Situated at the mouth of the River Ness, the Highland capital of Inverness has as much history and magic to it as it does modern attractions. Sure, it’s one of the fastest-growing cities in Europe. And yes, it is rated highest amongst Scottish cities for quality of life (and eighth in the entire UK). But I know what you really want to hear about: prehistoric sites and world-famous cryptids!
Let’s start 4,000 years ago, in the Bronze Age. The prehistoric society of the area built sacred sites here, not far from the river and the sea. The Clava Cairns are well preserved, and a must-see if you are in the area. Many of us think of mid-winter in northeastern Scotland as a difficult (to say the least) time: the sun sets at 15:30, the Cailleach is constantly battering the land with storms, and even at this high latitude, it is often too cloudy to see the Northern Lights. But the Clava Cairns show us that our prehistoric ancestors considered this to be a powerful and sacred time of year. The passages of the cairns face the midwinter sunset. The standing stones around the cairns are carved in gradient heights, with the tallest also facing the sunset. Maybe we should take a page out of this ancient book and think of midwinter as a time of rest and renewal, the season where recovery and slowing down are sacred acts.
Moving right along through pre-history and into the historical period, Inverness was a great seat of power for the Picts. The archaeological remains of their hillfort are still preserved on the western edge of the city. The “painted people” are perhaps our most mysterious ancestors, but also the most enticing. You can follow their story all across the north of Scotland. The line of history in Inverness leads us to another famous figure: Macbeth. While Shakespeare (as a famous propagandist for the monarchy) changed many aspects of Macbeth’s story, he was a historical figure, nonetheless. Macbeth did kill King Duncan (in battle) and was defeated by Duncan’s son, Malcolm. These events took place in and around Inverness, and while Macbeth was nicknamed “the Red King”, he was mainly known for a peaceful 17-year reign. It just goes to show: even Shakespeare never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Now, no travel guide to Inverness would be complete without mentioning Loch Ness and its famous resident. We have all seen the surgeon’s photo from the 1930’s (proved to be a hoax), but the first mention of a monster in the loch actually comes from St. Columba in the 6th century. His biographer tells us that a beast came from the lake and was banished back into its inky waters when the Irish saint made the sign of the cross. This is highly suspicious because 1) it sounds like every saint-defeats-dragon story ever and 2) how would a water-dwelling monster know what the sign of the cross is? Do water-beasts go to church and read scriptures? Whether you are an avid cryptozoologist or a firm sceptic, you cannot deny the atmosphere around Scotland’s largest loch. Its waters are dark and deep, and the forested hills stand sentinel above its shores. Perhaps there is something beneath its waters, but what makes us worthy of discovering those secrets?
By Frankie Regalia, Storyteller, Craft Workshop Instructor, and editor of Folkloric: a Magazine of New Folklore.