What Highland League grounds has everyone been to?

I have been to the following:

• Grant Street - Clach: A nice wee ground with an old fashioned enclosure (the infamous Wine Shed) holding the hardcore of fans. For flashpoint games a piece of tape is positioned to keep warring factions apart. Good, cheap social club and good vantage points make up for the freezing weather.
• Grant Street (Lossiemouth) - Grassy banks ahoy at Lossie. The main stand looks rather rickety but I haven't been in so can't pass comment on it's comfort or otherwise. A grass hillock behind one of the goals would probably offer a decent view but on both my visits has been mainly used as a pitch for various kids. The old style enclosure alongside the pitch is alright. I can;t remember what the pies were like, meaning they were probably alright. I have never seen my super-duper SPL side win or score at this ground.
• Mosset Park, Forres Mechanics: A good ground. Quite a steep stand gives you a good view of the action and there are plenty of decent viewing points around the ground. Ashers pies are available and went down well on my last visit. A bit of a nightmare to get to - you can see it from the A96 but have to wind through the streets of Forres to find the place.
• Station Park, Nairn County - Another cracking wee ground. Old style wooden stand is complemented on the other side by an enclosure that would surely offer good atmosphere on a big match occasion. I witnessed John Robertson have a five minute barney at the ref in a North Cup game here, funny as feck.
• Princess Royal Park, Deveronvale - A modern ground with a decent stand that offers a good view of the proceedings. When I was there there was probably a crowd of about 150 yet I still managed to sit in some Doric loon's seat I think it has had some work done on it since I was there and the addition of an enclosure would certainly perk it up a bit
• Christie Park, Huntly - I've been here a few times for pre-season games in the summer and it's always been pretty idyllic - sunny nights with trees overhanging the ground. Again, decent vantage points available around the ground although it's pretty hard to get parked nearby I thought.

The majority of them a long time ago but here goes anyway:

Grant Street (Clach)

Quite a nice little stadium in the shall we say less fashionable area of Inverness. A tiny seated stand houses maybe 30 people and te hardcore Clachers congregate in the shed behind the goal.

Decent social club too.

Grant Street (Lossie)

Scotland's thinnest turnstiles, they are tiny!

I remember sitting in the main stand a few years ago in a friendly, not much to the ground really but it's ok.

Christie Park (Huntly)

Very long time ago but it was alright if i remember correctly.

Mosset Park (Forres)

Just a main stand really although a good sized one at that. Yellow hoardings around the entire stadium give it a sort of character but's its pretty basic.

Princess Royal Park (The Vale)

One of the most modern in the HL, good sized stand but i agree with ICTChris, another stand is neccessary. It's a good setup though, they have additonal astroturf pitches and good facilties.

Dungeon Park (Brora)

Very basic little park but okay.

Harlaw Park (Loco's)

One of the more modern grounds, very clean and tidy. Little stand's opposite sid of the pitch, good catering and Inverurie itself has decent facilities.

Station Park (Little County)

Not a bad ground, tad old, reminds me a bit of the recs in Alloa for some reason.

Being a Lossie fan, I've been to them all -


Current HFL grounds....

Brora Rangers (Dudgeon Park) - Basic, with an old wooden stand and an old enclosure opposite. Great wee social club on site though - very modern. Also great views of the mountains when play is dull.

Buckie Thistle (Victoria Park) - Love this ground - old stand with a good-sized enclosure full of characters opposite. Good atmosphere with staunch local support. Big new social club on site (which I have yet to visit).

Clachnacuddin (Clachnacuddin Park, Grant Street) - Small modern stand with horrendous mud bank on opposite side (haven't seen grass there for years). Passionate home support in old corrugated shed behind far goal. Not for the faint hearted. Basic but cheap social club on site.

Cove Rangers (Rainbow Taxis Stadium) - Formerly known as Allan Park, nice but very small ground with good terracing and enclosure opposite the stand wich uniquely sits the fans behind a glass pane. Excellent social club on site and decent pies. Small support though.

