The North Caledonian Cup, originally known as the North of Scotland Junior Cup and later the North of Scotland 2nd XI Cup is an annual association football cup for competition between football clubs across the Highlands & Islands of Scotland.
The cup is a registered Scottish FA competition which runs under the auspices of the North Caledonian FA.
First introduced during the 1887–88 season as the flagship competition of the Inverness Junior Football Association, the North Caledonian Cup was initially known as the North of Scotland Junior FA Cup, introduced as an association football cup for competition between juniors clubs from Inverness and the surrounding districts across the North of Scotland.
In the season that followed, the Inverness Junior FA became known as the North of Scotland Junior FA and the cup would become its marquee competition. [1]
The first competition was competed for between eighteen teams across the North of Scotland and was won in its first season by Inverness-based junior club Crusaders F.C. [2]
In its infancy, much like the Highland Football League, cup entrants were mostly teams from the Inverness area and its surrounding districts and for the latter part of the 19th century the competition was dominated by the 2nd XI combinations of senior clubs from the Highland League.
It was not until the 1902 that the trophy eventually left Inverness when Dingwall Victoria United - who would later become known as Ross County - won the trophy two years in a row.
While 2nd XI (reserve) clubs were still a dominant force, the growth of the junior club scene eventually led to teams from Tain, Grantown-on-spey, Elgin and Muir of Ord adding their name to the trophy.
When the North of Scotland Junior FA dropped its junior status in 1935, the competition became known as the North of Scotland 2nd XI Cup.
By the late 1960s, a surge in the formation of senior clubs throughout Ross-shire, Sutherland and Caithness resulted in a break-up in the dominance shown by the Highland Football League "2nd XI" sides.
In 1984, the association took the decision to rename the association once again, this time taking the name North Caledonian League, in a bid to "shake off" the 2nd XI reserve football stigma which had been attached to the cup since its introduction 97 years prior.
Almost a year later, at the annual general meeting of the North Caledonian FA, the trophy was renamed the North Caledonian Challenge Cup. Since 1972, only six senior reserve teams have won the trophy, the last being Inverness Caledonian Thistle 'A' in 1998–99.
In 2008, the original 121-year-old trophy was retired due to being in a state of poor repair and was sent to Hampden for safe keeping and refurbishment. Though the competition's lineage remained intact, a new trophy, more simply inscribed with the name North Caledonian Cup, was introduced to replace the original.
At the same time, the cup was briefly recognized and referred to as the Jock Mackay Memorial Cup before the competitions became two separate cups.
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Invergordon [4] | 4–3 | Loch Ness | Dalmore Park, Alness | |
| 2022–23 | Invergordon [3] | 2–1 | Golspie Sutherland | King George V Park, Golspie | |
| 2021–22 | St Duthus [7] | 1–0 | Halkirk United | Dudgeon Park, Brora | |
| 2020–21 | Competition not completed due to suspension of football activities as a result of COVID-19 outbreak | ||||
| 2019–20 | Competition not completed due to suspension of football activities as a result of COVID-19 outbreak | ||||
| 2018–19 | Invergordon [2] | 2–0 | Alness United | Dudgeon Park, Brora | |
| 2017–18 | St Duthus [6] | 3–1 [3] [4] | Golspie Sutherland | King George V Park, Golspie |  |
