Scotland Inverness

At the mouth of the River Ness, Inverness is the administrative capital for the Highlands and a popular tourist destination.

It is one of the oldest towns in Scotland dating from 585AD, when it was a Pictish stronghold. The vitrified fort of Craig Phadrig on the western edge of the city was the reputed stronghold of the Pictish king, Brude. St Columba is also credited with visiting in an attempt to convert the king. A church or a monk's cell is thought to have been established by early Celtic monks on St Michael's Mount, a mound close to the river, now the site of the Old High Church and its graveyard.

By the C12th, Inverness was an important burgh protected by its castle and was granted a Royal Charter by King David I in the C12th. Inverness was a flourishing port based on fishing and ship building.

Inverness was a prime target for both the Scots and the English. During the Scottish Wars of Independence, control of the castle was hotly contested, before being seized by Robert the Bruce in 1307. There were many raids particularly by the MacDonald Lords of the Isles who burned and destroyed the town.

In 1562, Mary Queen of Scots was denied admittance to Inverness Castle.

A stone bridge was built across the river, replacing an earlier wooden bridge that had collapsed.

Following the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell built a citadel nearer the mouth of the river which he felt was a more strategic site than that of the castle. Capable of accommodating 1000 men but, with the exception of part of the ramparts, it was demolished when Charles II was restored to the throne. The stone was used to build Dunbar’s Hospital.

Inverness played an important role in the Jacobite rebellions of the C18th. During the uprising of 1715, the Castle was occupied by the Jacobites but they fled after Hanoverian supporters threatened to raze it to the ground.

Bonnie Prince Charlie recaptured the castle in 1745 but, fearing it would fall into the hands of the British Government, he ordered it to be blown up.

Inverness continued to be a busy port and market town in the later C18th. Shipbuilding, rope making, sail making, tanning and wool were still important as well as a flourishing brewing and whisky industry. The first bank in Inverness opened in 1775.

The Caledonian canal was built in 1822 to link east and west Scotland The railway arrived in 1855 making it easier to transport goods to the rest of Britain. It also began to bring visitors to the town. These included wealthy businessmen and aristocrats, all keen to try their hand at deer hunting and salmon fishing, as well as Queen Victoria,

Its increasing wealth was used to fund a public building programme, including the Royal Northern Infirmary, the Town House, West Church on Bishop’s Road, St Andrew’s Cathedral and new bridges across the river.

A new courthouse and jail were built on the site of the derelict castle. This was constructed in two phases, the courthouse in the 1830s and the prison in the 1840s. The perimeter walls were built in 1839.

The British cabinet met outside London for the first time in 1921 when it gathered in Inverness Castle.

A landslip in 1932 caused the collapse of the restraining wall, damaging buildings below. These were cleared leaving the sloping bank seen today.

Inverness continues to be a busy port with oil and timber. It is still an important regional centre and tourism is very important. Millions of pounds was spent on streetscape works in 2006-07 to revamp the Old Town and bring more people into the area. The Sheriff’s Court and Tribunal Service moved to new purpose built premises in 2020.

The castle is now undergoing a multimillion pound refurbishment as a new visitor attraction planned to open in 2025, with eating and shopping as well immersive experiences about the landscape, heritage, culture and people, surrounded by landscaped gardens.

Inverness is a large well laid out city and the regional centre for the Highlands with wide streets lined with impressive buildings. It has a thriving shopping centre with a good choice of accommodation and places to eat. It does however have the reputation of a’marmite’ town - people either love it or hate it. Whatever your views, it does make a good centre for exploring the area.

There is a historic town trail as well as a walk along the river to Ness Islands, a collection of small islands in the middle of the River Ness, connected by Victorian suspension bridges.

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[Eleanor]

Historic Town Trail

High Street is still the main shopping street.

To the south is Inverness Castle (#7) There has been a castle on this site since the 12th century. Prince Charles Edward Stuart's Jacobites blew up the Hanoverian Fort in 1746. The present sandstone building dates from 1834 with the North block added in 1847.
It is being restored to reopen as new visitor experience, Inverness Castle Experience, with a planned opening in 2025.

Near it on Castle Wind is the modern building housing the Museum and Art Gallery

At the junction of High Street and Castle Street is the Town House built in the Gothic style between 1878-82, serving the Royal Burgh of Inverness with the council chamber on the first floor. It has recently undergone a multimillion pound restoration and is being let out as office space and is also used for piano recitals.

The Tollbooth Steeple on the corner Church Street and High Street dates from 1791. It was originally a tollbooth as well as a court and prison. The attached court room and prison was demolished in 1853 and replaced with row of shops.