Deveronvale (Princess Royal Park) - Excellent large, high, modern stand and smooth playing surface at ground next to the sea. Grass banking all around the other three sides. Badly let down by lack of enclosure though - so if it's pissing down it's no fun. No social club, but decent pubs nearby. Supporters think they're 'it' though and try to noise you up - but it's mostly just jumped up kids.

Forres Mechanics (Mosset Park) - Comments as for Deveronvale's ground above to be honest (although not by the sea!). Both grounds really do need an enclosure, and a social club.

Fort William (Claggan Park) - Haven't been for years, but ground is very basic - almost like a public park. Last time I was there it was wooden benching on one side which fans stood on as terracing (no cover) whilst there was an old rickety stand structure opposite. Fantastic views of Ben Nevis though, and Fort William makes for a great away day. No social club on site, but go to the Galleon nearby the harbour.

Fraserburgh (Bellslea Park) - Old high wooden stand with a great view dominates one side while opposite the view isn't great from the grass banking as there is a house in the middle that protrudes almost to the touchline at the halfway mark! Bizarre. Good sized home support though.

Huntly (Christie Park) - Tree-surrounded mudbath with a small modern stand and covered terraced enclosure opposite. Good social club on site.

Inverurie Loco Works (Harlaw Park) - Fantastic large modern terraced covered enclosure, housing large local support. Large social club on site too - but ground is let down by small wooden main stand opposite enclosure and over-priced catering.

Keith (Kynoch Park) - Old wooden stand (allegedly now seated properly with seats from Coventry City's old Highfield Road ground) with old large covered terraced enclosure opposite. Remainder fo ground is grass-banking which can get muddy. Social club on site but small support.

Lossiemouth (Grant Park) - The San Siro of the HFL. Ok, I'm joking. Small, basic ground with a small old wooden stand that has seen better days opposite a small modern covered terraced enclosure. Quite a compact ground and social club is arguably the best in the HFL and located two streets away. Support unfortunately small these days.

Nairn County (Station Park) - Old wooden stand opposite a leaky old enclosure with primitive 'terracing'. Ground needs some improvement, but the support are a good laugh. No social club, but head to 'Uncle Bob's' on the road into town from the ground.

Rothes (Mackessack Park) - Small modern stand on one side with grass banking all around. Smell of distilleries in the air. Can get very muddy, so tread carefully.

Wick Academy (Harmsworth Park) - Old, small 'main' stand opposite a more modern longer stand with flat grass around other parts of the ground. Hell of a slope towards the main road end. Notable as being the location of Lossie's keeper's goal from a free kick well inside his own half a couple of years back. No social club, but a few good spots en route further into town.


Former HFL Grounds.....

Caledonian (Caledonian Park, Telford Street) - From what I remember, it was an old stand on the side opposite where the turnstiles were located, and a large covered enclosure behind the goal nearest the enclosure (the 'Howden End'). Large vociferous support. Was too young for drinking experience there.

Elgin City (Borough Briggs Stadium) - The gateway to hell and the lair of the Devil himself. Decent ground tho. Large wooden stand with social club inside opposite the largest covered enclosure ever in the HFL which ran end-to-end. Great atmosphere at Elgin v Lossie derbies. Also made a great cup final venue.

Inverness Thistle (Kingsmills) - Typical HFL ground with old stand opposite a covered enclosure, and grass banking at either end. Was at the last ever game there when Thistle lost to Lossiemouth.

Peterhead (Recreation Park) - Can't remember much about this one for some reason. Remember there was a decent social club on site though (not sure if that's linked to lack of memories about the ground), but can't recall if there was an enclosure opposite the old stand?

Peterhead (Balmoor Stadium) - I think this was only open for the Blue Toon's last season in the HFL? Nice ground with modern main stand housing a decent social club bar. When I was there with Lossie there was no second stand but just very steep and high grass banking. Along with a bonkers Faroese man....

