On Friday evening May 1st 2026 the South Loch Ness Heritage Group held their Spring talk James Braidwood, “Father of the modern fire service”.
The speaker was Diana Hamilton Jones a GG granddaughter of James Braidwood.
Diana gave an insight to his early life in Edinburgh and his appointment at the age 24 following two major fires in Edinburgh in early 1824 as Superintendent & Master of Engines of the Edinburgh Fire Engine Establishment (the world’s first municipal fire service).
James recruited and trained men as firefighters adapted and invented fire-fighting equipment, including fire engines, hoses, ladders and uniforms.
By 1830 he wrote the first book in English on recruiting and training of firefighters and methods of fire- fighting which was adopted across the Britian, US and Australia.
In 18932 James was head-hunted to lead the newly formed London Fire Engine Establishment, which in 16th October 1834 “The Day Parliament Burnt Down”, Jame’s expertise was crucial in saving the medieval Westminster Hall whilst the other buildings were destroyed.
James was tragically killed in June 1862 whilst leading his men on the first day fighting the Great Tooley Street Warehouses Fire, which raged for two weeks destroying millions of pounds work of merchandise.
Diana gave an excellent talk on this forgotten unheralded Scottish hero whose name should be synonymous alongside founders of other professions such as nursing’s Florance Nightingale the Police’s Robert Peel.
The talk was attended by several local firemen both present and past who helped produce a display board of local fire brigade pictures and fire artifacts to enhance the evening.
Dianas’ talk is available on the internet for those who missed it .
SOUTH LOCH NESS HERITAGE GROUP
James Braidwood, “Father of the modern fire service”
A talk by Diana Hamilton Jones
On Friday 1st May at Stratherrick Hall at 7:30 pm
The world’s first municipal fire service was founded in Edinburgh on 23rd October 1824 and led by James Braidwood. Who was relatively unknown Scot who recruited and trained a team of fire fighters and, from a blank canvas, created a science in firefighting. Why has he been forgotten? We invite you to come to Diana’s talk to learn about him and why he should be remembered and honoured.
Admission free but a collection will be taken
On Monday 10th of November 2025 evening the South Loch Ness Heritage Group held their AGM, followed by a talk by Anne Fraser, Family Historian with the Highland Archive Centre on The Quirks of Family History Research. Anne who has been involved researching family history for over 30 years gave us a comprehensive insight into all the various sources available took us, to build up your family tree knowledge. Based on her father Hugh side of the family from Dores, she explained how Scotland’s People website through certificates for Birth, Marriage and Death along with census returns you could quickly build up a basic family tree. As most people are wanting to find out more than just the basics, Anne detailed other sources to look at such as Maps, Wills, Kirk session minutes, Cemetery gravestones, Newspaper, ect to build up a fuller picture of your ancestors’ life. Anne included antidotes of some of her findings which gave an insight to complexities of family relationships in the past. It was an excellent talk from a speaker who was extremely knowledgeably on the topic which kept the audience of over 50 people enthralled as every quirk was revealed.
For our second talk of the Autumn
Admission free but a collection will be taken
On Thursday 28th of November evening the South Loch Ness Heritage Group held their AGM, followed by a talk by Fraser Mackenzie on Highland Memorials and Cairns.
Fraser who has been researching the topic for over 50 years took us, on a trip round Loch Ness pointing out various memorials and cairns, some were well known, whilst others forgotten. The memorials were all outwith cemeteries and the cairns were generally on the roadside, or on the hillside. The ones on the hillside were generally marking the spot, where somebody had died tragically.
One of the most notable cairns is the Cobb memorial the Loch Ness side just south of Drumnadrochit. After covering the north side of Loch Ness, Fraser moved into south Loch Ness side. Pointing out the Fraser Memorial at Leadclune, the Bryce memorial in Inverfarigaig pass, the cairn Bhean Ardochy near the Chapel Bridge, Adam Ingles cross on Killin estate, Jane Fraser memorial at lower Foyers and possible the newest one for the actor Ian Bannon who was killed on a road accident in 1999 at the end of the Suidh straight.
After the talk Allan Macdonald thanked Fraser for very interesting talk. In the general discussions later on during refreshments after the talk, several other possibilities of memorials in the district came to light, which the group will have to be follow up on.
AGM + Highland Memorials and Cairns
a talk by Fraser Mackenzie
Thursday 28th November at 7.30pm, Stratherrick Hall, Gorthleck.
Fraser explains the reasons behind some of the many Memorials and Cairns out with cemeteries around Loch Ness and District
Admission is free, but a collection will be taken at the meeting
Did you miss the Bona Fide Traveller Walk held at the end of August? Here is a chance again to come along, get interested in your local Heritage group and assist with research and recordings. You will be made welcome to get involved. The rich heritage of the area needs our attention.
