IT”S GAME ON as the 2026 Summer of Sport launched last week, bringing shinty and golf to young people across Scotland.
The Scottish Government investment will give young people the chance to get involved in a unique sporting experience on their doorstep.
The Camanachd Association and Scottish Golf, working in partnership with sportscotland, have secured funding from the national initiative to provide free and low-cost opportunities for young people to experience both golf and shinty in rural Scotland as part of the national agency’s 2026 Summer of Sport.
The £20m multi-sport initiative, funded by the Scottish Government and facilitated by sportscotland, will offer young people the opportunity to get active and try something new. The 2026 Summer of Sport is a unique opportunity for communities across Scotland to embrace the excitement of sport, inspired by the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, both of which showcased Scotland on the global stage and inspired young people to take part, get active and begin their own journey in sport and activity.
Shinty and golf’s histories are intertwined: it is thought that the modern golf game evolved from shinty players driving balls into holes over rough ground, and there are similarities in the skills needed to play both games. Robert MacIntyre, Scotland’s top professional golfer, grew up in Oban, and famously hails from a shinty background.
This joint shinty-and-golf project makes the most of the synergy between the two sports, and its foundation in the Highlands. Activities will run throughout the summer and beyond, where young people in rural Scotland can access a range of free and subsided sessions in shinty and golf clubs, helping remove barriers to participation and ensure more young people have the chance to play both sports. Aimed at young people, this unique partnership will also focus on under-represented groups in both sports: girls, those for whom accessing sport presents a financial challenge and young people who are not meeting recommended physical activity levels.
The Camanachd Association and Scottish Golf are working with a network of partners, local authorities and leisure trusts, to ensure these opportunities are available to everyone, regardless of background. The funding will enable the delivery of activities designed to help young people develop healthy habits, build stronger social connections, and foster a lifelong love of movement.
It will focus on fun, inclusive and beginner-friendly activity while creating clear pathways into club sport and developing a local workforce of young coaches and volunteers.
Ruari Davidson, chief executive of the Camanachd Association, said: “Shinty has always been rooted in communities where people come together to play, volunteer and support one another.
“Working alongside Scottish Golf allows us to build on those shared values and introduce more young people to two sports with deep local connections. By creating these opportunities and developing young coaches and volunteers, we’re investing not only in participation today, but in stronger, more sustainable sporting communities for the future.”
Robbie Clyde, chief executive of Scottish Golf, added: “We’re immensely proud to support the 2026 Summer of Sport and bring exciting, accessible activities to young people across rural Scotland. This is a fantastic opportunity for children and young people to try something new as we bring golf and shinty together through this partnership with the Camanachd Association. Whether it’s through sport, outdoor events, or community-based activities, our goal is to make these opportunities available to everyone, and we’re especially proud to be bringing this to communities in the Highlands and Islands.”
Through these investments, the Camanachd Association and Scottish Golf are working to ensure that the 2026 Summer of Sport positively influences as many young people as possible, fostering engagement in sport and outdoor activities across all communities.
To find out more about the 2026 Summer of Sport project, scan the QR code.
QR CODE: https://www.scottishgolf.org/summer-of-sport
