A Dingwall-based Highland footballing legend is making a big impact in another sport years after retiring from the beautiful game in which he made his name.

Barry Wilson (54) is now known by many as proprietor and co-owner of the Spar convenience store and Post Office on the High Street in Dingwall.

After turning out for Ross County in his early years, he went on to become a club legend at Inverness Caldeonian Thistle across the Kessock Bridge, making hundreds of appearances and notching scores of goals — amongst them the opener when super Caley went ballistic to knock Celtic out of the Scottish Cup in Glasgow back in February 2000.

A truly impressive sporting CV now includes his perhaps unlikely status as club champion at Conon/Maryburgh Bowling Club in what is just his third season in the more sedate but no less challenging sport.

In fact asked to draw any parallels between the pressure of football and the game of bowls, Wilson — who is also an accomplished golfer — said: “I think there are similarities. You could say that each bowl is the equivalent of a penalty kick.”

While his grandfather was a bowler, it was an invitation from old pal and former Ross County teammate Gordon Connelly that got him along to try it out for himself.

He said: “I quite enjoyed it so I signed up as a member. And I realised that after playing football for so long it got my competitive juices flowing in a way that something like playing golf didn’t.

“My grandfather was a bowler down in Fife and I obviously got the bug for it. It’s sometimes perceived as an old man’s sport but in fact it’s a brilliant sport to get your competitiveness going.”

No yellow cards perhaps, but he claims to have seen a few wee flare-ups on the green in his time!

He reflected: “It’s such a leveller of a sport. It doesn’t matter if you’re 20, 30, 40 or 50 , male or female or if you have a disability. Aids are available if you’re struggling to bend. No matter who you play against, you really can’t take anything for granted.”

He would love to see more younger people giving it a try for the future of the game.

And the beauty of the sport, he says, is that after getting a pair of shoes and a set of bowls, you could have them for 20-plus years, making it a very affordable sport.

It’s also an opportunity to make new friends and meet people.

He said of his own decision to play: “Once I start something, I’m all in!”

The day job may keep him busy but he is giving back to his newfound sport by sponsoring Conon/Maryburgh Bowling Club.

The club’s Stephen Macdonald has his own theory on why Wilson has taken to the sport so well after trading his football boots for a set of bowls.

He said he has managed to successfully swap the high-intensity atmosphere of professional football for the precision and tactical calm of the bowling green.

He said: “Having first picked up lawn bowls a mere three years ago, Wilson's competitive drive quickly carried him to the top of his local club's rankings, mirroring the elite sportsmanship that defined his decades-long football career.”

Wilson famously secured his place in Scottish football folklore by becoming the only player to score the last goal of the 20th century and the first goal of the 21st century in back-to-back weeks.

He was also a pivotal part of the iconic Inverness Caley Thistle squad that defeated Celtic 3–1 in that 2000 Scottish Cup shock, opening the scoring on that historic night at Parkhead.

Macdonald noted that fellow club members have praised Wilson’s rapid progression, saying that while the physical demands of football are vastly different, a tactical mind, depth perception and ability to handle high-pressure moments seamlessly translated to his new sporting passion.

Macdonald added: “Becoming champion at Conon/Maryburgh Bowling Club in just his third season highlights a natural sporting versatility that few athletes achieve later in life.”