CHS Annual Report for 2024‐25

The retirement of 5 committee members at the end of the last season, left quite a gap to be filled in order continue running this society. 3 members stepped up to the challenge — Scilla Aitchison, Graham Philips and Anne Dickie, they joined Ross Couper and myself to ensure a future for the history society. During the season, Sue Kent became a Cromarty Courthouse Trust representative on our committee.

As a group, we now have 47 paid‐up members which is a respectable number for a small community.

I hope you agree that our programme of talks this year has covered a broad range of interesting subjects. We have certainly attracted additional visitors, even from beyond the Black Isle, and kept up the average attendance across our meetings to over 40. Indeed at Professor Donna Heddle’s lecture on Vikings in the North of Scotland there was an audience of 65.

So, big thanks are due to both committee and audience:

• Our committee for ensuring an excellent programme, good publicity and that meetings run smoothly with refreshments continuing to enhance the social opportunity which forms an important part of all our meetings. I shouldn’t fail to mention that we strive to ensure the society is kept financially viable, as we cope with all the frustrations of dealing with banks who seem to try to exasperate their small society customers.
• Our audience for continuing to support the society by regularly turning up to meetings and showing that there is an appetite for keeping history, particularly local history alive.

It was heartening to hear last month’s speaker, Calum Maclean, express his thanks to us all for helping to keep the legacy of Highland architect, Alexander Ross, in the public domain. He felt that history societies such as ours play a key role, where many statutory bodies fail to appreciate what heritage is in danger of being lost.

Additional thanks go to Roger Young for continuing to maintain our society website.

As a Friends Group to our local museum, we will be hosting an extra talk in May to raise funds for Cromarty Courthouse, as a way of demonstrating our support. In addition we will make a donation of at least £250 to ensure that the sum of £500 goes to the museum next month.

M. Bowers
April 2025

Romancing the Stone   —   Marriage Lintels and Date Stones close to you

Dr. Jim Mackay

Victoria Hall, Cromarty

Cromarty History Society’s next meeting will be in the Victoria Hall at 7.30pm on April 15th, the subject being ‘Romancing the Stone ‐ Marriage Lintels and Date Stones close to you’.

Dr Jim Mackay of the Kirkmichael Trust will tell the stories behind our local marriage lintels and date stones, with copious beautiful images of the often extravagant carving on these stones. The focus will be on Cromarty, but with examples drawn from every village in the Black Isle, as well as some from Easter Ross and Inverness. Jim will be relating the tales, sometimes sad sometimes amusing, of the people behind the inscriptions on these stones.

Dr Jim Mackay is Chair of the Kirkmichael Trust which maintains medieval Kirkmichael in the Black Isle, subject of an award-winning restoration. He is a popular speaker, his lively talks combining information with entertaining stories. He is the author of ‘Resolis “Slope of Light$rdquo; Guide to a Black Isle Parish’, ‘Tales from Kirkmichael’ and ‘Guide to Jemimaville and the Colony “Reachfar”) creative home of Jane Duncan, author’. Jim’s latest research project has been marriage lintels and datestones in the area, and his discovery of the names behind the Abertarff House initials some months ago reached the national press.

The meeting begins at 7.30pm in the Victoria Hal with a short AGM and will be followed by refreshments, £5 for non‐members.

Cromarty History Society now meets on the third Tuesday of each month, September‐April and occasionally during the summer

Alexander Ross (1834-1925) — the Lasting Legacy of a Highland Architect

Calum MacLean

Victoria Hall, Cromarty

On March 18th local architect Calum Maclean will tell us about the lasting legacy of Inverness Architect Alexander Ross (1834-1925). We all daily pass buildings designed and created by Alexander, who designed the Hugh Miller Institute in Cromarty, now the Library, and St Regulus Church. He also created the old primary school in Avoch and the farm cottages at Killen. He didn’t restrict himself to Inverness and the Black Isle and his buildings remain all over the country. They include the Bishop’s Palace and Inverness Cathedral itself. He had a hand in Skibo Castle and Invergordon Castle.

Calum Maclean is a conservation architect and founder of MAAC Studio Ltd, specialising in the care and management of historic buildings throughout the Highlands, including in Cromarty. He provides advice and guidance to homeowners on appropriate repairs and maintenance. He is the Cathedral Architect for Inverness Cathedral and Diocesan Architect for the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Calum will review the life and work of Alexander Ross, as covered in his latest book, and highlight projects in the Black Isle.

The meeting begins at 7.30pm in the Victoria Hall and refreshments will be served afterwards. For visitors the cost will be £5.

Cromarty History Society now meets on the third Tuesday of each month, September‐April and occasionally during the summer