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Inverness street's past preserved by key heritage trail


By Philip Murray

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Pictured (from left) David Henderson (Inverness City Heritage Trust), Sarah Gaukroger (Townscape Heritage Project), Mary Peteranna (AOC Archaeology) and James Martin (High Life Highland) at the preview.
Pictured (from left) David Henderson (Inverness City Heritage Trust), Sarah Gaukroger (Townscape Heritage Project), Mary Peteranna (AOC Archaeology) and James Martin (High Life Highland) at the preview.

The new digital heritage trail, a key part of the Inverness Townscape Heritage Project, spent the past two-and-a-half years engaging with the community around Academy Street.

During that time some 30 heritage ‘engagement events’ were held and people were invited to share their stories.

In the end more than 600 came forward, representing people such as A. I. Welders Social Group, the Second Inverness Girls Brigade and the congregation and community of the East Church.

Their input has brought to light a wealth of high quality content for the website, as well as opening up the rich variety of materials available in the city’s museum, library and archive collections.

And this new digital heritage trail was tested by stakeholders at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery (IMAG) last week.

Their feedback will help the developers, AOC Archaeology, refine and shape the website before it is launched on October 9.

The site has been designed to continually evolve as more content is generated.

A range of the results from the public engagement are currently on display at IMAG, including stunning detailed line drawings of Academy Street in 1920 by Gordon Lynn.

The Townscape Heritage Partnership chairman, Councillor Richard Laird, said: “I am delighted to try out the website and to see how it showcases the rich variety of material that members of the public have so generously brought forward to save for generations of residents and visitors to our city.”

The project was run in partnership with High Life Highland and AOC Archaeology.

Ian Murray, chief executive of High Life Highland, added: “It has been fascinating to hear the stories of Academy Street as told by over 600 individuals who have generously contributed to the project.”


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