Thawing snow near Lovat Bridge

Dawn sunlight reflects from ponds forming in the thawing snow in fields near Lovat Bridge, Beauly. The River Beauly appears in the image to the lower right of the centre flowing towards Lovat Bridge and then following the line of trees to the left of the scene.

Taken 17th January 2010 © Copyright Les Shaw and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The line north at Beauly

Wick? Thurso? Kyle of Lochalsh? This line goes to them all.

Taken 31st December 2009 © Copyright Gordon Brown and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Tor Point and Dores

From across Loch Ness.

Taken May 1992 © Copyright Russel Wills and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Culloden Railway Viaduct, over the river Nairn

A long-range picture taken from the hillside above the Clava Cairns in late afternoon sun. Form and function make this structure seem part of the landscape.

Taken 23rd December 2007 © Copyright nairnbairn and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Forest Track

Forest Track, originally uploaded by Duncan Brown (formerly Cradlehall2008).

Forest track at Bogbain Wood, near Inverness.

The Joy of Shopping

The joy of shopping, originally uploaded by seoras macaonghais.

Heading for home after bargain hunting.

The River Ness and the Greig St Bridge.

Dec 31st, 1pm

Misty Bridge

misty-bridge, originally uploaded by M0SHER.

misty kessock bridge.. 9th November 2009

Ness Islands

Ness Islands, originally uploaded by Alex Morrice.

One of the sculptural benches found on the Ness Islands, Inverness.

The sculptor is Nigel Ross.

Stobart Train at Moy

Stobart Train 1, originally uploaded by Duncan Brown (formerly Cradlehall2008).

Due to the A9 trunk road from the south to Inverness being the most dangerous road in the country, some supermarkets are now transporting their supplies by rail.
This Stobart Express is one such train, snapped here travelling through Moy, near Inverness. Although it doesn't look like it through the telephoto lens, this train consists of over twenty wagons carrying our corn flakes, toothpaste, hot chocolate, etc.

Bottlenose Dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins, originally uploaded by Ally.Kemp.

Bottlenose dolphins breaching at North Kessock.

Christmas Geese

Christmas geese!, originally uploaded by Fearn.

Huge skein of geese near Clachnaharry.

Sun and snow at Torgormack

The New Year holiday at the end of 2009 brought large amounts of snow in the Beauly area (more than 60 cm over five days). Here the setting sun lights up the evening low mist.

Taken 2nd January 2010 © Copyright Gordon Brown and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Snow scene at Inchrory

Heavy snowfalls over Hogmanay 2009 made this road tricky for all but 4x4s.

Taken 1st January 2010 © Copyright Gordon Brown and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Clachnaharry Monument

Originally standing 40 to 50 feet high, this monument was erected in 1821 to commemorate a mediaeval battle between Clan Munro and Clan Chattan - the exact date of the battle is uncertain, though sources indicate that the clash took place sometime between 1333 and 1434. The tall column which originally stood on the base was blown down in a gale in 1951.

Taken 29th July 2009 © Copyright Euan Nelson and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Midday sun on Loch Ness

A very low sun just after midday. Air at a temperature some 10 degrees below freezing is falling down the steep slopes onto the warmer surface of the loch. As the air is warmed, water vapour is formed, looking like steam swirling on top of the loch. It rises to form the very low bank of cloud seen in the distance.

Taken 28th December 2009 © Copyright John Allan and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

War Memorial

Fettes war memorial in winter sun

Taken 28th December 2009 © Copyright Graeme Smith and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Shoreline by Coulmore House

The northern shoreline of the Beauly Firth by Coulmore

Taken 28th December 2009 © Copyright Graeme Smith and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Charleston in the Snow

A cold looking view of Charleston with an overwintering boat adding some colour.

Taken 28th December 2009 © Copyright Graeme Smith and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Footpath to Inshes

The last of the light on a very cold day.

Taken 23rd December 2009 © Copyright don cload and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Dalwhinnie

Dalwhinnie, originally uploaded by alison_h.

Twinned with Las Vegas.

Riverside Court

Riverside Court, originally uploaded by The Poss.

