Highland Football League
The Highland Football League (HFL) is a league of football clubs operating not just in the Scottish highlands, as the name may suggest, but also in the north-east lowlands (Moray and Aberdeenshire). It is one of the three 'senior' non-leagues (that is a league that is not the Scottish Football League (SFL), Scottish Premier League or one of the Scottish Junior Football Association's leagues) in Scotland. The HFL is a full member of the Scottish Football Association.
| {{{leaguename}}} | ||
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| Country |  Scotland
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| Founded | 1893 | |
| Current champions | ||
| Website | highlandfootballleague.com | |
History
Formation
The HFL was formed on 4 August 1893, at the Inverness Workman's Club. The original league consisted of seven teams: Inverness Thistle, Caledonian, Clachnacuddin, Forres Mechanics, Inverness Union, Inverness Citadel and Cameron Highlanders. Ross County were an eighth original member, but resigned membership in November 1893. Of the original teams, two are still playing in the league today (Clachnacuddin and Forres Mechanics), and two merged to become current Scottish Premier League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Recent History
Many of the member clubs have performed well when competing against SFL clubs in the Scottish Cup. However, from the 1990s onwards, the HFL has been a victim of its own success, with various teams defecting to other leagues. Furthermore it has also had to contend with overexposure of large teams in the area, such as Aberdeen and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, as well as the Old Firm to the South, and to an extent English football. However, the lack of Premier League, and to a lesser extent First Division, teams in the area, has worked in its favour, with some football fans being less willing to travel long distances to games in southern Scotland.
The league has been somewhat weakened in recent years by the departure of many former members who have subsequently joined the SFL. This happened in 1994 when Caledonian, Inverness Thistle and Ross County left. Until then the HFL had operated with 18 clubs; this was reduced by the departure of the three mentioned clubs, but Wick Academy from the North Caledonian Football League were elected, to create a league of 16 clubs. This was the state of affairs till 2000 when Elgin City and Peterhead were elected into the SFL. In 2002 Inverurie Loco Works were elected into the HFL to give it a membership of 15 clubs, with which it continues to operate.
In 2008, North Region Junior League sides Formartine United and Turriff United both submitted bids to join the Highland League, following in the footsteps of past Junior League side Inverurie Locos. If both teams were to join, the Highland League would have a total of 17 teams. An even team league is preferred, so only one club's application was likely to be successful. Whichever team is successful in their application was planned to join in the 2009–10 season. However Banks O' Dee and Strathspey Thistle also applied, giving the potential for an 18 team Highland league in 2009-10 if three of these four clubs were elected. On February 25 2009, Formartine United, Turriff United and Strathspey Thistle were accepted into the league for the following season, with Banks O' Dee being the unsuccessful club.
Results from the HFL and the Highland League Cup have featured on the Press Association vidiprinter since the start of the 1997–98 season.
The Highland League is the subject of a song of the same name by the popular music ensemble I, Ludicrous.[1]