Ross County (Victoria Park) - Never went here when it was an HFL ground, but instead first visited the ground a couple of years back on Boxing Day when my 'wee team' Partick Thistle were in town. Nice ground, but I believe it is unrecognisable from it's HFL days. Bizarrely you can't pay at the gate here (despite the fact I can do it down south at Premiership games...).

Been To :-

Huntly
Keith
Deveronvale
Fraserburgh
Cove
Buckie
Forres
Nairn
Lossie
The Rec


Thats about it i think (all multiple times obviously)

i.e. a Shitehole of Cowdenbeath standards






The social club was opposite the main stand, and just alongside the social club there was a shelter. Was falling apart at the end really however, but have some very good and some dreadful memories of the place (including your 8-0 win there

I tried to focus on the positives - i.e. it is a good view from the main stand at the Broch! But that's about it.

Possibly the best games I've ever been to as a neutral was a Peterhead v Broch derby in the final of the Aberdeenshire Shield in the mid 90s at Allan Park in Aberdeen. Although the final score (6-3 to the Broch AET, after the Blue Toon were 3-0 up with 15 mins of normal time left) would have been a hard one for a Peterhead fan to take!

I remember it well, one of your old keepers (Ivor Pirie) let a backpass bounce over his leg with about 20 minutes to go to make it 3-1. We had dominated the game before then, with Colin Milne scoring a hat-trick and to lose 6-3 was definitely hard to take. What made it worse was we got a $20 parking ticket


(the 8-0 win for us in the qualifying cup final the year or 2 after made up for it however )

Been to all of the current ones apart from Wick i think.

Didnt get to Harlaw till last season when i say locos beat Huntly there.

Even played at a few, and managed a school team in a cup final at Mackessack park.

Nairn and Buckie have always been my favourite grounds and i thought harlaw was pretty good. Theres a few dumps in that lot like yer Keith, Huntly, Rothes and Lossie, but i always enjoy visiting HFL grounds and actually enjoy watching HFL games when i can.

Shut it Skiter!

No Elgin fan can call any other ground a hole seeing as they were almost thrown out of the Highland League due to the state of their ground

Lossie play at Grant PARK, not Grant Street you fools.

I have been to them all, including three no longer with us, and seen Lossie win at them all except for Harlaw Park.

Finest hours and a half-

Lossie 2 Fraserburgh 1 (Christie Park, Highland League Cup Final)
Peterhead 0 Lossie 8 (the bane of my former flatmates life for five years, and possibly my favourite moment as a Lossie supporter)
Nairn 1 Lossie 10
Fraserburgh 2 Lossie 4 (Christmas Eve last year)
Rothes 1 Lossie 2 (got us into the Scottish Cup this season)
Clach 0 Lossie 1 (their only defeat that season until after they won the league)
Buckie 3 Lossie 3 (from 3-0 down with half an hour to go AND we missed a penalty)
Keith 0 Lossie 3 (and they were lucky to get 0!)
Brora 2 Lossie 5

Three favourite away grounds......

Recreation Park, Peterhead
Claggan Prak, Fort William
Allan Park, Cove, Aberdeen

Shaker / Souter
No comment on this part of the post????

Inverurie does have decent facilities. Edwards and The Butchers Arms are fine bars, and theres the usual modern world conveniences such as phones, banks and so on, which you normally wouldnt expect in the middle of nowhere.

I was meaning the bit about the beloved Harry Fraser catering van!!!!

I have never bought anything from Harry Fraser because of the ridiculous pricing, so god knows if it is decent or not - I won't take the chance.

I've stopped going to the Lossie pie shop too, since the price increase kicked in.

Inverurie v Rothes in the Qualifying Cup last season. Great pies, chips and social club

Lossie v Rothes in the league last year. Liked the ground, good views, good soup, great social club. Went for a pee before half in the club house and saw what must have been the thickest millionaire shortbread ever made. Vowed to return one day to steal a bit (if indeed it coud ever be recreated)

Rothes v Forres at Majestic Park earlier this season. We were guests of the vice chairman and snaffled a few savoury treats and much top quality whisky



Thats it so far.....

