Winter Programme 2023/2024
All meetings are held at the Craigmonie Hotel, Annfield Road, Inverness, IV2 3HX, starting at 7pm.
Lectures are free for members of the Inverness Field Club.
There is a nominal entrance charge for non-members.
18 October 2023
Lost Inverlael: A' Lorg Baile Bhlàir
Siobhán Beatson, BA (Hons) History, MLitt (UHI)Manager, Ullapool Museum.
An illustrated talk on archaeological excavations at Inverlael, near Ullapool, of the village of Balblair, at one time the largest Highland settlement north of Dingwall, highlighting the involvement of the local community.
15 November 2023
Queen Victoria in the Highlands, 1873: a Royal Sesquicentennial (150 years)
Norman S. Newton, Secretary, Inverness Field Club.
It rained a lot, but there was plenty to entertain the royal guests and to keep the press pack happy during their week at Inverlochy. Using contemporary newspapers and Queen Victoria’s diaries, this illustrated talk uses speculation and anecdote to read between the lines.
25 November 2023
Lunch at the Craigmonie
12:00 for 12:30
Dr Elsa Panciroli, Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Skye Fossils and Baby Teeth. An update on recent research and personal reflections from a former Inverness Field Club Bursary recipient, now a successful researcher, author and communicator.
13 December 2023
Thoughts on the Norse Place-names of Easter Ross: a Presidential Lecture
Piers Hemy, Past President, Inverness Field Club.
Our former President uses spread sheets, digital technology and innovative methodology to throw further light on a controversial period in Highland history.
17 January 2024
Captain Ted Fresson (1891-1963): Pioneer of Highland Aviation
Captain Hugh Urquhart, The Fresson Trust.
A fresh look at the life and career of Captain Fresson; many of us will have seen his statue at Inverness International Airport and wondered why he was so important.
21 February 2024
Hugh Miller (1802-1856) and the popularisation of earth science in Scotland and beyond
Dr Ralph O’Connor, Professor in the Literature and Culture of Britain, Ireland and Iceland, University of Aberdeen.
Celebrating the republication of Hugh Miller’s book, The Old Red Sandstone, this talk places him in both a Highland and an international context and reinterprets his importance.
20 March 2024
The Gaelic Revival: Developments in Education, Broadcasting and the Arts 1980s to 2020s
Iain MacIlleChiar, Retired Lecturer, Northern College of Education (Aberdeen) and UHI Inverness; member of Council, Inverness Field Club.
A new look at recent developments in Gaelic culture in the Highlands.
Followed by AGM