| 2016–17 | Golspie Sutherland [8] | 2–1 | Invergordon | Dudgeon Park, Brora | |
| 2015–16 | Golspie Sutherland [7] | 4–2 [5] | Lewis & Harris | Dalmore Park, Alness | |
| 2014–15 | Lewis & Harris | 1–0 | Golspie Sutherland | Dalmore Park, Alness | First team from the Western Isles to win the cup |
| 2013–14 | Alness United [3] | 3–1 | Muir of Ord Rovers | Pavilion Park, Muir of Ord | |
| 2012–13 | Muir of Ord Rovers [6] | 1–0 | Thurso | Dalmore Park, Alness | |
| 2011–12 | Halkirk United [3] | 2–1 [6] | Golspie Sutherland | Dudgeon Park, Brora | |
| 2010–11 | Thurso [3] | 4–1 | Invergordon | King George V Park, Golspie | |
| 2009–10 | Muir of Ord Rovers [5] | 2–1 [7] | Halkirk United | Bonar Bridge Park |
|
| 2008–09 | Halkirk United [2] | 5–2 | Thurso | Recreation Grounds, Invergordon | Contested and promoted as the Jock Mackay Memorial Cup |
| 2007–08 | Golspie Sutherland [6] | 2–2 p [8] | Inverness City | Recreation Grounds, Invergordon |
|
| 2006–07 | Inverness City | 2–2 p [9] | Golspie Sutherland | Recreation Grounds, Invergordon |
|
| 2005–06 | Halkirk United | 3–1 aet | Alness United | Seaboard Park, Balintore |
|
| 2004–05 | Balintore [4] | 2–2 p | Invergordon | Seaboard Park, Balintore |
|
| 2003–04 | Thurso [2] | 1–0 [10] [11] [12] | Balintore | Dudgeon Park, Brora | |
| 2002–03 | Golspie Sutherland [5] | 3–1 | Dornoch | Dudgeon Park, Brora | |
| 2001–02 | Thurso | 2–1 [13] | Alness United | King George V Park, Golspie | |
| 2000–01 | Golspie Sutherland [4] | Alness United | |||
| 1999–2000 | Alness United [2] | ||||
| 1998–99 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle reserves | ||||
| 1997–98 | Balintore [3] | 3–2 | Invergordon | ||
| 1996–97 | Balintore [2] | 4–0 | Halkirk United | King George V Park, Golspie | |
| 1995–96 | Fearn Thistle | ||||
| 1994–95 | Clachnacuddin reserves [15] | ||||
| 1993–94 | Bonar Bridge [2] | 2–1 | St Duthus | After extra time | |
| 1992–93 | Ross County reserves [6] | ||||
| 1991–92 | Clachnacuddin reserves [14] | ||||
| 1990–91 | Caledonian reserves [15] | ||||
| 1989–90 | St Duthus [5] | ||||
| 1988–89 | Caledonian reserves [14] | ||||
| 1987–88 | Invergordon | ||||
| 1986–87 | St Duthus [4] | ||||
| 1985–86 | Wick Academy [3] | ||||
| 1984–85 | Balintore | 2–1 | Bunillidh Thistle | ||
| 1983–84 | St Duthus [3] | Balintore | |||
| 1982–83 | Muir of Ord Rovers [4] | ||||
| 1981–82 | Bunillidh Thistle [2] | Muir of Ord Rovers | |||
| 1980–81 | Wick Academy [2] | 1–0 | Invergordon | Dudgeon Park, Brora | |
| 1979–80 | Wick Academy | 2–1 | Muir of Ord Rovers | Dudgeon Park, Brora | First team from Caithness to win the cup |
| 1978–79 | St Duthus [2] | 3–2 | Alness United | Migdale Park, Bonar Bridge | |
| 1977–78 | Bonar Bridge | ||||
| 1976–77 | Dingwall Thistle | ||||
| 1975–76 | Golspie Sutherland [3] | ||||
| 1974–75 | Golspie Sutherland [2] | ||||
| 1973–74 | Alness United | ||||
| 1972–73 | Ross County reserves [5] | ||||
| 1971–72 | Bunillidh Thistle | ||||
| 1970–71 | Caledonian reserves [13] | ||||
| 1969–70 | Ross County reserves [4] | ||||
| 1968–69 | Golspie Sutherland | ||||
| 1967–68 | Muir of Ord Rovers [3] | ||||
| 1966–67 | Black Rock Rovers (Evanton) | ||||
| 1965–66 | Caledonian reserves [12] | ||||
| 1964–65 | Brora Rangers reserves | First team from Sutherland to win the cup | |||
| 1963–64 | Clachnacuddin reserves [13] | ||||
| 1962–63 | Clachnacuddin reserves [12] | ||||
| 1960–61 | Clachnacuddin reserves [11] | ||||
| 1959–60 | Caledonian reserves [11] | ||||
| 1958–59 | Ross County reserves [3] | ||||
| 1957–58 | Clachnacuddin reserves [10] | ||||
| 1956–57 | Clachnacuddin reserves [9] | ||||
| 1955–56 | Clachnacuddin reserves [8] | ||||
