I mentioned in this post that our journey up to and back down from Elgin last April turned out to be a peregrination through the heartland of the Highland League.

It meant I have now visited nearly all of the towns which have hosted past or present Highland League clubs during my lifetime.

The first of these would have been Inverness (home to Caledonian FC,* Clachnacuddin and Inverness Thistle*.) I have walked past Caledonian’s former Telford Street Park ground and been to a game at Clachnacuddin’s Grant Street Park but never saw Thistle’s ground, Kingsmills. I think I may have visited Dingwall (Ross County) around the same time. After that – or possibly before – it would have been Brechin (many times now) to see The Sons of the Rock play Brechin City at Glebe Park. Next up was probably Fort William. Another trip to Inverness saw us take in Nairn (Nairn County) and Forres (Forres Mechanics.)

I don’t think I went to Aberdeen (Banks O’ Dee, Cove Rangers,) until well after those trips.

Then on our first sojourn up to Orkney we passed through Brora (Brora Rangers) and Wick (Wick Academy.) A year or so later a journey up to Aberdeenshire saw us in Inverurie (Inverurie Loco Works,) Huntly and Turriff (Turriff United.) In 2019 we went to Peterhead and on to Fraserburgh. The year after that on another trip to Peterhead we visited Pitmedden (Formartine United.)

And so to last April’s journey, passing through Grantown-on-Spey (Strathspey Thistle) and Rothes before reaching Elgin (Elgin City) with a side trip to Lossiemouth. Then finally, on the way back home, Keith.

So, out of all the towns/cities to host clubs in the Highland League during my lifetime I have only Buckie (Buckie Thistle) and Banff (Deveronvale) to visit.

*The present SPFL club whose name contains these two descriptors was formed when Caledonian and Inverness Thistle merged in 1994 to ensure entry into the then SFL. That merged team, Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC, have never played in the Highland League.

SPFL Tier 3, Recreation Park,* 20/11/21

Well.

A win.

Very welcome.

We needed it; especially as the two teams directly below us both won today as well.

And at last a better result in the second quarter than we had against that team in the first.

How much the win depended on them having a man sent off just after their equaliser I don’t know but we had taken the lead (a Stuart Carswell penalty no less) which suggests we were doing okay.

Then Eoghan Stokes pops up with the winner. He’s making a habit of making vital contributions off the bench.

A bit of a break from the league next week since we play Sauchie at home in the Third Round of the Scottish Cup. (When, I wonder, was the last time we played two Clackmannanshire based teams in a row?)

I’m not expecting an easy game. They beat Highland League leaders Fraserburgh – away – in round one.

Or it will be on November 27^th.

Sons have been drawn at home against Sauchie in the Third Round of this season’s Scottish Cup.

Sauchie is a former Junior club (their full name still incorporates the Junior tag) who joined the migration to Senior football on the recent establishment of the extended Scottish football pyramid and now ply their trade in East of Scotland League Premier Division (Tier 6.) This is their first season in the Scottish Cup.

In the First Round they beat Highland League leaders Fraserburgh 2-1 away so must not be taken lightly. On Saturday they beat Dunipace of East of Scotland League First Division Conference A (Tier 7) 2-1 at home in the second round.

They will therefore go into the game with Sons with no pressure on them, so the tie could be tricky.

On the way back down from Fraserburgh and Peterhead we decided to take a look at Slains Castle, just on the coast near Cruden. Apparently this is New Slains Castle as there is an older Slains Castle nearby.

Bram Stoker visited the castle in its heyday and is said to have used it as a model for Dracula’s castle in his novel.

It is quite atmospheric and spooky from a distance:-

Closer view:-

The interior is open to the elements:-

Landward side:-

Seaward side:-

An interior wall. (This looks much more recent):-

Apart from the Art Deco buildings and its War Memorial (to come later) I didn’t find much to photograph in Fraserburgh – I didn’t take any pictures of the football ground, Belleslea Park, home of Fraseburgh FC, known as ‘The Broch’, as it was a wee bit away from where I finally parked.

However, these were worth noting.

Market Cross:-

Decorative Shop Windows:-

Closer View:-

And so it was on to Fraserburgh where I found three Art Deco buildings:-

An undeniably Deco Garage, built in 1927, now sadly disused:-

In the main street. The building now houses Iceland:-

This oaybe later than Art Deco’s high period but there is rule of three in the windows plus strong verticals and horizontals:-

The game being off we decided to take a trip up to Fraserburgh another place we hadn’t visited before.

On the way we passed the village of Crimond and I spotted its War Memorial so stopped to photograph it.

A simple tapering pedestal inscribed, “To the glory of God and in memory of the men belonging to the parish of Crimond who gave their lives during the wars 1914-1918 1939-1945.”

Bellslea Park, 25/10/08

A clean sheet! Progress.

But it was a cup game.

Still, all you can ask is to get into the next round.