Clubs
Main article: List of football clubs in Scotland
Winners
| Season | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1893–94 | Inverness Thistle | Caledonian |
| 1894–95 | Clachnacuddin | Inverness Thistle |
| 1895–96 | Caledonian[note 1] | Inverness Thistle |
| 1896–97 | Clachnacuddin | Caledonian |
| 1897–98 | Clachnacuddin | Caledonian |
| 1898–99 | Caledonian | Clachnacuddin |
| 1899–1900 | Caledonian | Clachnacuddin |
| 1900–01 | Clachnacuddin | Caledonian |
| 1901–02 | Caledonian | Inverness Thistle |
| 1902–03 | Clachnacuddin | Inverness Thistle |
| 1903–04 | Clachnacuddin | Inverness Citadel |
| 1904–05 | Clachnacuddin[note 2] | Black Watch |
| 1905–06 | Clachnacuddin[note 1] | Caledonian |
| 1906–07 | Inverness Thistle | Caledonian |
| 1907–08 | Clachnacuddin | Highland Light Infantry |
| 1908–09 | Inverness Citadel | Clachnacuddin |
| 1909–10 | Inverness Thistle[note 1] | Elgin City |
| 1910–11 | Caledonian | Buckie Thistle |
| 1911–12 | Clachnacuddin[note 1] | Caledonian |
| 1912–13 | Aberdeen A | Buckie Thistle |
| 1913–14 | Caledonian | Aberdeen A |
| 1914–15 | unfinished[note 3] | |
| 1919–20 | Buckie Thistle | Clachnacuddin |
| 1920–21 | Clachnacuddin | Inverness Thistle |
| 1921–22 | Clachnacuddin | Buckie Thistle |
| 1922–23 | Clachnacuddin | Elgin City |
| 1923–24 | Clachnacuddin | Buckie Thistle |
| 1924–25 | Aberdeen A | Caledonian |
| 1925–26 | Caledonian | Inverness Thistle |
| 1926–27 | Buckie Thistle | Clachnacuddin |
| 1927–28 | Buckie Thistle | Clachnacuddin |
| 1928–29 | Inverness Thistle | Elgin City |
| 1929–30 | Huntly | Elgin City |
| 1930–31 | Caledonian | Buckie Thistle |
| 1931–32 | Elgin City | Keith |
| 1932–33 | Fraserburgh | Elgin City |
| 1933–34 | Buckie Thistle | Forres Mechanics |
| 1934–35 | Elgin City | Huntly |
| 1935–36 | Inverness Thistle | Peterhead |
| 1936–37 | Buckie Thistle | Peterhead |
| 1937–38 | Fraserburgh | Clachnacuddin |
| 1938–39 | Clachnacuddin | Buckie Thistle |
| 1939–40 | unfinished[note 4] | |
| 1946–47 | Peterhead | Huntly |
| 1947–48 | Clachnacuddin | Peterhead |
| 1948–49 | Peterhead | Clachnacuddin |
| 1949–50 | Peterhead | Caledonian |
| 1950–51 | Caledonian | Buckie Thistle |
| 1951–52 | Caledonian | Huntly |
| 1952–53 | Elgin City | Buckie Thistle |
| 1953–54 | Buckie Thistle | Elgin City |
| 1954–55 | unfinished[note 5] | |
| 1955–56 | Elgin City[note 1] | Buckie Thistle |
| 1956–57 | Buckie Thistle | Caledonian |
| 1957–58 | Buckie Thistle | Elgin City |
| 1958–59 | Rothes[note 1] | Fraserburgh |
| 1959–60 | Elgin City | Caledonian |
| 1960–61 | Elgin City[note 1] | Keith |
| 1961–62 | Keith | Elgin City |
| 1962–63 | Elgin City | Caledonian |
| 1963–64 | Caledonian | Nairn County |
| 1964–65 | Elgin City | Nairn County |
| 1965–66 | Elgin City | Caledonian |
| 1966–67 | Ross County | Elgin City |
| 1967–68 | Elgin City | Ross County |
| 1968–69 | Elgin City | Inverness Thistle |
| 1969–70 | Elgin City | Caledonian |
| 1970–71 | Caledonian | Inverness Thistle |
| 1971–72 | Inverness Thistle | Elgin City |
| 1972–73 | Inverness Thistle[note 1] | Ross County |
| 1973–74 | Elgin City | Inverness Thistle |
| 1974–75 | Clachnacuddin | Keith |
| 1975–76 | Nairn County[note 1] | Fraserburgh |
| 1976–77 | Caledonian | Peterhead |
| 1977–78 | Caledonian | Peterhead |
| 1978–79 | Keith | Caledonian |
| 1979–80 | Keith | Brora Rangers |
| 1980–81 | Keith | Fraserburgh |
| 1981–82 | Caledonian | Peterhead |
| 1982–83 | Caledonian | Elgin City |
| 1983–84 | Caledonian | Keith |
| 1984–85 | Keith | Caledonian |
| 1985–86 | Forres Mechanics | Elgin City |
| 1986–87 | Inverness Thistle | Caledonian |
| 1987–88 | Caledonian | Buckie Thistle |