| 1954–55 | Caledonian reserves [10] | ||||
| 1953–54 | Nairn County reserves | ||||
| 1952–53 | Nelson (Inverness)[6] | ||||
| 1951–52 | Loco Rangers | ||||
| 1950–51 | Ross County reserves [2] | ||||
| 1949–50 | Clachnacuddin reserves [7] | ||||
| 1948–49 | Caledonian reserves [9] | ||||
| 1947–48 | Caledonian reserves [8] | ||||
| 1946–47 | Ross County reserves | 5–4 | Invergordon | Grant Street Park, Inverness | |
| 1938–39 | Highland Light Infantry | ||||
| 1937–38 | Muir of Ord Rovers | ||||
| 1936–37 | Clachnacuddin reserves [6] | ||||
| 1935–36 | Nelson (Inverness)[5] | ||||
| 1934–35 | Muir of Ord Rovers [2] | ||||
| 1933–34 | Muir of Ord Rovers | ||||
| 1932–33 | Nelson (Inverness)[4] | 1–0 | Muir of Ord Rovers | Kingsmills Park, Inverness | |
| 1931–32 | Inverness Thistle reserves [7] | ||||
| 1930–31 | Inverness Thistle reserves [6] | Inverness Citadel reserves | Telford Street Park, Inverness | ||
| 1929–30 | Clachnacuddin reserves [5] | ||||
| 1928–29 | Nelson (Inverness)[3] | ||||
| 1927–28 | Dingwall Victoria United [3] | ||||
| 1926–27 | Cameron Highlanders [2] | ||||
| 1925–26 | Inverness Thistle reserves [5] | ||||
| 1924–25 | St Duthus | 2–1 [14] | Catch-my-Pal (Inverness) | Thistle Park, Inverness | |
| 1923–24 | Fortrose & Rosemarkie Union | ||||
| 1922–23 | Clachnacuddin reserves [4] | ||||
| 1921–22 | Caledonian reserves [7] | Inverness Citadel reserves | Final was replayed after first match ended 1–1 | ||
| 1920–21 | Inverness Citadel reserves [3] | ||||
| 1919–20 | Clachnacuddin reserves [3] | ||||
| 1913–14 | Albert (Inverness) | 3–2 [15] | Dingwall Victoria United | Inverness | |
| 1912–13 | Bishopmill United [2] | 5–3 [16] | Dingwall Victoria United | Grant Street Park, Inverness | |
| 1911–12 | Bishopmill United | 2–1 [17] | Dingwall Victoria United | Kingsmills Park, Inverness | |
| 1910–11 | Grantown Athletic | 2–0 [18] | Inverness Thistle reserves | Grant Street Park, Inverness | First team from Moray to win the cup. |
| 1909–10 | Inverness Thistle reserves [4] | ||||
| 1908–09 | Clachnacuddin reserves [2] | 3–0 [19] | Dingwall Victoria United | Kingsmills Park, Inverness | |
| 1907–08 | Nelson (Inverness)[2] | 4–2 [20] | Inverness Citadel reserves | Inverness | |
| 1906–07 | Caledonian reserves [6] | 3–1 [21] | Clachnacuddin reserves | Kingsmills Park, Inverness | Final was replayed after first match at Kingsmills Park ended 3–3 |
| 1905–06 | Nelson (Inverness) | Awarded after Inverness Citadel reserves refused to contest replay. [22] | After a first match ended in a draw, the game was replayed at Telford Street Park, Inverness, but at 2-0 to Citadel the referee abandoned the game due to mist with ten minutes left to play. A replay was scheduled but Citadel refused to contest it. The association thereafter awarded the trophy to Nelson. | ||
| 1904–05 | Caledonian reserves [5] | ||||
| 1903–04 | Dingwall Victoria United [2] | 4–3 | Caledonian reserves | Clachnacuddin Park, Inverness | |
| 1902–03 | Dingwall Victoria United | 1–0 | Inverness Citadel reserves | Clachnacuddin Park, Inverness | First team from outside of Inverness / first team from Ross & Cromarty to win the cup. |
| 1901–02 | Clachnacuddin reserves | 4–0 | Inverness Citadel reserves | Kingsmills Park, Inverness | |
| 1900–01 | Inverness Thistle reserves [3] | Caledonian reserves | Clachnacuddin Park, Inverness | ||
| 1899–1900 | Caledonian reserves [4] | ||||
| 1898–99 | Heatherley FC (Inverness) | ||||
| 1897–98 | Inverness Citadel reserves [2] | 2–1 | Dingwall Victoria United | Thistle Park, Inverness | |
| 1896–97 | Inverness Citadel reserves | 3–2 | Inverness Celtic | Clachnacuddin Park, Inverness | Final was replayed after first match at Telford Street Park ended 2–2 |
