An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 2 > No. 48, 23 January 1969

PLACES OF INTEREST:
Cromarty - A Unique Village
Cromarty is one of the
prettiest of Scottish villages
and wicti a population of A'.l
it is surely one of the smallest
of her burghs. Situated on
the very tip of the Black Isle
peninsula, Cromarty was for
so long almost forgotten —
it was on the road to no¬
where, there was no question
of passing through it, you had
to nave it as a destination or
you would never see if. Now
it is increasingly popular and
lejoicing in its new lease of
life. There is much in this
unique little burgh that will
endear it to visitors.
Perhaps the most pleading
and certainly the most im¬
pressive building in the burgh
is the ‘ neat and substantial
edifice’ of Cromarty Couit
House of 1782 with its fine
clock tower. The upper hall
is court house and council
COLONEL’S
FAREWELL
chamber and below is the
prison, but when restoration
is complete, externally it
gleams like a new pin, it will
continue to serve Council
functions as well as provide
by Gilbert T. Bell
a museum and tourist centre.
Many of the houses are the
charmingly simple sturdy cot¬
tages one finds in quaint old
villages but the cottage that
most people come to see is
the only thatched house now
remaining in the village,
Hugh Miller’s Cottage. It was
here that the eminent geolo¬
gist, writer and theologian
was born in 1802 and here
lived much of his life but to¬
day the house is a quiet little
museum in the National
, Trust for Scotland’s care.
| Though there is not a great
j deal to see inside, it is not
every day one gets the chance
! to see beautifully maintained
I cottages dating from 1711.
I On the hill beside the
ruined Gaelic Chapel (we have
a lot to answer for in allow¬
ing it to be a ruin for ap¬
parently it was well cared for
during the last war) stands
a 40-foot column with a
statue of Hugh Miller watch¬
ing his peaceful Cromarty.
The wee Kirk is a fascin¬
ating example of traditional
Scottish homely church archi¬
tecture — it is plain, in no
way pompous, just simple and
sincere, and dates from 1700
though with later additions.
Sir Thomas Urquhart, the
translator of Rabelais, is
commemorated by a plaque
at the church.
The nearby Cromarty House
is a splendid Georgian man¬
sion while the Hugh Miller
Institute — library and read¬
ing room — is a ‘ gift of
Andrew Carnegie. Esq,’ the
millionaire philanthropist.
It is remarkable that such
a small burgh should have so
many delights, and no wonder
Cromarty is becoming in¬
creasingly popular.
The 1st Battalion of the
Royal Highland Fusiliers had a |
distinguished visitor at Fort [
George on Monday in the per- i
son of Major-General H. L. E. |
C. Leask, C.B., D.S.O., O.B.E. |
It was 10 years to the day since j
the Highland Light Infantry
were amalgamated with the
Royal Scottish Fusiliers to form |
the present t regiment, and !
General Leask has been Colonel ,
of the regiment for exactly half
that time. His visit to Fort
George was a farewell one, as j
he was appointed Colonel Com- j
mandant of the Scottish Divi- j
sion in November, and, in the I
higher rank of Lieutenant-
General, will succeed Lieuten¬
ant-General Sir Derek Lang, i
K.C.B., D.S.O., M.C., as |
General Officer Commanding j
Scotland in October this year.
over to you:
Fhir-deasachaidh,
Bha mi toilichte fhaicinn ami
Sruth gu’n do chord am pro¬
gram agam air na seann
h’orainn ribh gu math, bu mhath
learn fios a bhi agam co
Maoldonaich.
Tha mi mar sin a toirt taing
doibh.
Bho, IAIN LAING
ing in a world of make-be¬
lieve of his own imagination.
— Yours etc.,
IAN G. MACNAIR-SMITH
Madrid 6.
