Loch Ness will remain in Ross-shire for North Caledonian League
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Loch Ness will continue to call Fortrose home in the North Caledonian League next season.
Last season’s runners up moved out of Inverness once the rugby season started up again last summer, meaning Canal Park became unavailable for football on a Saturday afternoon.
Since then, Loch Ness have invested time and effort into improving the surface at Fortrose, and they intend to continue that work ahead of returning there for the 2022/23 campaign.
“We’re still out at Fortrose, we’re going to stay there for next season,” boss Shane Carling said.
“Fortrose are more than happy for us to carry on. We did a lot of work out there, even the pitch, after the season was done we got the park all rolled, spiked and seeded.
“I’m getting it sanded in August as well, just to try and keep it looking good.
“Obviously Fortrose’s amateur team uses the pitch as well over the summer, so we’re trying to keep it looking good.
“It’s a good park, so we’re more than happy to stay there.
“It’s only 10 or 15 minutes from Inverness, it’s nothing. Depending on where you live in Inverness it could take longer to get to Bught Park through town that it does to get to Fortrose.”
While their home stays the same, Loch Ness will have new players.
Carling has been aiming to recruit some younger players over the off-season to improve the balance of his squad, while some others will leave.
As far as he is concerned, the group Loch Ness will take into the new season is a better selection than the one that led the NCL for much of last season.
“We’re just trying to get the right blend a wee bit more, because we’ve got quite a few older boys,” Carling explained.
“A lot of the guys we have are in their 30s, so we’re trying to bring some younger boys in.
“I would say that, on paper, our squad is stronger than it was last year. Will we perform the way we did last year? That’s another thing.
“It’s okay taking these players in, but it doesn’t mean you’re going to win things or anything like that. We’ll have to wait and see, but it’s looking promising.”
