Stratherrick War Memorial

Stratherrick War Memorial

The South Loch Ness Heritage Group received an email on late Jan 2017 from John Duncan concerning the Stratherrick War Memorial, informing us that he had been approached by a former resident of the district, who was complaining that due to advancing years, he could no longer clamber up the outcrop of rock to read the names on the memorial. In light of this he had approached the MSP for the area, who passed his concerns on to the Highland Council, the response of the Council was, due to the memorials location there were maintenance and parking issues.  Their suggestion was to move it to a more central part of the district, as had been done in Gairloch .

The local MSP informed the former resident of the Council proposal, and he was hoping John would assist him in getting the Memorial shifted.  John was against this idea and approached Alister Chisholm of the SLNHG who brought up the matter at the next Heritage committee meeting in early Feb.

The Committees unanimous decision was that the memorial was to stay in its present location with no upgrade of access to summit of outcrop or handrails or any other barriers as this would detract from its iconic prominent solitary position.  Alister and John attended the monthly Stratherrick and Foyers Community Council meeting in February and brought up the Highland Council proposal to move the memorial, the Community Council full supported the Heritage Group’s decision.

In view of current interest and with the centenary commemorations in late 2018, the Heritage Group after public advertising, formed a subcommittee to organise essential maintenance to the memorial and site. The only addition to the site we intend to do, is to provide an information board containing the inscriptions on the memorial at road side.  The actual memorial itself will be cleaned, re-lettered and repointed by the War Graves Commission.

Since March 2017 the Heritage Group subcommittee along with local volunteers, have been working at the memorial site clearing the gorse, moss, grass and ground from the outcrop, reinstated the stock fence on the outcrop with additional metal posts. A grant was obtained from the Stratherrick and Foyers Community Trust for materials to do this work, also to hire a builder to repair and repoint the surrounding dykes, and repair and repoint the stonework at the top of the outcrop.

Later in the year we will be applying for another grant to fund the display board, getting   engraving done on the large lintel type stone in the dyke as a site name, and to provide a walkway to the display board. In 2018 we received a further grant from Stratherrick and Foyers Community Trust for the aforementioned work, also to build a lectern to mount the display board, provide a wreath holder, and to provide level area around the base of the memorial at the top of the outcrop. The grant work was completed over 2018 ,to ensure that the memorial was completed in time for Remembrance Sunday in November.

War Memorial December 2015. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

War Memorial December 2015. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

December 2015. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

War Memorial December 2015. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

War Memorial December 2015 . Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

War Memorial April 2016 . Taken from Gorthleck House hill. Photograph courtesy of Steven Watson

War Memorial 14 March 17 front face grass and moss removed. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

War Memorial 14 March 17 Gorse cut back. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

14 March Gorse now cut at rear of outcrop . Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

cut at rear of outcrop. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

4 April Burning the gorse. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

4 April Gorse Ashes. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

19 April Bob Main with digger scraping the gorse roots of the outcrop . Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

19 April Man and machine working hand in hand . Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

19 April Ernie restoring the bench with some TLC.Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

19 April John about to tackle gorse roots removal. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

19 April Duncan getting on with the spadework. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

19 April East dyke and bench. Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

19 April East side of outcrop scraped by Bob's digger . Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

19 April East side of outcrop scraped by Bob's digger . Photograph courtesy of Alister Chisholm

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