Brora Brora

The village of Brora, with a population of just over 1,200 is perhaps an unlikely recent success story in Scotland’s Highland League. Having been going for over 135 years without a title, to now sit with four on their CV is testimony to a remarkable turnaround. 

Given the size of the village, for many a year, they were amongst the also-rans nearer the foot of the table. They would occasionally pitch up in areas nearer Edinburgh on Scottish Cup duty, usually headed back up to Sutherland with little to show for their efforts. However in September 2010 at Peffermill in Edinburgh, they scored what I still believe to be the best goal I have ever seen, with an absolute rocket of a shot from 35 plus yards to earn a 2-2 draw versus Edinburgh University. In an odd sort of way, it was an early signalling of intent, as soon after Brora became one of the teams to beat up north.

Their first title came along a few seasons later in 2013/14, a timely point to win a first ever league title. Finally Scotland’s closed shop league set-up was developing a pyramid, and that particular season saw an inaugural dry run of the Lowland League, the central belt and borders answer to the Highland equivalent. Both these leagues would sit at tier 5, with the Highland League, whose history and roots go back more than 125 years now, steeped in tradition.  The experimentation that season was the last campaign where team 42, the bottom club in League Two, could put their feet up and smoke a cigar even at the mild embarrassment of finishing last. It would become a stressful position for any given club there after.

Brora successfully defended their title and propelled them into the inaugural pyramid Play-Offs, where Edinburgh City has won the Lowland, and these two played a two legged semi-final, with the winner playing Montrose on a similar basis. Brora had been down at Meadowbank a couple of times in the seasons leading up to the play off, again the results showing just how far they had progressed. They suffered a 4-0 loss in 2011, but gained the upper hand in the Scottish Cup in November 2014, 3-2. Just six months later, they were back again, this time with potential league football at stake. Both matches would end 1-1 in very tight, cagey affairs, but The Cattachs (Brora’s nickname) progressed 4-2 on penalty kicks.

The rumour was that Brora had no interest in going into the league as travelling to the likes of Annan and Stranraer, let alone the central belt on a regular basis seemed a step too far. This is a line trotted out everytime a Highland side gets involved, save Cove whose ambition was always to progress, and Brechin now, who crave a return to league football, but have yet to achieve it. 

My first ever visit to Dudgeon Park was for the first leg of the play off final, where Montrose had unexpectedly found themselves bottom of the pile. Generally the accolade of the wooden spoon went to East Stirlingshire, or Elgin City, and the former would ultimately be the first Scottish league club to be relegated in this fashion soon after. By virtue of telling you that now, you’ll have realised that Montrose survived, but my goodness, only just! Brora somehow won the home leg 1-0, but in a windswept return at Links Park, they were two up on aggregate at the break. Hilariously, the Brora fans were collecting money in a hat at half-time to buy a road map of the Highlands for Montrose. However, with the wind at their backs, and a red card for Steven Mackay, Brora’s talismanic striker (now manager), the pressure ramped up and when a deflected, wind assisted strike flew in to make it 3-1 on the day, the outcome was settled, but it had been a close call. Tears of relief were seen at Links Park that day. Montrose, to their credit, have never looked back, and they even had a crack at the playoffs for the second tier in recent times.

Brora then ceded the title to a variety of other ambitious clubs, with Buckie, Fraserburgh and Cove all having a crack at the playoffs, with only the latter’s utter demolition of Berwick Rangers putting a Highland club into the league. Their ambition has driven them onwards and higher than any of the other promoted clubs, having dabbled merely for one season thus far at Championship level, but their desire will be to return to the second tier.

Brora swung back into the Highland League champions seat in that odd window on the world period, the pandemic years. Leading when the world closed down they were awarded that title, with no promotion play off. Like in 2014/15 they once again successfully defended the title, albeit a gong won from a hampered edition of the league in the ’21/22 season. On this occasion they came up against ambitious Kelty Hearts (the only club I have seen play in 5 separate leagues) in the play off final, with the Fife side coming out on top with a thumping 6-1 aggregate win, ahead of beating Brechin City to seal a place in the league. Kelty are a club who have continued to grow their facilities as well as putting a fine side together on the field, culminating in the beating of Hibs in the League Cup this term. 

Also in that mad passage in life, during Covid, Brora claimed a scalp that only those peeking over the wall at the far end, or watching online could enjoy, when they beat Championship leaders at the time, Hearts 2-1 at Dudgeon Park. It was just a great pity so few were witness to such a memorable occasion. A full to bursting 2,000 capacity at the venue would have had themselves a famous old night. 

Brora is a small village with a natural harbour, a couple of hotels and a few shops, and a takeaway bakery. Almost everything hugs the A9, the main artery from Perth to Wick, but after Dornoch on the road north, it passes through the remaining places on the route. Golspie is just south of Brora, home to a fabulous old castle Dunrobin, with amazing gardens and views. Clynelish whisky distillery is in Brora, so if you fancy a tour, check them out.

The walk from the main square of Brora to Dudgeon Park is less than 10 minutes, and while parking, and a social club (guest welcome) are available at the ground, you can easily leave your transport here too, with lunch options in this vicinity. Catering is in the ground for pies and drinks, sharing the same cabin as the well stocked club shop.

In late January this year, with games having been decimated in the early weeks due to weather, I found myself up north for my nieces birthday, only to discover my go to boys ICT and Elgin were both away, so looking at the Highland fixtures, Brora Rangers v Fraserburgh was the standout tie. Brora were top, and while Fraserburgh found themselves unexpectedly in a lowly 9th slot, they were on the back of a jackpot winning Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox, a game in which they acquitted themselves very well. Brechin’s game was off once more, and the volume of moaning from their fans regarding the Highland League went up yet another notch. Yet, by the end of this engrossing match at Dudgeon Park, I am sure no one at Glebe Park was unduly moaning.

Fraserburgh started the brighter in this encounter, doubtlessly still living off the fumes of the week before, and Brora’s inactivity maybe had them looking sluggish. The opener was a bizarre incident, the ball seemed to be running out for a Brora corner, and their defenders had gently started the trot forward. The ball hit the corner flag, not the usual light one that yields, this full on rod of metal that pinged the ball back into play, and the defender, having practically given it up, delighted in seeing it headed towards him. He showed great ingenuity and quickly had the ball up the left side of the field, where the Brora back line wasn’t posted missing, but had been caught off guard thinking they’d won a corner. Within the blink of an eye, the centre forward ran onto the pass and whacked it by the stranded keeper. 

This merely woke Brora from their slumbers and the pressure started to build. A quick equaliser and numerous other efforts were thrown at the Broch goal, but they held firm at 1-1 at the turn. Fraserburgh caught the home side cold at the start of the second period and re-established the lead, and once again it brought a furious response that saw the post hit, the keeper make some fine stops and finally an equaliser, a deserved one too. There was only really going to be one winner at that stage, Brora throwing everything at the visitors, but they stood firm and were always a danger on the counter, and so it proved with a third on the break. Desperate Brora nearly conceded a fourth but ended up with a straight red for stopping a goalscoring opportunity. 

Brora will play worse and win, while Fraserburgh will look to climb the table into the top four if they can and reach a respectable season end placing. Brora still led the table, but by a mere point with Brechin having two games in hand now. There will be more twists in the tale before this story ends.