UNCOVER THE PAST. RECORD THE PAST & become A TEAM MEMBER
Anyone living within the SLNHG district is a member of the Heritage Group
On Saturday 24th August, the heritage group organised a walk from Whitebridge to Glenlia, Foyers as our annual outing.
A distance of c3.5 miles, the route is known as the bona fide travellers walk. Under licensing laws, until 1962, alcohol could only be served on a Sunday in a hotel or inn and only to those who were at least 3 miles from home or the place where they had stayed the previous night.
As a result people from Foyers walked to Whitebridge Hotel for a drink on a Sunday no doubt passing people from Whitebridge walking to Foyers Hotel for the same reason!
A group of around 35 met at Wildside Centre for a presentation on key heritage sites and points of interest that they would see along the way. This gave both walkers and those unable to walk the ability to learn more about the route. The presentation was led by group chair, Alister Chisholm assisted by Bob Main, Janet Sutherland, Allan MacDonald, Morag MacNeil (who provided us with English translations of the many Gaelic place names along the route) and Fiona Larg.
Molly Fraser helped greatly to incentivise the walkers at the start by offering us her delicious home made chocolate chip cookies!
Thankfully we chose a dry and quite sunny day for the walk which took around 2 hours to complete with numerous stops along the way to note points of interest and listen to stories of folklore.
Many of those completing the walk took advantage of Morag Cameron’s café for lunch at the Glenlia end and some of the group chose to then walk back to Whitebridge.
A most enjoyable and informative day out for all who attended.
On route to Dell Farm buildings
Photo courtesy of Molly Fraser
On route to Dell Farm buildings
Photo courtesy of Molly Fraser
On the route
Photo courtesy of Molly Fraser
On the route
Photo courtesy of Michell Strachan
on route prior to Alteachaidh
Photo courtesy of Michell Strachan
on route at Alteachaidh
Photo courtesy of Michell Strachan
on route at Alteachaidh
Photo courtesy of Michell Strachan
Ford at Alteachaidh
Photo courtesy of Michell Strachan
On route near Dalriach
Photo courtesy of Michell Strachan
A discussion point during the walk
Photo courtesy of Michell Strachan
Dalbreck
Photo courtesy of Michell Strachan
Upper Falls of Foyers
Photo courtesy of Molly Fraser
Journeys End at the old bridge over the River Foyers. Built by Foyers Estate prior to 1831
Photo courtesy of Michell Strachan
SOUTH LOCH NESS HERITAGE GROUP
Summer Event 2024
BONA FIDE TRAVELLER WALK
Whitebridge to Foyers via Dell 3 miles
Saturday 24th August at 9.30 am
Gathering at Fechlin room in Wildside, Whitebridge
A talk will be given there on all the places, history, features, and stories of the sites of interest we will encounter on the walk down to Foyers. This is so that those physically unable to do the walk, may be able to attend part of the event.
Parking is available at Wildside and for those wishing to walk only to Foyer, lifts will be arranged back. If you intend going please contact Alister 01463 715713 for further information and to register the number of people in your group
Admission is free, but a collection will be taken
On Thursday 18th April 2024 at Stratherrick Hall the South Loch Ness Heritage group held its spring talk “History of Inverness Hospitals” the speaker being Steve Leslie . Before an enthralled audience of around forty people, Steve a Consultant Cardiologist at Raigmore Hospital and co-author along with his father Jim, of the book The Hospitals of Inverness, took us on a virtual road trip across the highlands describing medical facilities from the eighteen fifties till the present day. Steve told us of Fever Hospitals, Cottage Hospitals, Maternity hospitals, Military Hospitals, Asylums and Sanatoriums , illustrated with photos of some of them and highlighted important design features of attributed to different types of hospitals. Steve went on to give a brief history of the medical facilities in our area, with the coming of the British Aluminium Company which provided funding in the late eighteen nineties to bring a doctor to Foyers.
Steve recounted the different types of facilities for medical assistance that existed in Inverness and mentioned the Inverness city walking audio tour of them. The tour is available at www.geotourist.com and search for ‘inverness’
There is a website, History of Highland Hospitals https://www.historyofhighlandhospitals.com/index.asp which Steve and Jim Leslie provide a comprehensive medical history of the area , that also gives a link to the Inverness walking tour (Hospitals on Geotourist )
For our Spring talk we have the History of Inverness Hospitals by Stephen Leslie on the 18th April at Stratherrick Hall at 7:30 pm . Stephen a Consultant Cardiologist at Raigmore Hospital is co-author of the book The Hospitals of Inverness, will talk on medical facilities in Inverness and our locality from last Century and before.