Highland March

The Highland March is an annual expedition by supporters of the Scottish football League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the final week of the league season. The supporters walk from the penultimate match to the final league game of the season, wherever those fixtures happen to be. It has become traditional that at both matches, the Highland Marchers parade around the pitch before kick off, bearing the Highland March flag and accompanied by a single piper playing Highland Cathedral, the unofficial anthem of the city of Inverness.

History

The idea of The Highland March was conceived in the Market Bar in Inverness on Hogmanay (31st December) 2002 when five supporters, Interthenet, Bronson, Shennachie, Seoras and Govan Jaggie gathered to celebrate the new year. Interthenet announced that he would be 50 in the coming new year and proposed that the group walk to the last game of the season at Falkirk. Falkirk were top of the league at the time, with Inverness close behind in second place, so the idea of walking to a showdown fixture on the final day of the season held some appeal. The idea was subsequently floated on the club's unofficial website and the idea attracted further interest. The inaugural March left Inverness on Sunday 4th May 2003 and arrived in Falkirk six days later. Two of the marchers walked the full distance (what has since become known as an End to End) and the March was sufficiently successful to be repeated the following year and every one since.

To date, there have been seven Highland Marches:

2003 Highland March 1 Inverness to Falkirk
2004 Highland March 2 Clyde to Inverness
2005 Highland March 3 Dundee to Inverness
2006 Highland March 4 Inverness to Dunfermline
2007 Highland March 5 Inverness to St Mirren
2008 Highland March 6 Falkirk to Inverness
2009 Highland March 7 Kilmarnock to Inverness

Highland March 1

Inverness to Falkirk (4th to 10th May 2003) 160 miles

Inverness to Carrbridge, 30 miles
Carrbridge to Tromie Bridge, 22 miles
Tromie Bridge to Blair Atholl, 28 miles
Blair Atholl to Dunkeld, 22 miles
Dunkeld to Kinkell Bridge, 26 miles
Kinkell Bridge to Bannockburn, 23 miles
Bannockburn to Brockville Stadium, Falkirk, 9 miles

Highland March 2

Clyde to Inverness (8th to 15th May 2004) 152 miles

Broadwood Stadium to Stirling, 15 miles
Stirling to Crieff, 22 miles
Crieff to Kenmore, 21 miles
Kenmore to Dalnacardoch, 20 miles
Dalnacardoch to Tromie Bridge, 22 miles
Tromie Bridge to Carrbridge, 22 miles
Carrbridge to Daviot, 22 miles
Daviot to Caledonian Stadium, Inverness, 8 miles

Highland March 3

Dundee to Inverness (14th to 21st May 2005)

HM3 saw the introduction of Teams in order to challenge individual marchers according to their ability.

Team Gringo 138 miles

Dens Park, Dundee to Coupar Angus, 15 miles
Coupar Angus to Dunkeld, 15 miles
Dunkeld to Blair Atholl, 28 miles
Blair Atholl to Dalnacardoch, 12 miles
Dalnacardoch to Tromie Bridg,e 22 miles
Tromie Bridge to Carrbridge, 22 miles
Carrbridge to Daviot, 22 miles
Daviot to Caledonian Stadium, Inverness, 8 miles

Team Yompa 149 miles

Dens Park, Dundee to Coupar Angus, 15 miles

Coupar Angus to Amulree, 23 miles
Amulree to Tummel Bridge, 22 miles
Ascent of Schiehallion, 4 miles
Tummel Bridge to Dalnacardoch, 11 miles
Dalnacardoch to Tromie Bridge, 22 miles
Tromie Bridge to Carrbridge, 22 miles
Carrbridge to Daviot, 22 miles
Daviot to Caledonian Stadium, Inverness, 8 miles

Highland March 4

Inverness to Dunfermline

Team Gringo (30th April to 3rd May 2006) 147 miles

Inverness to Sluggan Bridge, 23 miles
Sluggan Bridge to Newtonmore, 23 miles
Newtonmore to Dalnacardoch, 23 miles
Dalnacardoch to Ballanluig, 23 miles
Ballanluig to Almondbank, 25 miles
Almondbank to Cleish, 21 miles
Cleish to East End Park, Dunfermline, 9 miles

Team Yompa (3rd May to 6th May 2006) 136 miles

Inverness to Pitlochry, 70 miles
Pitlochry to Cleish, 57 miles
Cleish to East End Park, Dunfermline, 9 miles

Highland March 5

Inverness to St Mirren (12th to 19th May 2007) 168 miles

HM5 brought AbOUT the challenge of most of the Great Glen Way with most of the West Highland Way, back to back in a week.