Other half (the real Rothes fan) has been to most though.

The Millionaires Shortbread at Grant Park is the stuff of legend. Reporters are known to ask to be sent to Lossie to get some in the boardroom afterwards.

Have spent years down in Yorkshire promoting Buckie Thistle as the purveyors of the finest half-time pie in world football. Been a loooong time since I was there though.

Any pie-munchers out there able to offer their views on the current state of piedom at Buckie?

I always go in the wine shed when I go to Grant Street, does that qualify me as a hardcore Clacher? All the Lillies are white

Nairn's ground is great but its far better maintained than the famous Recs!

I've moved to Cove fae Perth so it's Allan Park , I remember putting milk in my husbands bovril, I'm sure she said coffee, don't they speak funny???? A gentleman from Huntly found it highly amusing, bloody teuchters

Fly cup are you a Buckie Jags fan. I dinna cane aboot the pies at Victoria Park these days but the Buckie softie is the finest delicasy around.

wick academy-seaforth and highlander club fell out of there many a time

I've been to Mosset Park, and Borough Briggs when it was still HL. Never for games, just to take photos. Yes, I'm that sad

Ive been to :

Clach
Nairn County
Forres
Lossiemouth
Huntly

Forgot to say, I have been to Telford Street and Kingsmills (I have been given coaching by Jim Leishman at Kingsmills ) and Ross County's Victoria Park when it was a HIghland League ground.

Yeah its such an inconvenience buying your ticket from the kiosk!

I have been to Clach, Brora, Nairn, Lossie, Huntly, Cove and Forres. I had also been to Kingsmills, Telford Street and Borough Briggs when they were Highland league grounds.

I guess it's not an inconvenience, I just found it strange that I can go through and pay cash at the turnstile at the Ricoh Arena or the old Highfield Road in Coventry, but couldn't at Victoria Park, Dingwall! The guy in the turnstile looked at me as if I was sort of retard from another planet for having the idiocy to try and pay at a turnstile!

Well you are from Coventry

Now, now - I stay in Coventry , but am not FROM Coventry....

Don't say the retard word around Dundee fans it may lead to you being banned

Well i haven't been on here for a while. Maybe i should post a wee bit on HFL.

The majority of HFL grounds are a reasonable standard, but as always there are minor faults with them too.

Highlights are:

Grant Park (Lossiemouth) for its excellent catering and excellent social club.
Dudgeon Park (Brora) Highly welcoming club with a superb social club and a great day out up North.
Christie Park (Huntly), its the ground of my team and so is a bit like a home from home.
Harlaw Park (Inverurie), great large enclosure and always get to see my team win their come derby day.

I've never been to Grant Street despite dad being assistant manager there last season


been to:

Brora
Borough Briggs when it was HL
Forres Mechanics
Huntly

I've also forgot to add i've been to the plush housing estate that is Kingsmills and the retail park that is Telford Street.

None

You should get yourself along to Grant Park, Lossiemouth sometime - there are a few of us who support Lossie and Partick Thistle.

If anyone is looking at this and is needing a look at any of the grounds mentioned, click here and click on the 'Photos' link for each game to see each ground.

End of gratuitous link

Never been to any although my Auntie lives in Claggan meaning Claggan Park is very near by and I have passed it on several occasions. I have however watched a few shinty games at An Aird. That is definately Fort Williams game cos football certainly isn't!

[='Loquote namessie Loon' date='Apr 14 2006, 20:58' post='993314']
Being a Lossie fan, I've been to them all -
Current HFL grounds....

Brora Rangers (Dudgeon Park) - Basic, with an old wooden stand and an old enclosure opposite. Great wee social club on site though - very modern. Also great views of the mountains when play is dull.

Buckie Thistle (Victoria Park) - Love this ground - old stand with a good-sized enclosure full of characters opposite. Good atmosphere with staunch local support. Big new social club on site (which I have yet to visit).