| 1895–96 | Caledonian reserves [3] | 3–1 | Cameron Highlanders | Kingsmills Park, Inverness | |
| 1894–95 | Caledonian reserves [2] | 5–1 | Heatherley FC (Inverness) | Clachnacuddin Park, Inverness | |
| 1893–94 | Inverness Thistle reserves [2] | 5–1 | Caledonian reserves | Thistle Park, Inverness | Final was replayed after first match at Clachnacuddin Park was abandoned in the second half due to snow with scores at 1–1 |
| 1892–93 | Caledonian reserves | 4–1 | Inverness Citadel reserves | Telford Street Park, Inverness | |
| 1891–92 | Crown Strollers (Inverness) | 3–2 | Inverness Citadel reserves | Northern Meeting Park, Inverness | |
| 1890–91 | Inverness Thistle reserves | 5–3 | Caledonian reserves | Midmills Park, Inverness | |
| 1889–90 | Inverness Union reserves | 2–0 | Clachnacuddin reserves | Needlefield Park, Inverness | |
| 1888–89 | Cameron Highlanders | 1–0 | Inverness Union reserves | Needlefield Park, Inverness | Final was replayed after first match ended 2–2 |
| 1887–88 | Crusaders (Inverness) | 1–0 [23] | Crown (Inverness) | Cameron Barracks | First ever cup final |
| Club | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Caledonian reserves | 15 | 1892–93, 1894–95, 1895–96, 1899–1900, 1904–05, 1906–07, 1921–22, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1954–55, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1970–71, 1988–89, 1990–91 |
| Clachnacuddin reserves | 15 | 1901–02, 1908–09, 1919–20, 1922–23, 1929–30, 1936–37, 1949–50, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1991–92, 1994–95 |
| Golspie Sutherland | 8 | 1968–69, 1974–75, 1975–76, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2015–16, 2016–17 |
| Inverness Thistle reserves | 7 | 1890–91, 1893–94, 1900–91, 1909–10, 1925–26, 1930–31, 1931–32 |
| Muir of Ord Rovers | 7 | 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1967–68, 1982–83, 2009–10, 2012–13 |
| St Duthus | 7 | 1924–25, 1978–79, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1989–90, 2017–18, 2021–22 |
| Nelson (Inverness) | 6 | 1905–06, 1907–08, 1928–29, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1953–53 |
| Ross County reserves | 6 | 1946–47, 1950–51, 1958–59, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1992–93 |
| Balintore | 4 | 1984–85, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2004–05 |
| Invergordon | 4 | 1987–88, 2018–19, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| Alness United | 3 | 1973–74, 1999–2000, 2013–14 |
| Dingwall Victoria United | 3 | 1902–03, 1903–04, 1927–28 |
| Halkirk United | 3 | 2005–06, 2008–09, 2011–12 |
| Inverness Citadel reserves | 3 | 1896–97, 1897–98, 1920–21 |
| Thurso | 3 | 2001–02, 2003–04, 2010–11 |
| Wick Academy | 3 | 1979–80, 1980–81, 1985–86 |
| Bishopmill United | 2 | 1911–12, 1912–13 |
| Bonar Bridge | 2 | 1977–78, 1993–94 |
| Bunillidh Thistle | 2 | 1971–72, 1981–82 |
| Cameron Highlanders | 2 | 1888–89, 1926–27 |
| Albert (Inverness) | 1 | 1913–14 |
| Black Rock Rovers (Evanton) | 1 | 1966–67 |
| Brora Rangers reserves | 1 | 1964–65 |
| Crown Strollers (Inverness) | 1 | 1891–92 |
| Crusaders (Inverness) | 1 | 1887–88 |
| Dingwall Thistle | 1 | 1976–77 |
| Fearn Thistle | 1 | 1995–96 |
| Fortrose & Rosemarkie Union | 1 | 1923–24 |
| Grantown Athletic | 1 | 1910–11 |
| Heatherley FC (Inverness) | 1 | 1898–99 |
| Highland Light Infantry | 1 | 1938–39 |
| Inverness Caledonian Thistle reserves | 1 | 1998–99 |
| Inverness City | 1 | 2006–07 |
| Inverness Union reserves | 1 | 1889–90 |
| Lewis & Harris | 1 | 2014–15 |
| Loco Rangers | 1 | 1951–52 |
| Nairn County reserves | 1 | 1953–54 |
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