Am Baile: highland history and cultureHighland Council logo

Site highlights

Welcome to our Site Highlights page. We have brought together all our favourite items on the site onto one page for you. The items will be changing regularly so do keep coming back to check on our latest additions

A Skye Crofter Fisherman

Isabel Grant Photographs
Dr Grant's interest in Highland life and culture shaped her writing and led to the foundation of the Highland Folk Museum

Loch Morlich, Cairngorms

Highland Delights
Browse a small selection of our Highland and Island views

'A Guide to Bowing' by Scott Skinner, front cover

'A Guide to Bowing' by Scott Skinner
Enjoy one of the latest additions to our Digital Library

Alexander Grant

Alexander Grant - Inventor, Craftsman & Musician
View a selection of items from the Alexander Grant Collection

Loch Kinellan, Strathpeffer

Illustrated Postcards
Here you can view a selection of Am Baile's illustrated postcards from the first half of the 20th century

From Sea to Sea (1 of 19)

From Sea to Sea
Listen to a celebration of the history, people and landscape of the Caledonian Canal

Ogopogo and Nessie

Loch Ness Monster
Read about the many recorded sightings in the 1930s, when monster fever was at its height

'I'm ninety-four this morning'

'They call me the fisherman's lassie'
A former fisher lassie from Caithness recalls her days at the kippering

Crofters' houses

Crofting in Caithness
Listen to first-hand accounts of crofting life in Caithness

Màiri Mhòr nan Òran: The Spinning

Màiri Mhòr nan Òran
View a small selection of resources related to Gaeldom's famous lady

Cromarty Fisher Folk (1 of 20)

Listen to Bobby and Gordon Hogg discuss their unique 'fisher' dialect
Bobby and Gordon believe they are the last two fluent speakers of the 'Cromarty fisher dialect'

Dunvegan Castle

George Washington Wilson
View a collection of George Washington Wilson's Highland images and read his own lecture notes

Blair Atholl Houses 1 Storey Workman's Houses

Highland Railway Maps and Plans - a resource for railway enthusiasts and researchers
Browse a selection of maps and plans from our Highland Railway Society collection

Inverness Town House

Inverness Town House
Find out more about the many splendid works of art contained within this fine public building

Neil Gunn

Neil Gunn Writing Competition, 2007
To celebrate Highland 2007, Scotland's year of Highland Culture, the theme was 'Highland Spaces'. Read the winning entries from over 400 submissions

Royal Warrant appointing William Hooker as Lieutenant, signed by George II

Baillie of Dunain Family Papers
This collection of letters covers one hundred years (c.1760-1860) and gives an interesting insight into one of Inverness's landowning families

Warrant of Commission (Captain) for William Picton

Sheriff James Lachlan Martin Mitchell
This interesting archive includes documents relating to early settlers in North Carolina

Emigration

Emigration to Canada
Canada has always been a popular destination for Highland emigrants. View a selection of press articles relating to Canadian emigration 1807-1849

Queen Mary's House, Bridge Street, Inverness

'An Inverness Slide Show'
Joseph Cook was a popular Inverness speaker who collected photographs on many subjects to illustrate his talks.

John Fraser, Inverness silversmith (18 of 39)

Working with silver
In this audio collection John Fraser gives a detailed account of the silversmithing techniques he learnt as an apprentice in the 1930s with Inverness jewellers, Medlock & Craik

Hugh Miller (1802-56), Scottish geologist and writer

Hugh Miller (1802-1856), Scottish geologist and writer
Enjoy a selection of Am Baile resources related to Cromarty's most famous son

Unidentified house

Can you help?
Sometimes the Am Baile team come across a photo with little or no information. If you can help us please get in touch using the Make a Comment button

Marymas Fair 2006, Inverness

Marymas Fair
View a selection of images from the 2006 Marymas Fair, a former medieval 'holy day' or holiday, revived in Inverness in 1986 and held annually ever since

