This year's Camanachd Cup final switched from Kingussie to Oban with major planned festival now postponed until 2022
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The Camanachd Cup Final has been moved to Oban from Kingussie, the game's sporting body has confirmed.
It follows discussions in recent days between the Badenoch club and the Camanachd Association.
The Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final and the Final Fling concert - which had been part of a bigger five-day festival - will now take place in 2022.
It is understood that the club had been concerned about the financial viability of the concert - to be headlined by Peat & Diesel and Manran – with Covid-restrictions expected to limit ticket sales to just 1000.
They are on course to sell a lot more than that, and along with the cost of putting on the gig, decided the sensible move would be to look at asking for a year's postponement.
The final and Final Fling had been scheduled for September 18.
The new date is September 17.
A Kingussie club spokesman said: "The entire week’s events of the Kingussie 2021 festival are postponed and will be re-scheduled for September 2022.
"The reasons the indoor concerts, and the Final Fling concert, are postponed are entirely to do with the uncertainties around Covid-19 on restrictions and distancing.
"Kingussie Camanachd Club is encouraging everyone to head for Oban instead on September 18 to enjoy what will be a fantastic shinty occasion."
All tickets purchased for the Final Fling concert will still be valid for 2022 but if anyone wishes a refund on their ticket then this will be available.
The club will announce the line up for the 2022 Final Fling as soon as possible.
The spokesman said: "Instructions from the on-line ticketing platform Skiddle will come out this week, while instructions for anyone who has purchased printed tickets will come out from the Kingussie Club over the weekend."
He continued: "Whilst the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup final could have taken place in Kingussie this year, as was originally planned, it was the size and scale of a planned music festival – with close to 1000 tickets already sold and mostly all-day tickets – set up to compliment the shinty spectacle that was simply not feasible under current government event guidance.
"As a result, it was agreed to defer the event until 2022 where both events are hoped to take place."
Camanachd Association president Steven MacKenzie said: "I am delighted to announce the location of the 2021 Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final as Oban.
"We have significant support locally from Argyll and Bute and some incredible people that make Oban a great destination for our final not to mention it is a traditional heartland and the perfect location to manage an event of this importance."
The final had been due to be staged at the Dell last September but was cancelled because of the Covid pandemic.
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