Beachdairean sgileal agus gaisgich rugbaidh — Skilful scouts and rugby heroes
Did you know that the Northern Meeting Park has a long association with the Scouting movement?
Scouting dates back to 1908 when the movement's founder, Robert Baden-Powell, published Scouting for Boys. Many parts of the Highlands soon had their own Scout troops.
In September 1911, a Scout rally, attended by Baden-Powell, the Chief Scout, took place to tie in with that year's Northern Meeting Games. Over 600 Scouts attended from as far away as Caithness, Sutherland, Ross-shire, Kingussie and Banffshire, with some coming in a special train from the north. Imagine their excitement as they met in Farraline Park (now the bus station) in the town centre and then marched over to the Park to take part in displays of their scouting skills.
A further rally took place in the Park in 1912 then, in 1913, the event was incorporated into the Northern Meeting. Scouting events have continued to take place in the Park since then, including May 1935, when the Park was the venue for a big Highland Scouting display marking the Silver Jubilee (25 years) of King George V's reign.
An robh fios agaibh? — Did you know?
In 1913, Inverness residents were asked in the local newspapers to supply home baking for the Scouts to eat when they arrived in Inverness for their one-hour display at the Park. The 511 Scouts who took part would certainly have needed energy for their 'excellent exhibition of Scoutcraft', including signalling, physical drills, fire lighting, Highland dancing, tent pitching, bridge building, first aid, life-saving and despatch running!
'Gloir don Ghaidhealtachd' — 'Highland glory finish'
This was the headline in the Sunday Mail on 14th March 1976, after Highland Rugby Club clinched the Second Division Championship with a score of Highland 28, Selkirk oat the Northern Meeting Park. The match marked the final stage of Highland's three-year journey from the Fourth to the First Division under captain Nairn McEwan.
The match attracted lots of interest in Inverness, with around 5,000 spectators, BBC coverage, and huge excitement for Highland rugby fans. It was probably the highlight of the long period in which Highland Rugby Club played their home national league features in the Park.
Rugby
If you would like to know more about the history of Highland Rugby Club and the Highland v Selkirk match, why not visit the Highland Archives Centre which holds information compiled by the Club for their centenary exhibition and publication in 2022?
https://www.highlifehighland.com/archives/highland-archive-centre Link to Highland Archive Centre
Photo of Kenny White, Stevie Fraser and Stuart Mackenzie (Fin)
Link to online footage of match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDno6cuwWmY
Image – Bill MacLaren notes on players
Highland V Selkirk match programme (pdf)
John Frame – HRC memories (Pdf)
Roy Sinclair rugby memories document
Sound recording: Memories of the Highland v Selkirk rugby match 13th March 1976 (audio file to follow).
https://www.ambaile.org.uk/search/?searchQuery=rugby collection of digited archive materials linked to Highland Rugby Club.
https://highlandrugbyclub.com/ Highland Rugby Club website
https://www.calmview.eu/Hubcat/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=BML%2f6%2f1%2f37 Bill MacLaren Archive, Borders Collections Online
Scouts
Scouting around Inverness 1907-2007 by Robert G Preece. The definitive history of scouting in the Inverness area 1907-2007, including more details of scouting events in the Northern Meeting Park.
Robert Preece was associated with scouting in and around in Inverness for nearly 50 years as a local Scout Leader and Area Commissioner. He was also a teacher at Inverness Royal Academy.
https://www.ambaile.org.uk/groupitem/175/ collection of digited archive materials about scouting and guiding in the Highlands.
https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/a-good-man-who-did-good-things-quietly-tributes-to-inve-371900/ Inverness Courier obituary for Robert Preece