Team Gringo

Achnabet to Easter Drummond, 15 miles (day 1 part 1)
Inverness to Achnabet, 12 miles (day 1 part 2)
Easter Drummond to Gairlochy, 29 miles
Gairlochy to Kinlochleven, 24 miles
Kinlochleven to Tyndrum, 28 miles
Tyndrum to Inversnaid, 19 miles
Inversnaid to Balloch, 24 miles
Balloch to Glasgow Airport, 15 miles
Glasgow Airport to Love Street, Paisley, 1 mile

Team Yompa

Inverness to Fort William, 67 miles
Fort William to Kinlochleven, 14 miles
Kinlochleven to Tyndrum, 28 miles
Tyndrum to Inversnaid, 19 miles
Inversnaid to Dumbarton, 31 miles
Dumbarton to Love Street, Paisley, 9 miles

Highland March 6

Falkirk to Inverness (10th to 17th May 2008) 149 miles

Westfield Stadium, Falkirk to Tillicoultry, 13 miles
Tillicoultry to Gilmerton, 25 miles
Gilmerton to Kenmore, 20 miles
Kenmore to Dalnacardoch 20 miles (Yompa via Schiehallion)
Dalnacardoch to Tromie Bridge 22 miles
Tromie Bridge to Carrbridge 22 miles
Carrbridge to Daviot 22 miles
Daviot to Caledonian Stadium, Inverness 8 miles

Highland March 7

Kilmarnock to Inverness (16th to 23rd May 2009) 187 miles

Rugby Park, Kilmarnock to Aberfoyle, 53 miles
Aberfoyle to Killin, 27 miles
Killin to Trinafour, 33 miles
Trinafour to Tromie Bridge, 26 miles
Tromie Bridge to Slochd Summit, 28 miles
Slochd Summit to Falcon Square, Inverness, 20 miles
Falcon Square to Caledonian Stadium, 2 miles

Ranks

The concept of Highland March ranks were introduced in Highland March 3 in recognition of miles walked:

0-99 Cadet
100-199 Private
200-299 Corporal
300-399 Sergeant
400-499 Lieutenant
500-599 Captain
600-799 Major
800-999 Colonel
1000-1499 Brigadier
1500-1999 Field Marshal
2000+ Legendaire

The rank of General (Dogsbody) is an honorary title given to the support driver and has exclusively been the rank of CaleyD since 2006.
The official Highland March ranks at the end of HM7 were as follows:

Brigadier Yompa
Brigadier Gringo Junior
Colonel Gringo
Captain Chumba
Lieutenant Mrs Gringo
Sergeant Slater
Sergeant Dunco
Sergeant Paulie Bee
Sergeant Mrs Pauliee Bee
Corporal Caley Canary
Private Lady Madonna
Private Fro'in
Private Brew XI
Private Smurf
Cadet Radio Caroline
Cadet Howden Ender
Cadet Bullzaye
Cadet Caleyceuticals
Cadet CuteCaleyChick
Cadet Lauraness
Cadet Bronson
Cadet Elvis
Cadet Wum
Cadet SatNav
Cadet Interthenet Micro
Cadet Shennachie
Cadet Seoras

References

Match programme, Inverness Caledonian Thistle v St Johnstone, 3rd May 2003
Match programme, Falkirk v Inverness Caledonian Thistle, 10th May 2003
Match programme, Clyde v Inverness Caledonian Thistle, 8th May 2004
Reporting Scotland, BBC1, 10th May 2004
Football Focus, BBC Scotland, 15th May 2004
Match programme, Inverness Caledonian Thistle v St Johnstone, 15th May 2004
Match programme, Dundee v Inverness Caledonian Thistle, 14th May 2005
Match programme, Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Dundee United, 21st May 2005
Match programme, Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Falkirk, 3rd May 2006
Match programme, Dunfermline Athletic v Inverness Caledonian Thistle, 6th May 2006
Match programme, Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Dunfermline Athletic, 12th May 2007
Match programme, St Mirren v Inverness Caledonian Thistle, 19th May 2007
Match programme, Falkirk v Inverness Caledonian Thistle, 10th May 2008
Match programme, Inverness Caledonian Thistle v St Mirren, 17th May 2008
Match programme, Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Hamilton Academicals, 3rd May 2009
Match programme, Kilmarnock v Inverness Caledonian Thistle, 16th May 2009
Match programme, Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Falkirk, 23rd May 2009

External links

The official Highland March website 1
The official Inverness Caledonian Thistle website 2
CaleyThistleOnline - #1 Fans website 3
The Caley Jaggie 4
The Kilmarnock Standard 5
Reuters News Agency 6