the trophy ceremony after a 4-1 trouncing of Fort William, there was not a single player without a splash of blood and monster bruising visible. I was more than happy to admire their skills whilst sipping a beer from the sidelines, listening to the hilarious Scottish hecklers, and wonder why you would ever knowingly sign up to play such a sport.