Carrying fern

The Romantic Highlands
The Inverness-shire artist R. R. McIan (1803-1856) produced many images of the Highlands and Islands in the mid 19th century for inclusion in a variety of contemporary publications. Here we have brought together a selection

Survey and Report of the Coasts and Central Highlands of Scotland, 2nd Report, 1805, map

Thomas Telford
August 2007 marks the 250th anniversary of Thomas Telford's birth. Read his original report and survey of the Highlands as commanded by the Lords of the Treasury in 1802

2007, Year of Highland Culture. Launch Event Highlights

2007, Year of Highland Culture
View some of the highlights of the Monster Street Party held in Inverness on 12 January 2007 to celebrate the start of 'Highland 2007'

Fortrose

A New Service for Schools
Take a trip to Orkney with Fortrose Academy History Club

Map of the Highlands of Scotland

Zoomable Images
Welcome to our 'Zoomable Images' page

A tour of the West Coast of Scotland and the Outer Hebrides in 1944 (part 1)

Promoting Scotland's Landscapes
Enjoy film footage from the 1940s of the west coast of Scotland and the Outer Hebrides

Drawing of Battle of Culloden

Culloden Battlefield
Here is a selection of items relating to the battlefield

The Journey West 1 - The Treasure Cave

The Journey West
A 7 part animation series featuring treasure, fairies and a rescue

Gray baby

Nursery Rhymes
Some nursery rhymes to sing along to!

Copper Stills in a Distillery

Whisky
Ever wondered how they make whisky?

Harry Lauder at the pier in Kyle of Lochalsh

Panoramas
Browse a selection of our zoomable panoramas

'Gondolier' on the Caledonian Canal

Caledonian MacBrayne
A look at some of Am Baile's pictures of boats owned by David MacBrayne. MacBrayne's company would later become Caledonian MacBrayne Hebridean and Clyde Ferries

Captain Campbell/Miss Shepherd

TMC Tutors' Collection
A few of the tunes that can be heard on this CD from the Highland Council's Traditional Music Classes

Bow Tent

Tales of a Travelling Man
A collection of stories told by Alec Williamson who was born into a Ross-shire travelling family in 1932

Croy Post Office

Croy Community Council
Croy Community Council gave Am Baile permission to display this lovely collection of photos from their own area

Gairloch Hotel manager

Your Stories
A new feature where you can tell everyone your own stories and memories

Baby Urisk

Urisks
5 cartoons about supernatural beings who live in Scottish waterfalls

Inverness Town House

Roll of Inverness Provosts
This list goes as far back as the mid 16th century. Find out how many gentlemen held this official post

Mr F.G. Fraser in academic dress

Learning resources
A collection of tailor-made resources covering a selection of topics

King Edward VII

King Edward VII
Photos of King Edward VII's visit to Glenquoich estate in 1905.

The Mull Witch

Comics
Have fun with these animated comics which retell some of the Highlands' strangest stories

Skye traveller with dog and kettle

Gordon Shennan
Through his work with the RSPCC in the Highlands, Gordon Shennan became friends with many travelling families. A selection of his photos are shown here.

Lovat Juniors

Shinty
Some of the shinty related items that can be found on Am Baile

Road Ends Sculpture - Stone Swim to Islands. Schoolchildren collecting stones for the sculpture

Stones Swim to Islands
Part of Taigh Chearsabhagh's Roadends community art project

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Schools' Competition 2004
View the winning entries from the Highland schools competition 2004 entitled 'A Day to Remember'

Meikle Ferry Fund, page 1

Meikle Ferry Fund
A report about the Meikle Ferry Fund which was set up to raise money for the families of those who died in the 1809 disaster

Culloden, the Cairn and Graves of the Clans

Culloden inspires creative writing
Read the latest 'Your Stories' contribution

A scramble at a Highland wedding

Favourite Images
A small collection of the Am Baile team's favourite images

Leanabh an Àigh

Duan Nollaig
Enjoy excerpts from this brand new CD of Gaelic Christmas music released by Fiona Mackenzie, Highland Council's Màiri Mhòr Gaelic Song Fellow

