Tomnahurich, from the Caledonian Canal

Category

Library Item

Item no

24453

Title

Tomnahurich, from the Caledonian Canal

Description

Tomnahurich Hill can be seen at the back of this photograph. In the forefront are two small cottages and a bridge which crosses the Caledonian Canal.

Artist / maker

Valentine, James

Date

1865

Size

19.0 x 24.1 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Tomnahurich is a rounded, tree covered hill which lies to the west of the River Ness on the outskirts of Inverness. Tomnahurich means the "hill of the yew trees" and these days a modern cemetery is set on the hill.

The hill has many traditions and legends associated with it; one is that an ancient seer or prophet called Thomas the Rhymer is buried below the hill, there is actually a gentleman called Thomas Rymour de Ercieldoune who existed in the thirteenth century and one of his prophecies was that the crowns of England and Scotland would be united. Folklore also says that fairies live within the hill and one tale states that they engaged two fiddlers to play for them and when, after playing all night, they emerged the next day many years had gone by and everything they had known had disappeared.

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Related subjects

Homes > Residential buildings > Cottages

Landscape > Land > Hills

Places > Scotland > Inverness-shire

Places > United Kingdom > Scotland

Transport > Infrastructure > Canals

Transport > Infrastructure > Steel bridges

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