The island's senior shinty team face Fort William at Winterton Park in Inveraray on Saturday in the semi-final of the Scottish Hydro-Electric Camanachd Cup - and even though their opponents start as overwhelming favourites, there's a note of cautious optimism in the Bute camp that their history-making cup run might not be ready to come to an end just yet.

It's the first time Bute have ever made it to the last four of the sport's blue riband tournament, but coach Barry Martin told us this week that the players are determined to give it their best shot against the cup holders as they bid for a place in the final.

"We've got the ability, we've got the players who can do the job, and if everybody clicks on the day we can be as strong a force as anyone," said Martin.

"Fort William have conceded ten goals in their last two games, so that tells you they're maybe not firing on all cylinders just at the moment.

"Some of our guys watched them lose 5-3 at Kyles two weeks ago, after our own second team game there, and apparently they didn't play well that day – although admittedly the Tighnabruaich park is a very hard one to master.

"The Fort have a few injury problems and they'll have Adam Robertson suspended (after their 5-3 Macaulay Cup defeat at Newtonmore], and Inveraray is another place where they've often struggled in the past, but we know we'll still have to be at the top of our game to have a chance of causing an upset."

Saturday's game is the latest step forward for a Bute team which has made great strides in the last few years – last year saw the team playing in the Marine Harvest Premier League for the first time in their history, while two Balliemore Cups have been won, and three successive Glasgow Celtic Society Cup finals reached, since 2004.

But an appearance in the Camanachd Cup final, at An Aird in Fort William on September 13, would top the lot.

"It's definitely another step in the right direction for the club," said Martin.

"The Celtic Cup finals were big in their own right, but the Camanachd is another level entirely – it really is the crème de la crème.

"The players do sense that maybe this might be our chance. Nobody will be complacent – we know we'll have to go out there with all our guns blazing, but we'll give it our best shot."

Almost the entire squad came through their regular Monday evening training session unscathed - while the four Bute players who took part in Saturday's Marine Harvest Festival of Shinty at Spean Bridge also emerged without any new injury worries.

David and Iain MacDonald and Hector and David Whitelaw all lined up for the South of Scotland in the annual fixture - and though the South lost 3-1, with the younger Whitelaw brother scoring their only goal, from the point of view of Bute's Camanachd semi appearance this weekend the game was an unqualified success.

"Davie McDonald got a late call-up on Friday night, although Graham Fisher didn't play, and though the boys were a wee bit deflated at the result none of them got any knocks," Martin continued.

"Roberto Zavaroni was the only player who didn't train on Monday night, but apart from him the worst injury we picked up at the weekend was when Iain MacDonald skinned his knee playing football on the astroturf at the school on Sunday.

"I think we'll be starting along the same lines as in the last couple of games, although we had Stewart Strathie at training on Monday and he's the kind of player you'd always want to have in your team."

Fort William, meanwhile, haven't had their troubles to seek on the team selection front in recent weeks - they travelled south for that Kyles defeat with only 13 players because of injuries, holidays and work commitments, and the resulting defeat dealt a final blow to their hopes of winning the Premier League title.

Saturday's match will be refereed by Charles Young, who teamed up with Bute's Ted MacDonald to coach the South team for that Marine Harvest Festival game.