Clachnacuddin (Clachnacuddin Park, Grant Street) - Small modern stand with horrendous mud bank on opposite side (haven't seen grass there for years). Passionate home support in old corrugated shed behind far goal. Not for the faint hearted. Basic but cheap social club on site.

Cove Rangers (Rainbow Taxis Stadium) - Formerly known as Allan Park, nice but very small ground with good terracing and enclosure opposite the stand wich uniquely sits the fans behind a glass pane. Excellent social club on site and decent pies. Small support though.

Deveronvale (Princess Royal Park) - Excellent large, high, modern stand and smooth playing surface at ground next to the sea. Grass banking all around the other three sides. Badly let down by lack of enclosure though - so if it's pissing down it's no fun. No social club, but decent pubs nearby. Supporters think they're 'it' though and try to noise you up - but it's mostly just jumped up kids.

Forres Mechanics (Mosset Park) - Comments as for Deveronvale's ground above to be honest (although not by the sea!). Both grounds really do need an enclosure, and a social club.

Fort William (Claggan Park) - Haven't been for years, but ground is very basic - almost like a public park. Last time I was there it was wooden benching on one side which fans stood on as terracing (no cover) whilst there was an old rickety stand structure opposite. Fantastic views of Ben Nevis though, and Fort William makes for a great away day. No social club on site, but go to the Galleon nearby the harbour.

Fraserburgh (Bellslea Park) - Old high wooden stand with a great view dominates one side while opposite the view isn't great from the grass banking as there is a house in the middle that protrudes almost to the touchline at the halfway mark! Bizarre. Good sized home support though.

Huntly (Christie Park) - Tree-surrounded mudbath with a small modern stand and covered terraced enclosure opposite. Good social club on site.

Inverurie Loco Works (Harlaw Park) - Fantastic large modern terraced covered enclosure, housing large local support. Large social club on site too - but ground is let down by small wooden main stand opposite enclosure and over-priced catering.

Keith (Kynoch Park) - Old wooden stand (allegedly now seated properly with seats from Coventry City's old Highfield Road ground) with old large covered terraced enclosure opposite. Remainder fo ground is grass-banking which can get muddy. Social club on site but small support.

Lossiemouth (Grant Park) - The San Siro of the HFL. Ok, I'm joking. Small, basic ground with a small old wooden stand that has seen better days opposite a small modern covered terraced enclosure. Quite a compact ground and social club is arguably the best in the HFL and located two streets away. Support unfortunately small these days.

Nairn County (Station Park) - Old wooden stand opposite a leaky old enclosure with primitive 'terracing'. Ground needs some improvement, but the support are a good laugh. No social club, but head to 'Uncle Bob's' on the road into town from the ground.

Rothes (Mackessack Park) - Small modern stand on one side with grass banking all around. Smell of distilleries in the air. Can get very muddy, so tread carefully.

Wick Academy (Harmsworth Park) - Old, small 'main' stand opposite a more modern longer stand with flat grass around other parts of the ground. Hell of a slope towards the main road end. Notable as being the location of Lossie's keeper's goal from a free kick well inside his own half a couple of years back. No social club, but a few good spots en route further into town.
Former HFL Grounds.....

Caledonian (Caledonian Park, Telford Street) - From what I remember, it was an old stand on the side opposite where the turnstiles were located, and a large covered enclosure behind the goal nearest the enclosure (the 'Howden End'). Large vociferous support. Was too young for drinking experience there.

Elgin City (Borough Briggs Stadium) - The gateway to hell and the lair of the Devil himself. Decent ground tho. Large wooden stand with social club inside opposite the largest covered enclosure ever in the HFL which ran end-to-end. Great atmosphere at Elgin v Lossie derbies. Also made a great cup final venue.

Inverness Thistle (Kingsmills) - Typical HFL ground with old stand opposite a covered enclosure, and grass banking at either end. Was at the last ever game there when Thistle lost to Lossiemouth.