| 1988–89 | Peterhead | Cove Rangers |
| 1989–90 | Elgin City | Caledonian |
| 1990–91 | Ross County | Caledonian |
| 1991–92 | Ross County | Caledonian |
| 1992–93 | withheld[note 6] | |
| 1993–94 | Huntly | Caledonian |
| 1994–95 | Huntly | Cove Rangers |
| 1995–96 | Huntly | Cove Rangers |
| 1996–97 | Huntly | Keith |
| 1997–98 | Huntly | Fraserburgh |
| 1998–99 | Peterhead | Huntly |
| 1999–2000 | Keith | Fraserburgh |
| 2000–01 | Cove Rangers | Huntly |
| 2001–02 | Fraserburgh | Deveronvale |
| 2002–03 | Deveronvale | Keith |
| 2003–04 | Clachnacuddin | Buckie Thistle |
| 2004–05 | Huntly | Inverurie Loco Works |
| 2005–06 | Deveronvale | Inverurie Loco Works |
| 2006–07 | Keith | Inverurie Loco Works |
| 2007–08 | Cove Rangers | Keith |
| 2008–09 | Cove Rangers | Deveronvale |
| 2009–10 | Buckie Thistle | Cove Rangers |
| 2010–11 | Buckie Thistle | Deveronvale |
| 2011–12 | Forres Mechanics | Cove Rangers |
| 2012–13 | Cove Rangers | Formartine United |
| 2013–14 | Brora Rangers | Inverurie Loco Works |
| 2014–15 | Brora Rangers | Turriff United |
| 2015–16 | Cove Rangers | Formartine United |
| 2016–17 | Buckie Thistle | Cove Rangers |
| 2017–18 | Cove Rangers | Formartine United |
| 2018–19 | Cove Rangers* | Brora Rangers |
| 2019–20 | Brora Rangers[2] | Fraserburgh |
| 2020–21 | Brora Rangers[3] | Fraserburgh |
| 2021–22 | Fraserburgh | Buckie Thistle |
| 2022–23 | Brechin City | Buckie Thistle |
| 2023–24 | Buckie Thistle | Brechin City |
| 2024–25 | Brora Rangers | Brechin City |
| 2025–26 | Brora Rangers | Brechin City |
| 2026–27 | ||
- * Team promoted to Scottish League Two
Performance by club
Clubs that are no longer active are shown in italics.
| Club | Winners | Last win |
|---|---|---|
| Clachnacuddin | 2003–04 | |
| Caledonian | 1987–88 | |
| Elgin City | 1989–90 | |
| Buckie Thistle | 2023–24 | |
| Inverness Thistle | 1986–87 | |
| Cove Rangers | 2018–19 | |
| Keith | 2006–07 | |
| Huntly | 2004–05 | |
| Brora Rangers | 2025–26 | |
| Peterhead | 1998–99 | |
| Fraserburgh | 2021–22 | |
| Ross County | 1991–92 | |
| Forres Mechanics | 2011–12 | |
| Deveronvale | 2005–06 | |
| Aberdeen A | 1924–25 | |
| Brechin City | 2022–23 | |
| Nairn County | 1975–76 | |
| Rothes | 1958–59 | |
| Inverness Citadel | 1908–09 |
Linked Competitions
The HFL also administer several other competitions contested by some or all of the clubs. These competitions are:
- Highland League Cup
- North of Scotland Cup
- Inverness Cup
- Aberdeenshire Shield
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 won after a play-off
- ↑ Clachnacuddin were awarded the Championship after Black Watch refused to play-off due to the referee that the League appointed
- ↑ Clachnacuddin had most points
- ↑ Keith had most points
- ↑ Fraserburgh and Clachnacuddin were equal on points
- ↑ Elgin City won the league, but were found to have dishonestly requested the bringing forward of their final match in order to avoid two players being unavailable through suspension
References
- ↑ I, Ludicrous - Discography. Retrieved 2009-01-17.
- ↑ Smith, Tyrone. Highland League brought to an early end with Brora Rangers awarded title. BBC Sport (21 March 2020)BBC. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ↑ Brora Rangers & Kelty Hearts champions as Highland & Lowland League seasons end. BBC Sport (30 March 2021)BBC. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
Other websites
- Official Site
- League Champions and membership Archived 2008-01-16 at the Wayback Machine
- Final Tables 1893–2007 Archived 2008-01-16 at the Wayback Machine
- Semi-official HFL news
- Highland league members 10 year records and general information Archived 2007-03-15 at the Wayback Machine