South Loch Ness Heritage Group

The Group was set up in 2003 with the following objectives:

• To research, promote and safeguard the heritage of the South Loch Ness Area.
• In particular, to create an archive of the Area, and to collate material for publication, exhibition and education.

Due to the rate of change these objectives have never been so important, or, with the technology now available, so attainable. Our area is rich with a history and natural history second to none within Scotland. To some degree, both are under threat.

The Area
There are similar Heritage Groups in Strathnairn and in Fort Augustus. We hope to fill in the gap by covering the Heritage of Stratherrick, Strath Dores and the south side of Loch Ness, extending through Dores to Scaniport and Cullaird.

Intentions
The following ideas are being taken forward:

• Create "rolling” mini-exhibitions in public places, such as schools, pubs and halls, to stimulate interest and discussion. These can be as simple as two or three photographs or artefacts, but can be changed regularly.
• Organise the usual meetings, with speakers and/or themes according to demand. (A couple of these have already been held.)

The Web Site
The website southlochnessheritage.co.uk has expanded greatly since its construction, with pages on a variety of topics, a selection of pictures old and new, work goes on and the site is updated regularly with new material.

Apart from being of interest to those living in the South Loch Ness area, we hope, through the site, to contact "expatriates”, or those whose ancestors left this region at any time over the last three hundred years. Does your family history mention Stratherrick, Gorthleck, Whitebridge, Errogie, Foyers, Dores, Boleskine, or any place-name on the South Loch Ness Map? Is your name Fraser, Grant, MacGillivray, MacGruer or MacTavish? These are some of the names of the old families of this area. We would be delighted to hear from anyone who thinks they may have associations with South Loch Ness – you may have information of interest to us, and we may well be able to reciprocate. Descendents of Stratherrick folk are scattered worldwide, from Darien to Dunedin, Alberta to Adelaide, and through this link we may, for example, be able to send you photographs of your ancestors" homes.

One of the Group"s main interests is the archiving of pictures. We are able to enhance faded or damaged pictures and provide copies for the owners.

(Pictures do not have to be this old to be interesting! Photographs from the 1970s and 80s show just how fast things change, and even today’s events will very soon become part of our “heritage”.)

Open meetings are held 4 times a year, usually in March, June, September and December. The venue alternates between the Stratherrick Hall in Gorthleck and the Dores Hall.

The South Loch Ness Heritage Group has produced a stunning new full colour 44 page booklet covering the south side of Loch Ness from Dores to Whitebridge. The contents include Wildlife & Nature, Peoples Past, The Coming of the Kirk, Wade & Telford, Transport, Sports, People & the Land and Forestry. In addition there are 4 pages for each of the main villages; Dores, Inverfarigaig, Foyers, Gorthleck and Whitebridge with detailed maps showing the locations of places of interest and also suggested walking routes.

A sample of 7 pages can be viewed as a pdf file by following the following link:

userimages/file/South Loch Ness booklet.pdf

The book is priced at £3 but orders of 10 or over can be purchased for £2 each (maybe appealing to guest house or B & B owners?). Postage and packing in a padded envelope is £1.16 for one copy and £1.46 for 2 or 3 copies. Please contact Frank Ellam on 01456 486691, e-mail to wurlitzer.home@virgin.net or send a cheque payable to South Loch Ness Heritage Group to Easter Boleskine, By Foyers, Inverness-shire IV2 6XT.