SOUTH LOCH NESS HERITAGE GROUP

Summer Event 2024

BONA FIDE TRAVELLER WALK

Whitebridge to Foyers via Dell 3 miles

Saturday 24^th 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 18^th 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.

On Tuesday 5th December 2023 at Stratherrick hall the South Loch Ness Heritage group held its AGM followed by a talk by group stalwart Alister Chisholm.

The presentation consisted of two audio recording of Stratherrick residents past to which Alister had added a superb selection of photographs relevant to the topics mentioned.

The first recording was of Maisie MacMillan (1924-2011) who was raised at 2 County cottages, Gorthleck, spent her professional career away and then returned on retirement. Maisie spoke on numerous subjects on growing up in the strath, amongst these schooling, employment and characters were prominent.

The second recording was of David Rose (1891-1968) David lived most of his life in the Strath mainly following his father as a gamekeeper at Farraline estate. David was as Gaelic speaker and it was interesting to hear his pronunciation of local place names, and when speaking English David spoke in the authentic Stratherrick accent.

David spoke on many interesting subjects amongst there life in the strath in the early 1900’s, illicit stills, whisky smuggling and excise men and the numerous ‘characters’ that inhabited the Strath.

Despite the icy conditions there was a reasonable turnout and Alisters efforts were much appreciated by all present.

Further talks will be held in the New Year, watch social media and local notice boards for details.

Today (Sat 30 Sept 23) saw our much anticipated Errogie to Inverfarigaig walk via the Farigaig pass. Hosted by Alex Sutherland the walk attracted about 35 participants of all ages. Alex enthralled us with many stories highlights of which were those of a bloodless battle, the skeleton of a highlander within a growing tree and a murder whilst he also showed us the location of croft houses long collapsed and a gate to the world of the Faeries. Alex was not our only commentator, John Townsend spoke about General Wades roads, Alister Chisholm showed us one of the locations where our outside pulpit was used for open air services. He also described in some detail the life and death of James Bryce to whom a memorial stands in the pass.

Bob Main spoke on a number of subjects especially of note was his description of the old Bobbin mill whilst Morag gave us an insight into the pronunciation and meaning of the Gaelic names we met with and told us the story of Deidre of the sorrows and Dun Deardil.

The SLNHG would like to thank all those who assisted and gave freely of their time to make the walk a success.