The South Loch Ness Heritage Group

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The Group was set up in 2003 with the following objectives:

• To research, promote and safeguard the heritage of the South Loch Ness Area.
• In particular, to create an archive of the Area, and to collate material for publication, exhibition and education.

Due to the rate of change these objectives have never been so important, or, with the technology now available, so attainable.

Our area is rich with a history and natural history second to none within Scotland. To some degree, both are under threat.

The Area

There are similar Groups in Strathnairn and in Fort Augustus. We fill in the gap by covering the Heritage of Stratherrick from the Shuidhe eastwards, incorporating the settlements of Whtebridge, Gorthleck, Foyers, Errogie, Torness and Inverfariag along the south side of Loch Ness to Dores. Then along the Strath of Dores to Scaniport and Cullaird . To the south, our area extends into the largely uninhabited Monadhliath mountains, including Dunmaglass, the Rivers E and Fechlin watersheds incorporating Loch Killin. 

The Web Site

Over the years our website has grown into a much-appreciated online resource, with articles on a wide variety of topics and an ever-increasing collection of pictures old and new.   Further contributions are always welcome.   Apart from being of interest to those living in the South Loch Ness area, we hope, through the site, to contact “expatriates”, or those whose ancestors left this region at any time over the last three hundred years. Does your family history mention Stratherrick, Gorthleck, Whitebridge, Errogie, Foyers, Dores, Boleskine, or any place-name on the South Loch Ness Map? Is your name Fraser, Grant, MacGillivray, MacGruer or MacTavish? These are some of the names of the old families of this area.

We would be delighted to hear from anyone who thinks they may have associations with South Loch Ness – you may have information of interest to us, and we may well be able to reciprocate. Descendents of Stratherrick folk are scattered worldwide, from Darien to Dunedin, Alberta to Adelaide .

Meetings and Events

Currently, three public events take place each year, two (in spring and autumn) with guest speakers giving illustrated talks on widely varied subjects from local school history to flora and fauna.   The third event is usually in summer, and can be an outing, but has in the last couple of years taken the form of a two day exhibition. In 2018 it was “Things We Used to Use”, showing artifacts and objects once common in local homes and on the land, and in 2019, to celebrate the Forestry Commission’s centenary, “Trees and Forests of South Loch Ness”.   Out of a very small population, talks usually have turnouts of 30 to 50, while the exhibitions, with school visits, easily exceeded 100.   This is very encouraging, and we see these events, which take place in Stratherrick Hall at Gorthleck, as being an important part of the Group’s activities.   The involvement of local schools is most important, and something we wish to develop.

Projects

The Group’s involvement in Heritage -related projects is an  essential part of its work. Current and recent projects include Stratherrick War Memorial, Boleskine Cemetery, WW1 and the Wade Bridge at Whitebridge.

Publications

A Country called Stratherrick by Alan Lawson, regarded as the most authoritative and complete history of the area.

South Loch Ness, a full-colour, illustrated heritage guide to the area published by the Heritage Group.

Both books are available from the Group at budget prices on Publications Button .