Giving it Stick

Giving It Stick

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A BBC TV channel for Scotland which will broadcast every evening and will show drama, factual, comedy and news programmes made in Scotland

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Jane McCarry

Greg Clark

Harry Bell

Tern Television Productions Ltd

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Sport: Shinty

BBC Scotland - Giving It Stick

A celebration of shinty and the Highland communities that play it.

Documentary showcasing the game of shinty and the Highland communities that play it.

Shinty’s ancient origins date as far back as the 5th century, when it was believed to be the traditional battle game of the Highlands clans. By the 18th century, it had become Scotland’s most popular game and can lay claim to giving birth to golf, ice hockey, and even the development of football, which borrowed set positions such as defender, midfielder and forward from the game. Today, however, shinty is underfunded and largely ignored outside the Highlands, but it remains strong in the small communities where it began centuries ago. 

Shinty's biggest prize is the Camanachd Cup, a trophy that every shinty player and community dreams of bringing home. Being such a physical game, and with the threat of injuries constantly looming, it's no surprise that the game fell out of fashion.

Giving It Stick follows the rival teams of Newtonmore and Kingussie through the highs and lows of the 2022 season, and celebrates the people keeping shinty alive in the Highlands.

A BBC TV channel for Scotland which will broadcast every evening and will show drama, factual, comedy and news programmes made in Scotland


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