Garden surprises in store for visitors to Cromarty Courthouse as Black Isle attraction joins open gardens weekend
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Visitors with an interest in local history, language, culture or poetry are in for a treat when they visit a head-turning Cromarty garden this weekend.
As part of Cromarty’s open gardens weekend, visitors to Cromarty Courthouse are encouraged to look out for the rewilded walled garden and orchard there.
The sheltered space with seating is perfect for a rest, exploring the plants or even having a picnic.
Revitalising the Courthouse Museum’s interpretation, both on site and virtually, led to the creation of an online interactive dictionary of Cromarty’s Fishertoun dialect.
With its unique terms, academics often consider it a language in its own right. Descendants of the last fluent speakers of the dialect helped to record every word and phrase still known at Black Isle Studios in Fortrose last year.
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Local author Vee Walker, who worked on the interpretation project, has written something special for the museum’s involvement in the Cromarty open gardens weekend. Hunger is a poem using words and phrases from Cromarty Fishertoun dialect.
Vee said: "It struck me how many words for food, for fishing and for violence and disgust there are within the dictionary, so I have pulled some of them into one humorous poem."
Seven verses will be hidden around the Courthouse garden for visitors to find and, perhaps even read aloud.
Bringing the dialect back into use, for example as a creative writing tool in local schools, is one of the ambitions. There are resource materials ready to use on the Cromarty Courthouse Museum website and the shop boasts a stock of aprons with Fishertoun phrases for those inspired by what they see.
In August and September, the garden will be the focus of another imaginative endeavour, entitled “Following the blairack, weaving beelines" Three local artists, Alice Vawdrey Taylor, Izzy Thomson and Jacqueline Briggs, will come together to inspire the local community and invite visitors to the museum to be part of their creative process. Their project is based on the writings of the iconic folklorist and storyteller, Hugh Miller.
Cromarty Courthouse and garden is currently open daily from noon – 4pm and is free of charge.
Donations and shop purchases enable keep the significant local asset up and running.
Cromarty’s Fishertoun dialect can be explored at https://www.cromarty-
courthouse.org.uk/home/interactive-fishertoun-dictionary/
* Open Gardens in Cromarty this weekend, July 2 and3 from 11am to 4pm both days.
As well as a chance to view the many gardens hidden behind the walls of the town, there will also be a number of artists studios open and a show of flowers and artwork displayed in the historic East Church.
Tickets available £5 per person. Tickets are valid for both days so visitors will be able to return for a second day. There will be a dedicated car parking area on The Links for the weekend and tickets can be purchased there and from The Hub at East Bellevue House on Church Street.
