Inverness provost Jimmy Gray joined local writer Katharine Stewart (94) yesterday for the unveiling at the former Customs House, now Optical Express, in Inverness.

The plaque disappeared from the exterior of the building in the High Street in April 2005. It had been erected by the then Inverness District Council to honour the author, who worked as an excise officer between 1921 and 1938.

The new plaque has been commissioned by Inverness City Heritage Trust in conjunction with the Neil Gunn Trust, which said it was fitting Ms Stewart be involved because she discovered the plaque had gone.

Mr Gunn also provided the foreword for her first book, "The Croft in the Hills".

Ann Yule, convener of the Neil Gunn Trust, believes the plaque may have disappeared when new owners took over the building.

"There was certainly some attempt to clean the external stonework, and we think it was taken off then," she said. "But nobody knows where it went."

She added the trust had been pushing for a replacement for four years.

"This plaque is very important," she said. "You would pass a building like that and not have a clue it was the former Customs and Excise building. Who would? Least the next generation.

"Nobody would know Neil Gunn had worked there — an author not just known nationally, but internationally. When the City Heritage Trust offered, we were just delighted."

It is understood the City Heritage Trust has plans to erect other plaques marking significant spots in the city.

During his years in Inverness, Mr Gunn wrote several novels, three of which were so popular, he decided to give up his job as an excise officer and become a full-time writer.

Katharine Stewart helped unveil the plaque marking the Inverness workplace of world-renowned author Neil Gunn. Iona Spence

His readership was not limited to Scotland, and he sold many books in Germany, Japan and the United States.

Following the success of his first book, "The Grey Coast", the Caithness-born author was able to buy his first home in Dochfour Drive, Inverness, where he lived until 1938. Mr Gunn and his wife Daisy later moved to Brae Farm House, near Dingwall.

During the next 12 years, he wrote 11 of his 20 novels. He was a member of the then National Party for Scotland and was involved, before his death in 1973, in many meetings to set up a university in the Highlands, which, 40 years later, is now being realised.

The unveiling comes ahead of a series of events associated with the famous author, whose life is captured in the biography, "Neil M. Gunn — A Highland Life".

Later this month, the prize giving ceremony for the 10th Neil Gunn Writing Competition will be held in the Town House. It is organised by the Neil Gunn Trust in partnership with Highland Council.

Meanwhile, the third Neil Gunn Lecture, organised by the Trust, will be given by historian and Burns specialist, Owen Dudley Edwards, at Eden Court Theatre on Wednesday 7th October, during the Inverness Book Festival.

Also at Eden Court Theatre, a stage adaptation of Mr Gunn's well-known novel, "The Silver Darlings", is being produced by Her Majesty's Theatre Touring Group, from 15th to 19th September.

In the 1980s radio series, the main character of Catrine was played by Inverness actress, Ann Louise Ross, who will also feature in the production, along with her son, Finn Den Hertog.

l.mccann@inverness-courier.co.uk

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