Photos give an insight into hidden corners of Inverness that are fast disappearing
Another year, another volume of Inverness Remembered. This is the 20th in the series, a remarkable tribute in itself to the generosity and interest of our readers and contributors, writes Jim Miller.
The suggestion that the series would still be here, two decades after the first volume appeared in 2004, would have intrigued and amused those involved in Volume I.
As Alison Wilkie writes in the introduction to Volume XX: “It has been wonderful through the pages of Inverness Remembered to have pictures extending over such a wide field, with little insights into the history of old local families or glimpses of hidden corners of the town that are slowly or sometimes fast disappearing.”
This year we hope our selection of images and stories matches up to our reputation.
As usual we mark several anniversaries. Holm Primary School celebrated its 50th birthday this year, and we have pictures of the school staff at different times during its life. And it is 90 years since Captain Ted Fresson inaugurated air mail delivery between Inverness and Orkney in December 1934.
Ten years ago, cyclists first pedalled down the Great Glen in the Etape Loch Ness. This 66-mile race around our famous neighbourhood loch has become an established item in the sporting calendar, attracting entrants from far and wide.
We also have a feature on the tremendous fundraising efforts over the years for the Highland Hospice which appear to have provided a lot of fun as well as crucial support for this vital institution.
Another feature focuses on shinty over the years and marks the centenary (well, in truth, it should have been last year, but who’s counting) of Bught Park as a venue for the game.
We celebrate a local hero – Isobel Fraser – who began caring for the elderly in a cottage in the Crown in 1899, a venture that led to the care home that continues to this day as the institution in Mayfield Road. Then we remember David Groat Brown, famed for his Highland dancing, and memorable encounter he had with Queen Victoria.
The feature ‘That Was the Year That Was’ focuses on 2004 and is a reminder of just how things can change in the 20 years since then. That was when Eden Court launched its ambitious plan to renovate and extend the theatre facilities – it takes a bit of effort now to recall how it used to be.
That was also the year when Arnotts department store closed in Union Street, and when a petition was collecting signatures in support of promoting Inverness Caley Thistle to the Premier League.
The book also has, of course, the now usual wide range of family photos, sporting teams, clubs and societies, and many of the events that cement us as a community. We hope the selection gives much enjoyment and brings back many memories.
Our thoughts are turning towards next year and Volume XXI. It is not too soon to start thinking of contributing and in that context a few words of advice may be useful.
Sometimes damaged photos or cuttings from newspapers come our way. We use the photos if we judge them to be of particular interest but newspaper cuttings can seldom be reproduced for both copyright and technical reasons.
We have also noticed how digital images sourced from social media are becoming more common. At times these have been recorded with a resolution that works against much enlargement. Old-fashioned hard images from the days of traditional cameras often have a greater clarity.
We welcome all images but would ask anyone sending digital images to check that the resolution is at least 600 dpi.
We make every reasonable effort to avoid mistakes but we always feel a few have may have slipped past us. We always like to hear about corrections and when possible publish them in the succeeding volume.
• Inverness Remembered Volume XX is available in bookshops now, priced £16.99. You can also order it over the phone on 01463 233059.
