Tanera Camans in the Media

We are proud to see the story of shinty and the craft of caman-making featured across newspapers, magazines, and television. From local coverage to national features, each article and broadcast helps share our game and its heritage with a wider audience.

Newspapers & Magazines

24 Oct 2013 — The Scotsman: Hybrid shinty–hurling stick designed by Alan MacPherson for the sport Iomain.
➡️ Read on The Scotsman
20 Feb 2015 — Inverness Courier: “Caman crisis averted…” – Alan buys and relocates Tanera Camans to Kilmorack.
➡️ Read on Inverness Courier
23 Feb 2017 — The Oban Times: Feature on new shinty balls and equipment.
➡️ View via PressReader
➡️ View via YouTube A video that explains the history of the shinty ball along with the development of the new Tanera Camans PRO ball, Play shinty ball and indoor ball.
16 Mar 2019 — Press & Journal: “Shinty stick-making craft at risk of extinction,” quoting Alan/Tanera Camans.
➡️ Read on Press & Journal
2 May 2020 — Ross-shire Journal: Personalised caman gifted to a former Lovat player.
➡️ Read on Ross-shire Journal
25 Oct 2021 — Press & Journal: Co-op plan to support caman makers.
➡️ Read on Press & Journal
31 Mar 2022 — Inverness Courier: Donation of sticks to Tomnacross Primary.
➡️ Read on Inverness Courier
15 Nov 2022 — Inverness Courier: Hilton Primary’s new kit – strips designed by Shinty World, sponsored by Tanera Camans.
➡️ Read on Inverness Courier
Scotland Magazine (November 2024) Sticking to It – A photo feature by Jeremy Flint showcasing Tanera Camans and the craft of caman-making. Highlighted as a living tradition of Scotland, the article introduced readers worldwide to the heritage of shinty and the dedication behind each handmade stick. 📸 Published in Scotland Magazine, November 2024 issue.
21 Nov 2024 — Drew Hendry MP Blog: Driving Growth for Good Feature on Tanera Camans, highlighting the heritage of shinty stick-making and Alan MacPherson’s commitment.
➡️ Read the full feature
18 Feb 2025 — Press & Journal: Feature on Tanera Camans “helping the future of shinty,”.
➡️ Read on Press & Journal
12 Apr 2025 — Daily Record: “Endangered Art” National article on Alan MacPherson as Scotland’s last shinty stick maker.
➡️ Read via PressReader
12 Apr 2025 — The Scotsman: National profile spotlighting the journey to becoming Scotland’s last full-time caman maker.
➡️ Read via PressReader
12 Apr 2025 — Daily Mail: National feature on Tanera Camans, highlighting the pressures of handmade heritage craft in a mass-produced world.
➡️ Read on Daily Mail
14 Apr 2025 — Strathspey & Badenoch Herald: Profile of Alan MacPherson, Scotland’s last full-time caman maker.
➡️ Read on Strathspey & Badenoch Herald

Tanera Camans: Media, Community & Global Reach

Television

2016 — BBC ALBA: Gaelic short feature on caman-making.
🎥 Watch on YouTube

“The Art of the Caman” (BBC short feature, uploaded Nov 2018) – a BBC-shot piece on caman making featuring Tanera Camans. Also referenced by Heritage Crafts as “BBC, The Art of the Caman.”
🎥 Watch on YouTube

20 Jan 2025 — BBC ALBA: Rùm Gu Rùm
Interior designer Erica Morrison and her production team visited the Tanera Camans workshop while filming for Rùm Gu Rùm. The episode featured our traditional caman-making process as part of a Skye renovation project that used a shinty stick feature wall.
➡️ BBC Programme Page

7 Feb 2025 — BBC Scotland / The Repair Shop on the Road: Will Kirk visits Alan MacPherson in Beauly to learn caman-making.
➡️ Episode listing on TVMaze
➡️ BBC iPlayer page

Community & Celebrities

The Leanne Fund (2016): Donation of a handcrafted caman as part of their Get Active initiative to support families affected by cystic fibrosis.

Jade Birnie (2016)
As part of her World Challenge fundraising, Jade Birnie climbed Ben Nevis with a customised Tanera Camans stick adapted into a walking stick. Sponsored by Tanera Camans, Jade proudly carried the caman to the summit, writing afterwards:

“Alan donated a customised shinty stick to help me on my climb up Ben Nevis. Thanks Alan and Donna, it was fantastic.”

Maree Todd MSP (2018): Then Minister for Children & Young People, was gifted a handcrafted caman by Tanera Camans. The presentation took place around the Scotland vs Ireland Shinty–Hurling International in Inverness. Maree later shared on Twitter:

“That Caman will now take its place at the heart of government – well my office at least! I promise not to take it to the chamber 😉”

Donald Macaskill (2020): Special personalised caman gifted for his 82nd birthday in recognition of his shinty days at Lovat. (Ross-shire Journal, 2020)

Sam Heughan (Outlander, 2016): Gifted a Tanera Camans caman during New York Tartan Week (9 April 2016) alongside Glenurquhart Shinty Club. Sam publicly thanked Tanera Camans on Twitter:

“Beautifully hand crafted shinty stick! Amazing craftsmanship. (Will try not break anything!).”