London Exhibition
A Success
(Continued from Page One)
Sir,—I’ve just been reading
in the “Monde Diplomatique”
an account of the progress
made towards independence
in Scotland and Wales I was
struck by the incompatibility
of the high office of the Sec¬
retary of State for Scotland
with his frivolous and irres¬
ponsible language. He des¬
cribes Scottish Nationalists
as ‘ gnats ’ with a vulgar pun
and on another occasion an
English paper reported him
to having said that the Scot¬
tish National Party are
“ phoney.” The “ Monde Dip¬
lomatique ” also reports him
to having said “ There is no
nationalism in Scotland. Scots
are only concerned with
grouse and salmon.”
He seems to be quite out
of touch with present-day
youth. If he were to enter a
gym or youth camp or club
he might not hear a single
insult or stupid pun from
morning to night and even
schoolboys despise such trivi¬
alities. I remember at school
how such superficial boys
were described as “ brats.”
Nowadays students are seek¬
ing the truth in their ow.i
rather violent but intellectual
way at the same time. A re¬
mark would not be allowed
to pass till its full definition
and justification were gone
into. I remember some French
students discussing Pascals
famous saying: “ Faiseur de
bons mots mauvais sujet ”
(Maker of good puns, a rot¬
ten fellow). Of course Pascal
was inclined to be a Puritan,
but even making allowances
for that, I think a Secretary
of State should not speak in
such an inane way like the
‘bonasse’ remarks one might
hear people exchange after a
good meal and having drunk
well. The Scots of salmon and
grouse may well fit in with
his own high living, but I
think the average Scot bene¬
fits from neither personality.
If all he can do is to poke
fun at the Scottish nation
then perhaps we would be
better off without a Secretary
of State. He admits the exist¬
ence of Scotland, that is
about all apparently. If he
does propoganda for England
or Anglicised Scots let him
at least use the Queen’s Eng¬
lish not American slang.
Does he think that cheap
ripostes and play of words
are acceptable to the cmiling
but serious youth of today?
We expect good manners
from those highly placed and
if he is not seriously seeking
! the truth, either insulting us
! or denying our existence, then
it may be a sign that he is
either getting old or else liv-
and the industry have ncit
realised in the past.”
Throughout the ten day
exhibition the Highland mar¬
ket place was under constant
pressure from trade buyers
and casual purchasers.
Numerous provisional or¬
ders were received including
one for furniture placed with
a Cromarty firm guaranteeing
work for at least six months.
Direct sales included a £900
mink coat, from a mink farm
in the hills above Loch Ness.
Orkney chairs attracted the
interest of hotel furnishers.
The extensive range of
Highland cheeses, knitwear
and silverware were bought
by many visitors.
Further displays of High-
goods may well follow. Mr
Charles Rennie, the Board’s
marketing officer, said “The
follow-up exercise to exhibi¬
tion enquiries and orders, by
the Board and by the firms, is
of crucial importance.’
Highland county develop¬
ment officers were satisfied
with results.
Mr Fred Levens, of Caith¬
ness, said “It was a great
opportunity to meet a whole
range of people involved in
development. This was a posi¬
tive effort which worked and
it means a lot of follow-up
work for me.”
Shetland county develop¬
ment officer, Stuart Donald,
said: “The reception our pro¬
ducts have had in London
provides tremendous encour¬
agement for the future
growth of the many small
manufacturing enterprises
established in the Shetland
Islands over the past few
years.”
Mr John McMillan, Suther¬
land Planning Officer, “The
most inspiring aspect of
‘Highland Fling’ has been the
sight of the young staff of
the Highland Board—the new
generation of Highlanders—
working long hours together
as a team to drive home the
‘Clansman’ exercise as a con¬
certed public relations les’-
son.”
H.R.H. The Duke of Edin¬
burgh performed the opening
ceremony which was attended
by Mr William Ross, the
Secretary of State for Scot¬
land. Other distinguished
visitors were the Rt. Hon.
Mr Roy Jenkins, Chancellor
of the Exchequer, and Mr
George Thomson, Common¬
wealth Secretary.
Mrs Wilson, wife of the
Prime Minister, paid a visit
on 15th January, and Dr J.
Dickson Mabon, Minister of
State for Scotland, managed
to fit a trip to the exhibition
into his tight programme
during the recess.