Inverness-Shire Gravestone Photo Offer

[Maia261]

As I seem to spend most, if not all, my weekends tramping through the graveyards that are local to me with my trusty digital camera "Ready Aye Ready" (sorry my youngest 2 are in the Sea Cadets and I love that motto  ) I thought I would offer my services as photographer for anyone who would like a picture of any local gravestones......if I'd the time I would love to photograph each and everyone one, transcribe them and set up a website with them all.....but as I dont I thought I would try the next best thing.

If you would like a photo please try and find out, as close as possible, the lair location......some of these cemeteries are huge and, unfortunately, not very well marked. For instance, Tomnahurich in Inverness does have wee stones with the class and section on them but they are very worn and difficult to read - a quick call to the Crematorium at Kilvean Road on 01463 717849 should point you in the right direction though.

Lynn

[Martin Briscoe]

I have photographed many of the war graves at Tomnahurich (and the VCs).  I have worked out much of the layout but still a few I have not found.

I always recommend printing out the details of the war graves in a strange cemetery, you can then use those to identify much of the layout and I have found many graves that way.

I have never understood why cemeteries cannot have a plan on the noticeboard, they will blame vandalism but they usually manage to have other notices displayed.  The odd one stands out like Wrexham where they have a plan and booklet on the noticeboard as well as photocopied plans available in the cemetery keeper's office - he will usually take you to the grave if he is not busy.  Carlisle sent me a plan back by EMail within half an hour. 

By the way if you are around Inverness, do you have any contacts at Dochfour?  There is a war grave in the burial ground there, I did EMail the office at the house but did not get a reply.



Martin Briscoe

[Martin Briscoe]

PS

There is one interesting memorial at Tomnahurich.  It has a long list of members of the Cameron Highlanders who died at the barracks from the mid-19th Century through to around WWII. 

I could put a picture here as some of the names could be useful to people - not all are listed by the CWGC because they are too early.


Martin Briscoe

[Maia261]

Cermeteries should definitely have a plan on a noticeboard, vandalism quite often happens at night and Tomnahurich shuts in the evening so they can't really use that excuse as the noticeboard could be situated inside. As you say, they have plenty of notices on the gate that have survived intact. Well done Wrexham, if only others would follow their lead.

I did have a friend who worked at Dochfour House but sadly we lost contact 3 or 4 years ago, I take it the grave is in the private burial ground at the house? I do have contacts at Abriachan who know a lot about the area so I'll ask them when I go to visit on Saturday.

It would be great for you to post the photo of the memorial at Tomnahurich, I can't recall seeing that one on my wanders, but then again my memory is shot to pieces and as soon as you post it I'll say "Ahhh, that one!" There is one right at the very top of the hill but I can't remember any names being on it - I love it up at the top, so quiet and peaceful, very easy to forget you're in the middle of a "city".

Lynn

[Martin Briscoe]

Cermeteries should definitely have a plan on a noticeboard, vandalism quite often happens at night and Tomnahurich shuts in the evening so they can't really use that excuse as the noticeboard could be situated inside. As you say, they have plenty of notices on the gate that have survived intact. Well done Wrexham, if only others would follow their lead.

I did have a friend who worked at Dochfour House but sadly we lost contact 3 or 4 years ago, I take it the grave is in the private burial ground at the house? I do have contacts at Abriachan who know a lot about the area so I'll ask them when I go to visit on Saturday.

It would be great for you to post the photo of the memorial at Tomnahurich, I can't recall seeing that one on my wanders, but then again my memory is shot to pieces and as soon as you post it I'll say "Ahhh, that one!" There is one right at the very top of the hill but I can't remember any names being on it - I love it up at the top, so quiet and peaceful, very easy to forget you're in the middle of a "city".

Lynn

If you can find a contact at Dochfour and either pass on or take a picture yourself then it would be helpful.

I still have a couple of dozen in Tomnahurich that I have not found, I'll have another try one of these days.

The Cameron Highlands memorial is on the top of hill in Tomnahurich, I will dig out the picture later and post here.

Been up that way today so did the last war graves at Glenconvinth, Croy, Daviot and Drumtemple.  I must contact the CWGC because one at Croy is broken though it is not an official CWGC headstone so they might not be interested.

Martin Briscoe
Fort William

(still cooling down!)

[Martin Briscoe]

This is the Cameron Highlanders memorial in Tomnahurich.  It appears to mark the burial place of a number who died at the barracks from 1886 to 1946

[akthompsn]

I'm hoping your offer still stands?  One of my wife's gg-grandfathers and some other kin are buried in Tomnahurich.  Per an email from Fiona Morrison, they are in Section D, Lairs 367 & 368; surnames HARCOMBE, KROUSE or KRAUSE, THRIFT.  The family ran the Waverley Hotel back in the 1860s. 

Kenneth Thompson
 Moline Acres (north StLouis County) Missouri USA
 (near the confluence of the Missouri & Mississippi rivers)

[Maia261]

Hi Kenneth,

Yes my offer still stands. It will probably be the weekend before I can manage to get there in daytime though due to working full-time, although if I can I may try as early as Thursday.

Lynn 

[Maia261]

Kenneth,

Just to let you know, we woke up to snow this morning, quite a bit of it too so I'm not sure when I'll manage to get round to take the pics at the moment. It is meant to turn to rain this afternoon so doesn't look like it will hang about.

Lynn