Church Street next to the Tolbooth Steeple is lined with old buildings and is an attractive street to explore.

Off it is the Victorian Market which runs between Church Street and Academy Street.
Originally known as the "New Market", this was built in 1870 but rebuilt after a fire in 1890, with a market hall, fish market and new access from Church Street. It retains Victorian features with ornate cast-iron and wooden domed roof and houses a variety of shops.

The Library is a short walk from Academy Street, down Strothers Lane. Opposite the Bus Station and overlooked by a multistorey car park, this is a splendid example of Greek revival architecture with Doric columns. It was built in 1841 to house Dr Bell's Institution. It ceased to be a school in 1937 and functioned as a courthouse, police station and theatre before becoming a public library in 1981.

Abertarff House built in 1593 and is tucked away on Church Street. It is the earliest surviving house in Inverness and is an important example of C16th domestic architecture with its crow stepped gables (corbie steps) and circular stone tower to the upper floors. It belonged to the Frasers of Lovat before being sold to the Commercial Bank in the mid-1800s. It was later split into tenements housing up to six famlies in overcrowded unsanitary conditions, before passing into the care of the National Trust for Scotland in 1966

At the bottom of Church Street are three splendid buildings. The first is the Weatherspoons pub, The King’s Highway. Built around 1840, this was originally a hotel and the pub still offers accommodation.

Next to it is Bow Court dating from the early C18th and was gifted by Katherine Duff, Lady Drummuir to the the Incorporated Trades and Masons of Inverness. Arches formed arcades for shops, with the Court at rear accessed by the central arch. There are now flats above the shops.

Dunbar's Hospital at the bottom of Church Street, was built in 1668. It is named after Provost Alexander Dunbar, who endowed it as an almshouse and hospital for the poor. It was said to have been built from the stone of Cromwell’s dismantled citadel. It was used as a grammar school until 1792, when the Inverness Royal Academy was built, with the rector living in the adjacent Bow Court. It was used as a hospital again during the cholera epidemic in 1849. It became a public library but has now been altered with flats above shops.

Opposite Dunbar’s Hospital is the Old Gaelic Church which was the first church built for worship in Gaelic. Dating from 1649, it was rebuilt in 1702 and became the Greyfriars Free Church in 1792.

It now houses Leakey’s secondhand bookshop, which is the largest second hand bookshop in Scotland and still has the pulpit and stained glass windows.

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[Eleanor]

Historic Town Trail cont....

Standing on a mound behind Leakey's Secondhand Bookshop is the Old High Church, which fronts onto Bank Strand overlooking the river.

This was the original parish church dedicated to St Mary and was built on St Michael's Mount. It is believed that St Culumba preached to King Bride here in 565AD. There has been a church on this site since at least the C12th Century. After the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the church was to hold Jacobite prisoners and executions took place in the churchyard.

The present building dates from 1770 although base of bell tower dates from the C15th. It could accommodate a congregation of 1860 people. In 2003, the Old High Church joined with St Stephen’s Church and worship ended here in 2022 and building was put up for sale.

In a corner of the churchyard is the splendid Robertson of Inshes mausoleum dating from 1664

On the opposite side next to the churchyard wall and behind iron gates is the family are the private graves of the Mackintosh family of Raigmore. Aeneas his wife and seven children are buried here.

Adjacent to the Old High Church on Bank Street is the North Free Church which was built in the decorated Gothic style in 1889-92. It has the highest steeple in Inverness, a dominant feature by the River Ness.

Just a bit further along is the Junction Church, formerly St Columba’s High Church. A church was built here in 1852, but a devastating fire in 1940 left only the walls standing. The congregation, servicemen & prisoners of war refurbished the church and it opened nine years later. The building bought by the Junction Church in 2011and is now a modern and dynamic church, known for its exuberant praise and worship

The trail continues on the West Bank of the river, by crossing the suspension bridge

Immediately across the bridge is Balnain House, built as a town house around 1726 for the Duffs of Drummuir. IIt would originally have stood in extensive grounds and is a rare example of a regular fronted C18th house. It was used as a hospital for Hanoverian soldiers after Culloden and as billets for the Royal Engineers in the 1880s when completing the 1st Ordnance Survey. It was a music heritage centre between 1993 and 2001, when it was forced to close through lack of funding. Now restored, it is the office of The National Trust for Scotland.

Across the road is D Chisolme and Son Funeral Home in the old Queen Street Church, built in the Palladian style in 1895.

On the far side of the suspension Bridge is St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. (#6) Built in 1837, this was the first Roman Catholic church built in Inverness after the Reformation following the the passing of the Catholic Emancipation Act in 1829. It is a fine example of Victorian Gothic Revival.

