After a year off because of the pandemic, the Snowman Rally returns to Ross-shire this weekend! The first event of the Scottish Rally Championship takes place between Dingwall and Muir of Ord, and it's one of sports editor Will Clark's favourite events to cover, so of course he will be there. To preview the curtain raiser, Will spoke to defending champion Michael Binnie about his victory in 2020, his preparation for this year's race and whether being the top seed will add any pressure this...

The January transfer window is officially shut, so Will and Andrew look back over the business Ross County and Inverness Caledonian Thistle have done and analyze the arrivals, departures, whether anything could still happen from the free transfer market and where - if anywhere - still needs improvement. We also take a quick look at what's been happening elsewhere over the last month, as well as bringing you news of a new Highland News and Media podcast coming this month. Get in touch with...

We're back! This is the first episode of Balls & Whistles in 2022, and with Will already making use of some of his annual leave it's left to Andrew to steer the ship - but he has brought in the reinforcements. With the Premiership's winter break ending next week and the Championship just getting into the second half of their league campaign, it seemed like a nice opportunity to get back in touch with Staggies supporter liaison officer Kenny MacLennan and the Wyness Shuffle podcast's...

As the hours tick down in 2021, it is time to look back on the second half of the year at some of the sporting highlights we've featured on Balls & Whistles! In this one there was plenty of history made and titles won, not in the least by Invergordon's Tom Stoltman, who became the World's Strongest Man! Stoltman will now be looking to win it again, but he cannot hope to have the kind of longevity golfer Alistair Risk has had after he competed in his 50th consecutive Brora Five Day Open...

We're coming towards the end of 2021, so we thought it was worth taking a look back over some of Balls & Whistles' highlights of the year! This episode has clips from interviews and discussions up until the summer, when football dominated sports coverage as one of the few things running relatively normally. With the help of colleagues Jonny Clark, Craig Christie and Alasdair Fraser, we revisit chats about the fate of the 2020/21 Highland League season, a proposal to introduce Colts teams...

It's another episode of Balls & Whistles, and because of a very busy Thursday Andrew takes you through some of the interviews he has done this week. First off, he was at the Ross County match against Celtic on Wednesday night, so there is immediate post-match reaction from Harry Clarke and then manager Malky Mackay's response to rising Covid concerns as well as the pitch invasion by Celtic fans that sent a steward to hospital. Then we move on to rugby, where clubs have played their final...

Sports editor Will Clark is back alongside Andrew Henderson and that means there are discussions aplenty - about Inverness Caledonian Thistle's Scottish Cup exit, about whether Ross County can come up with a repeat of their 5-0 demolition away at Dundee on home turf and just how open the Highland League title race is. We hear from a furious Billy Dodds just after the final whistle at Cappielow, Ross County assistant manager Don Cowie and winger Regan Charles-Cook and Clachnacuddin manager...

Andrew is on his own again, so it's time to hear some of the interviews that are behind the content in this week's newspapers! We kick off this episode by hearing from Ross County striker Dominic Samuel in the aftermath of the Staggies' 0-0 draw against St Mirren on Wednesday night, also looking ahead to their trip to St Johnstone tomorrow where County could move out of the relegation zone. While Ross County are looking to move off the bottom of the table, Inverness Caledonian Thistle Women...

We promised you a special episode, and here it is! The Rainbow Laces campaign kicks off it's 2021 activation this week, so Andrew has taken the opportunity to shine a bit of a spotlight on the campaign and LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sport. First he talks to LEAP Sports Scotland and Football v Homophobia Scotland's Sirri Topping about why a campaign like Rainbow Laces matters, as well as answering some of the most common responses that the campaign, football clubs and governing bodies get on...

Inverness Caledonian Thistle suffered a shock defeat to bottom of the table Dunfermline last time out, so this week's Balls & Whistles is a chance for Will and Andrew to pick apart what's going wrong at the Caledonian Stadium. We hear David Carson's post-match interview after the defeat to the Pars and preview ICT's long trip to Dumfries to take on Queen of the South tomorrow night. It is another free weekend for Ross County, but we do take a quick look ahead to next Wednesday's return...

It's the international break, but while that means Ross County are set for two free weekends in-a-row there is plenty at stake for the likes of Inverness Caledonian Thistle's men's and women's teams, Highland League clubs and North Caledonian League outfits too. Caley Thistle take on Dunfermline on home turf tomorrow with the Pars still sitting at the bottom of the table without a win to show for their efforts so far. It was a tricky contest when the sides met in Fife though, ending 1-1, but...