Apartments taken from the Islands. They are in Island Bank Road not far from where it becomes Dores Road.

View from Friars Shott

Inverness from Friars Shott, originally uploaded by RPFaither.

An early 20th century print.

Culloden Viaduct

Culloden Viaduct Inverness Scotland, originally uploaded by conner395.

When the railway finally reached Inverness from the south (in 1863) it followed a circuitous route from Aviemore (only 30 miles from Inverness as the crow flies).

It followed the Spey Valley to Grantown, then climbed over the bleak and exposed Dava Moor to Forres, on the Moray Firth, before following the shoreline west to the Capital of the Highlands.

In the 1890s plans finally reached fruition to build a direct line from Aviemore over/through the mountains to Inverness.

A major barrier was Strathnairn, the wide valley of the River Nairn, just south of Culloden Battlefield.

To cross the valley at high level it was necessary to construct a huge high viaduct to carry the line. The viaduct - which opened in 1898 and took 5 years to construct from local pink sandstone - is a tribute to Victorian engineering and one of the modern-day Highland monuments.

Some 600 yards long, it comnprises 29 spans (the centre one being 100 ft wide and the remainder 50 ft wide), all on a curve.

Inverness District Council Coat of Arms

Inverness District Council Arms (Inverness, Scotland), originally uploaded by conner395.

The photograph is of a wall plaque.

In 1975 the Town Council of the Royal Burgh of Inverness was dissolved and in terms of the Local Government (Scotland) Act of 1973, the Highland Regional Council was established as part of the new two-tier local government system.

The Region was also subdivided into Districts, one of which was Inverness.

This new district combined in one area the Royal Burgh of Inverness and the Inverness and Aird districts of the County of Inverness-shire.

The Inverness District Council was granted the armorial bearings shown in the photograph in 1975.

Further local government re-organisation in 1996 resulted in the removal of the two-tier system, with a unitary Council (The Highland Council) taking over the former responsibilities of both District and Regional Councils. The arms shown then ceased to be valid.

The arms show in the base the arms of Inverness Burgh, Jesus on the Cross. The gold crescent and star are added, as these are historically often added to arms showing Saints.

The cornucopia is taken from the crest of Inverness Burgh, the cat is taken from the arms of the clan Mackintosh (and represents Inverness district) while the cinquefoil is taken as a symbol for Aird district (Fraser clan).

The wavy bar represents the Beauly and Ness rivers.

The motto Concordia et Fidelitas (Concord and Fidelity, or Harmony and Honesty) is taken from the arms of the Burgh.

No elements have been taken from the older Inverness County Council arms.

Foyers Hotel Garden

Foyers Hotel, Loch Ness, originally uploaded by twm1340.

Moss covered benches at Foyers Hotel on Loch Ness

Winter Sunset on the River Ness

In mid-afternoon on the coldest Christmas Day for many years, the setting sun silhouettes a Scots Pine on the far bank of the River Ness.

Taken 25th December 2009 © Copyright Anne Burgess and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Poyntzfield House

Taken from the herb nursery gardens which are enclosed within an old walled garden area which once belonged to the house and are an oasis of calm.

Taken 8th June 2008 © Copyright Alastair Morton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The road to Drumderfit

This visually striking track harks back to the days when estate owners invested in trees and landscape.

Taken 21st March 2009 © Copyright Alastair Morton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Inverness Youth Hostel (former)

Distinguished building on corner of Old Edinburgh Road and Culduthel Road, was in early 80s a youth hostel. Views from here overlooking the river are fantastic.

Taken September 1981 © Copyright Michael Westley and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Station Forecourt 1981

View in early 80s of entrance to majestic Inverness Station. Plenty of backpackers and people heading north begin or continue their journies from here.

Taken September 1981 © Copyright Michael Westley and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Changes: View over Inverness

View c.1890-1900.

From the Library of Congress collection.

A similar view to the old photo taken in January 2009 - the road bridge in the foreground has been replaced but the footbridge behind it still remains!

Inverness Looking North, originally uploaded by SpoiltCat.

The view from Castle Hill looking North along the River Ness over both the Ness Bridge and the Greig Street Bridge.

The CDPB theme for today is change. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.