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Ness Walk is lined with large C19th hotels.

Inverness Cathedral (#4)set in spacious grounds on Bishop’s Road is the most northerly Anglican Cathedral. It is also relatively modern having been built in the Gothic Revival style between 1866-69. There are good views across the river to Inverness castle.

 

[Eleanor]

Inverness Cathedral

The Catherdral of St Andrew is on Ardross Street on the West Bank of the River Ness. Built to align with the river, the cathedral isn’t orientated along the usual east-west axis as the Chancel points to just west of south. In the grounds are the former Boy’s School building as well the former Bishop’s Residence. There were plans for a Cathedral Close but lack of money prevented this.

This is the most northerly Anglican Cathedral in the UK and dedicated to Scotland's patron saint, St Andrew. It was built between 1866-69 using stone from near Dingwall and was the first new Protestant cathedral to be completed in Great Britain since the Reformation. It is in the Gothic Revival style although lack of funds precluded the building of the two giant spires of the original design. It was designed by Alexander Ross who was based in Inverness and was responsible for designing many of Inverness’s churches and public buildings.

Few medieval Scottish Cathedrals escaped destruction during the Reformation and the Scot’s Parliament abolished Papal authority in Scotland in 1560 The church split into two fractions - the Episcopalians and the more radical Presbyterians. Many Episcopalians had refused to swear allegiance to William and Mary and supported the Jacobite cause. Following the Jacobite Rising of 1715, stringent laws were passed against the Episcopalian Church and Clergy. Buildings were burnt and the authority of the clergy was not recognised. By the time these laws were abolished at the end of the C18th and persecution ended, what was left was an impoverished church, with few members and none of its ancient buildings.

Bishop Eden was appointed as Bishop of Moray and Ross based in Elgin before moving to Inverness. The first services were held in the new girls school on Academy Street before moving into a mission Chapel on the east bank of the river. In 1853, Bishop Eden proposed that there should be a Cathedral of the Highlands in Inverness, and this was eventually agreed in 1866, following an upsurge in church membership and many former congregations re-establishing themselves. Although the cathedral was opened for services in 1869, there was a debt of over £6000. As no church can be consecrated while there is any outstanding debt, it wasn’t until 1874 when the debt was cleared that the Cathedral could be consecrated.

It is a splendid building with two square towers at the west end and the chapter house off the chancel.

It is open daily and there is a cafe and shop in the grounds.

website

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[Eleanor]

Inverness Cathedral cont...

Entry is through the west door with a tympanum above the doorway depicting Christ blessing the apostles. On either side are statue of St Andrew, St Peter, John the Baptist and St Paul.

The interior is a good example of Gothic Revival architecture with columns separating nave and side aisles, and choir screen. The sanctuary apse is very small compared with the rest of the cathedral - perhaps a reminder that communion was not as important in Scotland?

The tall narrow nave has a colonnade of arches made from polished Peterhead granite with beautifully carved tops with leaves and flowers. Above are pointed arches with a clerestory .

The west window depicts the Last Judgement with Christ in Glory surrounded by Apostles and Angels.

A beautifully carved oak screen separates the nave and choir. This dates from 1923 and serves as a war memorial to the members of the congregation who lost their lives in the First World War. Their names are inscribed on the bottom panels of the screen. Hanging from the ceiling above is the rood cross.

The small altar in front of the choir screen has an embroidered overlay which is changed to represent the different seasons of the Liturgical calendar.

Near the altar is the pulpit, made of Caen stone with marble columns. There are carvings of John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness, Jesus as the Good Shepherd and St Andrew preaching from his cross. The two smaller panels have and Angel holding a lily (the symbol of purity) and an Angel holding a palm branch (the emblem of Victory).

Beyond the choir screen are the choir stalls made from highly carved and polished oak. These were a memorial to Bishop James Knill Kelly (1886-1904). The back row used by the Cathedral Provost, the Dean, Canons and Lay Officials (Chancellor, Register and Auditor). Each has a saint’s nave carved on the back. The choir sit in front.

At the end is the Bishops throne with the coat of arms of the Diocese on the back and carved angels on the canopy.

The chancel apse is small compared to the rest of the cathedral. The three stained glass windows depict the Agony in Gethsemane, on the left, condemnation and scourging on the right with the Christ carrying the cross and the Crucifixion in the centre

The high altar is Caen stone and alabaster. The panels depict Agnus Dei and the pelican tearing her breast to feed her young. The Caen stone reredos has the Crucifixion in the centre flanked by the Garden of Gethsemane and the Resurrection. Below is a highly colourful mosaic with flower designs.