This was part of Glenurquhart’s historic trip to New York, following their MacTavish Cup triumph – where they marched in the 18th Annual Tartan Day Parade on 6th Avenue and staged an exhibition match in Central Park. All 30 shinty sticks for the trip were made and supplied by us.

📺 Watch the moment on YouTube:
Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

Graham McTavish (Outlander, 2021): With support from the Inverness Outlanders fan group, a Tanera Camans caman was presented to Graham McTavish at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh. We had donated the stick to Inverness Outlanders, and Sam Heughan himself handed it over live on stage.

💡 Did You Know? We were even approached by the Outlander production team to make shinty sticks directly for the show. Unfortunately, our workshop was at full capacity at the time and we had to decline – but the request itself shows how far the reputation of Tanera Camans has travelled.

Schools & Youth

Tanera Camans National Schools Essay Competition (2023):

In late 2023 we launched a nationwide Primary School Essay Competition, inviting pupils to share their passion for shinty through essays (and illustrations). Schools were asked to provide a short history of their shinty tradition, and pupils could write about a local story, a shinty great, or the role of volunteers in the sport.

The response was overwhelming, with dozens of entries from across Scotland. After careful judging, here are our three prize-winning schools:

1st Prize: Maura (P7), Lochcarron Primary School – won 10 Tanera Camans, 12 Play Shinty Balls, and a Protec stick bag. Her essay highlighted both the history of the sport and its importance to fragile Highland communities. 📖 Read here
2nd Prize: St Columba’s Primary School, Oban – 31 entries (P5–P7) celebrating shinty and the story of Gordon MacIntyre. Standout article from Ellie-Mae (P7). Awarded 6 Tanera Camans and 6 Play Shinty Balls. 📖 Read here
3rd Prize: Tighnabruaich Primary School – Callum, Murray, Struan, Olly, Sorley, and Archie captured the excitement of shinty and family values. Callum’s essay “My Dad is Coach P” was a standout. Awarded 6 Tanera Camans and 6 Play Shinty Balls. 📖 Read here

📝 The winning essays were published in the Shinty Yearbook, preserving them as part of the sport’s official record. 📖 Read here

Hilton Primary School, Inverness (2024): On 28 Feb 2024, Hilton Primary created history by winning the P5 & Under National First Shinty Championship – their first-ever national title. Coached and sponsored by Alan MacPherson (Tanera Camans), the breakthrough came in a thrilling final at Lochaber High School, Fort William. The winning goal was scored in the final minutes by Lewis MacPherson, Alan’s son and the team captain.

➡️ Full official report by the Camanachd Association
➡️ Coverage by Inverness Courier

International Media

Days of Our Lives (American TV Series, 2023): In May 2023, a Tanera Camans caman made its debut as a prop on the long-running U.S. drama Days of Our Lives. The stick featured in the episode that aired Tuesday, May 16, 2023 on NBC, in a scene with Xander Kiriakis, a Scottish-born character played by Emmy-nominated actor Paul Telfer.

The show’s prop manager wrote to us afterwards:

“Good morning, I just want to let you know that we received your shinty stick in time to use on the show, that episode is expected to air Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Our Scot actor was very appreciative and happy to have used it in the scene, now we’re going to try to incorporate it into their set full time… wonderful craftsmanship, and we left Caman’s name on the stick.”

This marked one of the first-ever appearances of a shinty stick on American prime-time television – giving the sport an unexpected showcase to millions of viewers.

📺 Appearance: Days of Our Lives, Episode aired May 16, 2023 (NBC, USA)

Shinty Sticks Around the World

Alongside the media and community highlights, Tanera Camans has also shipped camans to players, clubs, and collectors across the globe. From Spain, Canada, United States, Italy, England, Russia, Wales, Sweden, Australia, Ireland, and France, our sticks have travelled wherever shinty passion has taken root.

This worldwide demand shows that while shinty is deeply rooted in the Highlands, its spirit resonates with people across continents. Each caman we send out carries a piece of Scotland’s heritage into new hands and new communities.

Heritage Recognition

In 2019, shinty stick-making was placed on the Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts, highlighting its fragile future. With only a handful of makers left in Scotland, the centuries-old tradition was at serious risk of disappearing.

Tanera Camans has been working to change that picture. By training new makers, keeping the workshop active, and supplying sticks to schools and clubs across the country, we’ve helped move the craft from being classed as “critically endangered” to “endangered.”

Heritage Crafts themselves reached out to profile our work, recognising the vital role played by small workshops like ours in preserving Scotland’s cultural heritage.

➡️ See Red List of Endangered Crafts

Conclusion

From humble beginnings in the Highlands to being showcased on prime-time American television, the journey of Tanera Camans reflects both the endurance of shinty and the reach of Scottish culture worldwide. Whether it’s being featured in national newspapers, carried down 6th Avenue in New York during Tartan Week, placed in the hands of stars like Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, or even appearing on screen in Days of Our Lives, each moment has helped take shinty far beyond its traditional boundaries.

For us, every stick is more than just wood and craftsmanship – it’s a living piece of heritage, carrying the story of our communities into new places and new audiences. By keeping the game accessible and celebrating its cultural significance, we’re proud to see shinty not only survive but flourish in the most unexpected of settings.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way.

Press & Media Enquiries

For interviews, media features, or high-resolution images, please contact:

Alan MacPherson
📧 Email: taneracamans@gmail.com

High-resolution images, media kits, and further information are available on request.