Peterhead (Recreation Park) - Can't remember much about this one for some reason. Remember there was a decent social club on site though (not sure if that's linked to lack of memories about the ground), but can't recall if there was an enclosure opposite the old stand?

Peterhead (Balmoor Stadium) - I think this was only open for the Blue Toon's last season in the HFL? Nice ground with modern main stand housing a decent social club bar. When I was there with Lossie there was no second stand but just very steep and high grass banking. Along with a bonkers Faroese man....

Ross County (Victoria Park) - Never went here when it was an HFL ground, but instead first visited the ground a couple of years back on

Lossie Loon what a load of rubbish.

Awa in bile yer heed ye bam.

Good to see you've been let out again. I hope you stay out of trouble this time.

Easy bite fae ye lossie loon

Your comments about PRP were a bit biased don't you think.

How are we jumped up and how do we think we are it ?

Explain

Valley Crew 'Casuals'?

Hmmm.... need I say any more?

So that makes the Vale support jumped up

That didna make sense

Not them all. Just the wee neds.

Oh me. On about neds again

Was you not allowed out as a kid, thought so

ive only been to nairn county's ground outta the highland league

went to them all when Caley were Caley and not that family friendly pish that plays down the dump now.Of the new teams i havent been to Wick or Inverurie.
IMO grounds in the lower leagues are far more fun to visit than these identikit things with all the seats,the smaller ones have character and the HL is living proof of that.
Highlights are the Cove Ground(must be seen to be believed,but a great social club),Dudgeon Park(again great social club),Station Park and Huntly.
Peterhead was always entertaining to visit,what with the rock on the way into town painted with "all caley will die";of boredom nowadays or frozen to death in McTullochs Legoland

Only ever been to Fraserburgh (Bellslea Park) where we all threw Celery out of the stand on to the pitch as the teams came out for a Scottish cup game in 1988. The stand was all ticket and somehow I ended up with a seat in the press box !

Only been to a few HL grounds.

1.Huntly.....v St.Mirren pre season friendly around 1994/5
2.Deveronvale......v St.Mirren again a pre season around the same time.
3.Inverness Caledonian....v St.Mirren cannot remember the year but again a pre season friendly.
Also been in Ross County if you call them "HL"

Seen a couple of others......Fort William, Inverness Clach.

I`m a bit of a ground addict and love going to see different grounds. Been to all the grounds in the Senior league except Elgin, Peterhead, Montrose, East Fife`s new ground. The only reason I`ve not been to these grounds is that St.Mirren have not played at these grounds for such a long time or not at all.

Only Christie Park, Huntly thus far back in 1995 when United were attempting to retain the Scottish Cup...3-1 the arabs that day...and we wrecked one of the barriers at the pitch side and recieved a bollocking from Jim McLean for it...

And you're not a professional footballer!

Coincidence? I think not

Caley - Telford Street
Magnificent, of course. I loved the place and miss it.

Clach - Grant Street
More than a bit run down these days. I remember going once or twice when the 3 stands existed along the touchline where there is now flats and a tiny wee grandstand. Surely must've been among the biggest grounds in the HL in those days?

Thistle - Kingsmills Park
Still miss going up to Kingsmills and stealing fat Calder's Ribena from the back of the goals. I'm still bitter after going to watch a friendly against celtic in about 1988 and Tommy Burns missed me out in the line for autographs. I've hated him ever since.

Ross County - Victoria Park
Massively different since the HL days. I've only heard tales about what the old grandstand was like.

Also visited:
Brora - Dudgeon Park
Nairn - Station Park
Forres - Mosset Park
Elgin - Borough Briggs
Lossie - Grant Park
Rothes - MacKessack Park When it had the old stand - the day of the pitch invasion by Caley fans
Keith - Kynoch Park
Huntly - Christie Park
Peterhead - Recreation Park
Cove Rangers - Allan Park - Long way to go for a Qualifying Cup penalties defeat.

Apart from Clach and Dingwall, haven't been in any of these grounds since at least 1994.