On either side are carved oak panels given as a memorial to Bishop Arthur John MacLean who was the inspiration behind the 1929 Scottish Prayer Book. There is a three seater cedilla and the embroidered kneelers tell the story of the arrival of Christianity in the Highlands.

At the back of the north aisle is a bust commemorating Bishop Wilson. In a display case are five Russian icons that were gifted to Bishop Eden by Tsar Alexander II after his visit to Russia in 1866.

Near then is a larger icon of the Virgin and Child.

At the end of the north aisle is the Lady Chapel which has a marble memorial plaque to Bishop William Hay who was the last established Bishop of Moray and died in 1707. He was deprived of his living after he refused to read the proclamation of William and Mary as joint sovereigns in place of James II.

The baptistry is at the back of the south aisle beneath the west tower. The Angel Font which is a copy of the ‘Angel of Baptism' by the early C19th Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. There is tradition from the C16th of angels assisting in baptisms by carrying sea shells.

Also in the south aisle is the Butterfly Memorial or Memorial wall. This was designed in 2020 in response to the Covid -19 pandemic. Embroidered and crochet butterflies on the front are memorials to those who died .

On the reverse are a series of embroidered panels representing all the Episcopalian churches in the Diocese.

 

[Eleanor]

St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral

On Huntly Street overlooking the River Ness, this was the first Roman Catholic church to be built in Inverness since the reformation. It was built in 1837 just a few years after the passing of the Catholic Emancipation Act. The church was enlarged in 1888 for the increasing congregation and the sanctuary remodelled.

The outside is very understated, merging into the surrounding buildings with the presbytery on the left and what was a small convent and school on the right.

The main door leads into a small porch with the church beyond. The inside is a complete contrast and is stunning with white walls, midnight blue ceiling with hanging bosses and chandeliers.

To the left of the chancel arch is a small alter with a statue of the Virgin Mary above

Set in a small room off the back of the nave is a statue of our Lord.

The beautiful white Caen stone altar and reredos were the work of local architect W L Carruthers who was responsible for extending the church and redesigning the sanctuary, following advice from PP Pugin.

He was also responsible for the lovely stations of the cross around the walls and the floor standing pulpit.

The stained glass windows are modern and mark the Millennium and Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.

The church is open daily and is well worth visiting. Unfortunately there is no information in the church and little on the web.

website

 

[Eleanor]

Inverness Castle

Inverness castle stands on a cliff overlooking the city and river. The present building dates from 1834 and was built as a courthouse. A prison building was added a few years later.

The original well from the mediaeval fortress can be found in the grounds of the castle, and the statue of Flora MacDonald overlooking the river dates from the 1890s.

There have been castles on this site since the C11th. The first building was said to have been built by Malcom III of Scotland. It changed hands several times during the Scottish Wars of Independence and was partially destroyed by Robert the Bruce in 1307. It was rebuilt in stone by the Earl of Mar.

Inverness was a prime target for incursions by both Scottish clans and English forces. During the Scottish Wars of Independence, control of the castle was hotly contested. It was finally seized by Robert the Bruce in 1307. There were many raids particularly by the MacDonald Lords of the Isles who burned and destroyed the town.

Mary Queen of Scots was denied entry to the castle in 1562 on the orders of George Gordon, Earl of Huntly. Mary’s supporters laid siege to the castle and after three days captured it. The Keeper of the Castle, Alexander Gordon, was hanged.

Following the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell built a citadel nearer the mouth of the river which he felt was a more strategic site than that of the castle. It was capable of accommodating 1000 men but, with the exception of part of the ramparts, it was demolished when Charles II was restored to the throne. The stone was used to build Dunbar’s Hospital (almshouses).

Inverness played an important role in the Jacobite rebellions. During the Jacobite uprising of 1715, the Castle was occupied by the Jacobites but they fled after Hanoverian supporters threatened to raze it to the ground.

Bonnie Prince Charlie recaptured the castle in 1745 but fearing it would fall into the hands of the British Government, he ordered it to be blown up.

The site lay derelict until the C19th when it was decided Inverness needed a a new courthouse and jail. This was constructed in two phases, the courthouse in the 1830s and the prison in the 1840s. The perimeter walls were built in 1839.

A landslip in 1932 caused the collapse of the restraining wall. damaging buildings below. These were cleared leaving the sloping bank seen today.

The castle was the home of the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service until 2020 when they moved to new purpose built premises.

The castle is now undergoing a multimillion pound refurbishment as a new visitor attraction planned to open in 2025, with eating and shopping as well immersive experiences about the landscape, heritage, culture and people, surrounded by landscaped gardens.

website