Caledonian Canal at Tomnahurich, frozen over, 1895

Casualties of Winter
Read extracts from our Newspaper Index about the fatal consequences of heavy snowstorms in the Highlands in the 19th century

An Teallach in Winter

A Seasonal Compilation
View a selection of winter images

Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster's 'Account of Improvements', map of Caithness

Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster
'An Account of The Improvements carried on by Sir John Sinclair, Bart., on his Estates in Scotland' (1812)

The Glenurquhart Yearbook: Title Page

The Glenurquhart Yearbook
Enjoy one of the latest additions to our Digital Library

Gaelic Alphabet Through Trees

Gaelic Tree Alphabet
In the spring of 2007 twenty primary schools in Ross and Cromarty took part in a Gaelic Tree Alphabet banner-making project

'Out West' (1 of 4)

Neil Gunn Writing Competition
Listen to competitors in the Neil Gunn Writing Competition 2007 read their own winning entries, recorded at the recent Ullapool Book Festival

First motorised District Nurse

The Highland's first motorised District Nurse identified
She has recently been identified by one of our users as Flora Ferguson, district nurse at Stratherrick, originally from Glendale.

London Inverness-shire Assoc. Concert Programme, front cover

Souvenir Programmes
View the most recently uploaded souvenir programme

Beinn Alligin and Loch Torridon

Literary Landscapes
Explore Am Baile's brand new feature

Old Tracks - Cross country Routes and

Cross Country Routes and 'Coffin Roads' in the North West Highlands
Enjoy one of the latest additions to our Digital Library

Nòs Ùr (New Style)

Nòs Ùr (New Style)
Listen to Gaelic and Scots entries in a new Celtic and Scots Languages Song Competition, recently held in Inverness

A Gipsy Moth over Inverness

Airports & Aircraft
View a selection of aeronautical images from the Highlands & Islands

The Woollen Trade in Wick, Front Cover

The Woollen Trade in Wick
Enjoy one of the latest additions to our Digital Library

Jim Love - Growing up in Inverness

Jim Love
Jim Love (1943-2006) was one of the Highlands' most respected journalists. He joined the 'Inverness Courier' in 1988, becoming editor in 2003.

Thomas Telford

Telford in the Highlands
View the latest schools' project - a collaboration between four Highland secondary schools and the RCAHMS

Something from the Gold Diggings in Sutherland, Front Cover

Something from the Gold Diggings in Sutherland
Enjoy one of the latest additions to our Digital Library

Mark Wringe Introduces Essie Stewart at Ullapool Book Festival

Essie Stewart
Listen to one of the last of the 'Summer Walkers'

Dr. Isabel Grant's experiences on Iona

Isabel Grant Recollects
Listen to Dr Grant relate stories of a spiritual or supernatural nature

Pilgrimage to St Valery (3 of 6)

Pilgrimage to St Valery (1961)
Ex-servicemen from The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders make a pilgrimage to St Valéry-en-Caux in northern France

Gaelic Printing in the Highlands 1774-1901, page 1

Gaelic Printing in the Highlands 1774-1901

Badenoch and Strathspey

Badenoch and Strathspey
This short multimedia presentation highlights the Badenoch and Strathspey area in the Highlands.

Strathnaver Trail - The Story of a North Highland Landscape (cover)

Strathnaver Trail - The Story of a North Highland Landscape
Enjoy one of the latest additions to our Digital Library

Harrapool and surrounding area - Matthew Stobie, 1766

Pocket Museum
Clan Donald Library's Pocket Museum is a collection of notes, maps, photographs, illustrations and extracts from the archives which give an insight in to life on a Highland estate.

The Military Expedition to the Isle of Skye. Title Page

The Military Expedition to the Isle of Skye
Enjoy one of the latest additions to our Digital Library

Scottish Country Dance Group, Muir of Ord

Make the Muir Matter
Enjoy a selection of photographs highlighting Muir of Ord's local community

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