Ross-shire Photographs: Early Images of the County.
The famous ridge of An Teallach, one of Scotland's finest mountains. A photograph taken by "A.E.R." in May 1905.
"Loch Diabeg and Loch Torridon", a photograph by an unknown photographer c1930.
"Ben Eighe", a photograph taken in the vicinity of Kinlochewe. Possibly by Stoedtner
"Flowerdale, N.B.", from a magic lantern slide by an unknown photographer.
A photograph titled "Head of Loch Dineh", photographer unknown. It is in fact one of a pair of photographs of Loch Duich. Whether Dineh is another name for it or a mistake I do not know.
The companion photograph to the previous one, with Glen Shiel visible in the distance. Loch Duich.
"Ben Slioch and Loch Maree from Hotel, Ross-shire." A photograph by James Valentine. The Hotel is where Victoria stayed on her visit in 1877.
"Shipping Potatoes, Near Cromarty, June 1912." Photographer unknown, from a set that included a visit to St Kilda.
"Falls of Conon, Ross-shire." A GWW photograph.
An early photograph of Strome Ferry, with a steamer docked at the pier. This by GW Wilson. The water is Loch Carron.
"Strome Ferry and Castle, Loch Carron." A photo by James Valentine of the opposite shore to the previous photo. The image was registered in 1878.
"Strome Ferry. The Morris", from a 1927 tour by Mr and Mrs Ingham. There are more images from this set on the Ferry album page.
An atmospheric photo from the Inghams tour, 1927.
A third photograph from the 1927 tour.
A view to Skye, from the Ingham set.
This Ingham photo shows Castle Eileann Donan as an island, with no bridge linking it to the shore. So the restoration work may not yet have been underway..
The same view, from a 1936 set. The new bridge linking the Castle to the land is very visible.
The Vauxhall is safely over the Dornie Ferry.
The Vauxhall grappling with Strome Ferry.
Rocks at Gruinard Bay, from the 1936 set. Not sure if they are still identifiable today, some 85 years on.
Harvesting at Loch Carron in 1936.
The harvesters, and their dogs.
A private photograph titled simply on the back "Gairloch". Thought to date from the 1880s.
Two very similar shots by James Valentine, but with different code numbers. "On Gairloch Bay, Looking to Boasbheinn, Ross-shire."
Same title. Both codes suggest a date 1878 for these two images.
"Auchtertyre, Sept. 14 - 1886." A private photograph.
Applecross was a favourite Hill Climb venue. Here, Lt. Cdr. GMD Maltby, RN, shows his skills in June 1936.
A CDV of "Craig Roy, Loch Maree" by GW Wilson.
"A Shepherd's Shieling in Glen Torridon, Ross-shire," by GW Wilson.
The SS Claymore at Tanera Mor Jetty. A photograph by a keen amateur photographer called John Swailes. His tour took in Ullapool - please see the page "John Swailes" for more photos of Ross-shire.
The Blacksmith, Kinlochewe. A wonderful image with Ben Eighe behind.
Three images from a set that seem to be by a Ross-shire botanist. See my page "Two Botanists in the Highlands."
The botanist and his buddies.
A more serious trio from the botanist's album.
Ross-shire, like Sutherland was difficult of access well into the 19th Century. Once the railway line from Inverness to Lochalsh was opened in 1870, the station at Achnasheen gave access to places like Loch Maree. Queen Victoria visited the loch in 1877, thereby increasing its popularity as a tourist destination. Photographs of the accessible areas are not exceedingly rare, but still much of the county was difficult to reach until the advent of the car.
I shall also post an album page of postcard images of the county.
