The SNP member has received calls from ward residents anxious for the memorial, commemorating a clan battle, to be restored to its former glory.

Locals want to turn the Battle of Clachnaharry stone, which overlooks the Beauly Firth, into a visitor attraction.

But the campaign has a twist for Councillor Munro. The memorial was built in 1821 by Major Hugh Robert Duff to mark a clan clash between the Munros and MacKintoshs.

However, she is playing down her clan connection, saying she would have taken up the battle for the monument to be brought back to its former glory whatever her name.

"It is a great part of our history and the fact I have married into the clan is by and by," she said.

Now, she has approached her officials at Highland Council to see what the options are for restoring the monument to its original state.

She is confident money can be made available to clean and re-point it as the council is the monument's owner.

"I have asked them to look at how much that might cost and whether there would be any obstacles," she said. "Over the years work has been done to the monument, but at the moment it is in a bit of a state."

Councillor Munro would also like to see the litter-strewn area tidied up and the paths upgraded so the monument can become a focal point for the area, making it into a great city attraction.

"The views up there are absolutely fantastic," she said.

It is hoped the community, including local secondary school pupils, could be involved in any project if funding is available for the restoration.

According to the history books, the monument marks a clash which happened some time between 1333 and 1434. The Munros, of Easter Ross, were returning home through MacKintosh territory after a cattle-raiding expedition.

They refused to pay passage money, as was the custom, and the aggrieved MacKintoshs ambushed the Munros at Clachnaharry and in the ensuing battle the MacKintosh chief is understood to have been killed.

Attempts to restore the monument date back to 1951 when its tall column fell off in a storm.

Campaigning to get the Battle of Clachnaharry stone restored are local residents Jonn Christie (left) and David MacLean with Councillor Pauline Munro. Gary Anthony

It has never been replaced although the base was restored and a fence erected in 2000. One year later the monument was category-C listed by Historic Scotland.

The remains of the monument contain the word Clan Chattan, which represents the Mackintoshs (as well as other clans), on one side, the word Munro features on another, then an eroded Latin inscription, which is understood to read: "Between these high red rocks their bones are collected."

The Clan Munro Association has also added its weight to the calls for the monument's restoration.

Clan chief, Hector Munro, said Inverness had few historic sites and more should be made of the memorial.

"It is quite historical," he said. "But the problem with all these things is lack of finance. The Clan Munro Association does not have a lot of finance but the move to try and do something about the monument is certainly something we would put our weight behind."

He had hoped funding might have been forthcoming with the Highland Year of Culture.

"That didn't happen," he said. "We would only be too keen to see something done about it and would try and help in any way we could."

Residents approached Councillor Munro to see what could be done earlier this year.

John Christie, of Bunchrew, said it was disappointing such an historic monument, commemorating the dead, had been allowed to fall into disrepair.

"It is quite a state, it is a shame," he said. "The head off the monument is no longer there — it has been off for years and nobody has done anything about it.

"It is such a mess up there."

h.paterson@inverness-courier.co.uk 

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