The dream team are back together as Will returns from annual leave to discuss the latest sporting happenings around the Highlands this week with Andrew. Kicking us off in this episode are Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who have gone through a sticky patch of form recently but still sit in second place in the Championship. Is there any need to panic? Do they need to score more goals? How does Wallace Duffy feel after a string of injuries at the start of the season? If you've had any of these...

It's another solo week for Andrew so it's time to sit back and listen to some of this week's interviews in full - starting with Ross County's Malky Mackay and Regan Charles-Cook after they emphatically scored their first Premiership win of the season against Dundee. It was not so good for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in their midweek match, losing 1-0 to Arbroath, but they have a chance to bounce back quickly against the Championship's top scorers Partick Thistle. In rugby, big matches...

The dream team are back as Andrew returns to spare Will the editing of the latest Balls & Whistles, and there's loads of discussion to catch up on! First off: Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The Caley Jags are now five points clear at the top of the Championship despite losing their first league match of the season to Hamilton. The differences in recruitment between Billy Dodds and John Robertson is discussed, as well as Wallace Duffy's omission from the starting 11 and Billy Mckay coming...

Will is all by himself and only Eric Carmen understands his pain. Scott Allardice looks at his season with Caley Thistle so far and this weekend's game against Morton. Harry Paton discusses Ross County's chances of winning their first game of the season with St Mirren. In rugby, Highland take on National One league leaders Melrose. And Ross Sutherland Rugby Club appoint their first female captain!

Andrew has gone absent without leave for two weeks, so while he is being hunted down, Will is taking the wheel single handedly. Caley Thistle are in SPFL Trust Trophy action at Elgin City. Ross County have the weekend off but Regan Charles Cook still had time to chat to us about his season so far. All the reaction from the Loch Ness Marathon and a special surprise for an Inverness firefighter who was man of the match in the Camanachd Cup final.

Will is back, and not a minute too soon as this week sees a bumper episode of Balls & Whistles! We kick off this week's show with a look at the Loch Ness Marathon, which is back for the first time in two years after the pandemic forced its cancellation last year, where over 7500 runners will be taking part in the Festival of Running. For the SPFL teams, it is a similar story to previous episodes. Inverness Caledonian Thistle are still unbeaten at the top of the Championship, and Ross...

This time it's Will who is off on holiday, so this week Andrew takes you through some of the major stories of the week with extended interview clips from the key suspects. After starting last week talking about the Camanachd Cup final between Kinlochshiel and Lovat, we talk to the winning manager in Balmacara to kick off this week's show after Johnston Gill made history by winning the biggest prize in shinty. Of course, there is plenty of football to talk about too, and most interestingly...

There is only one place to start in this week's episode, and for a change it isn't in football! That's because the Camanachd Cup final takes place on Saturday between Lovat and Kinlochshiel, and Will has been chatting to both teams ahead of the historic match. Inverness Caledonian Thistle have a big match of their own as they travel to the surprise strugglers of the Championship so far, Dunfermline, while Ross County host Hearts in Dingwall. The Highland League clubs and Golspie Sutherland...

It's back to action in a big way for Ross County this weekend as they travel to Glasgow to face Celtic - but can they repeat their shock win at Parkhead from last season with both clubs sporting new-look sides? Inverness Caledonian Thistle have a big match of their own as fellow promotion hopefuls Partick Thistle come calling to the Highland capital. ICT are fresh off a 4-0 win over Buckie Thistle in the SPFL Trust Trophy, but Will is not expecting any of the 10 changes to the starting 11...

It's a very positive week at Balls & Whistles, not in the least because Strathpeffer paracyclist Fin Graham claimed his second silver medal of the Paralympic Games yesterday morning! We also look back on a solid weekend for both Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County in league action, before taking a look at the upcoming matches for ICT, the Highland League and even an Inverness derby in the North Caledonian League. Away from football, club rugby is back! All three of Highland's...

It is a golden episode of Balls & Whistles as we discuss winning teams and athletes across a number of sports! First up is Rangers as the Scottish Premiership winners travel to Ross County on Sunday with the Staggies having signed yet another player on loan this week - is that a good thing for Malky Mackay's team? Of course, we also look ahead to Inverness Caledonian Thistle's home match against Ayr United in the Championship, the next round of Highland League games and women's football...

There was some shock news coming out of Brora Rangers last weekend as manager Steven Mackay handed in his resignation. We look at the events that led to Mackay's decision, and wonder where the Cattachs go from here as they look to salvage their Highland League title bid already... It is a free weekend for Ross County and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, but we look back at each team's contrasting fortunes last time out, as well as previewing this weekend's Highland League action. Away from...

In a special episode of Balls and Whistles, Steven Mackay tells Alasdair Fraser why he has resigned from Highland League champions Brora Rangers.