Kirkmichael Trust

Kirkmichael Trust And we continue to improve the site! Our wonderful site of Kirkmichael nestles by Udale Bay on the north side of the Black Isle. And join in! Come and join us!

Our exciting project to repair the ancient kirk buildings and mausolea at Kirkmichael in the Black Isle is now complete and the medieval ornate stone display and the buildings are open to everybody. Built in the early 1400s, the buildings here have been through many changes, but had to be rescued from dereliction and collapse by the community working through the Kirkmichael Trust. The chancel is

a beautifully restored mausoleum, while the nave now houses a breathtaking display of medieval ornamental memorials. The Trust is now working to get the rest of the site ship-shape - repairing and re-erecting broken gravestones, fixing the d***s, providing the essential maintenance to ensure the site does not fall into the spiral of decline that almost led to it being forever lost. So help us to maintain Kirkmichael - click on the donate buttons on our website. We hold work parties every Saturday morning between 10am and 12 noon, and we continue to research the families associated with Kirkmichael, the wider parish of Resolis and indeed the Highlands.

Now that they have returned safely home, we thought it would be nice to share some of the experiences of recent visitors...
12/06/2026

Now that they have returned safely home, we thought it would be nice to share some of the experiences of recent visitors who contacted us through our historical stories and whom we guided around Inverness, the Black Isle, Dingwall – and of course Kirkmichael! Looking back, I'm surprised to see that we visited at least 10 graveyards! Hmm...

We've been researching the eventful life – and murder – of 18th century gardener Kenneth Happy. There were very few of t...
05/06/2026

We've been researching the eventful life – and murder – of 18th century gardener Kenneth Happy. There were very few of the Happy family in the north, but strangely one of the few others was also a gardener (Andrew Happie gardener for Matheson of Bennetsfield). Kenneth was gardener at several stately homes in the North. And he became involved in two high profile legal cases, one as a key witness in proving a lady really was married, and in the other – as the victim himself in a case of murder!

How is your Scots? We've been struggling with an old Scots word on a marriage stone on Glebe Street, Inverness. And we'd...
29/05/2026

How is your Scots? We've been struggling with an old Scots word on a marriage stone on Glebe Street, Inverness. And we'd like some help with the origins of a house bearing another old stone, also on Glebe Street. I'm giving a talk in Inverness on its marriage stones on Wednesday (3 June at 2 pm in the Trinity Life Church Hall in Huntly Place), so all early suggestions gratefully received!

Not our usual Facebook post this week, as we're publicising an important free on-line conference in which we're particip...
22/05/2026

Not our usual Facebook post this week, as we're publicising an important free on-line conference in which we're participating! If you're interested in Scottish graveyards, this one's for you. It's to encourage communities to get involved with their graveyards and to celebrate the work of Friends who have become involved! It covers some really diverse topics. Yours truly will be reviewing some of our own gravestone repair successes and looking at the root causes as to why they needed repairing in the first instance. It's on Zoom, it's from 12.30 to 3.30 pm UK time, on Sunday 24 May 2026 and it's free! Just head for this link and book your place to learn about some inspiring and successful "Friends of ..." initiatives across Scotland: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/legacies-in-stone-online-conference-celebrating-graveyard-friends-tickets-1988859066005

Although we’ve been regaling you with tales of lintels, pet memorials, tin tabernacles and the like, we haven’t been neg...
15/05/2026

Although we’ve been regaling you with tales of lintels, pet memorials, tin tabernacles and the like, we haven’t been neglecting our home turf meanwhile – far from it. When weather has allowed we’ve been outside, and even on poor days some indoor work has kept us busy. And our beautiful Black Isle landscape has been providing us (and our visitors) with welcome spring colour and encouragement wherever we look.

This week we visit the beautiful Dell of Brahan, the favourite spot of Lord and Lady Seaforth, James Alexander Francis H...
08/05/2026

This week we visit the beautiful Dell of Brahan, the favourite spot of Lord and Lady Seaforth, James Alexander Francis Humberston Stewart Mackenzie and his heiress bride Mary Margaret Steinkopff. They not only buried their pets there but also, a short distance from the pet cemetery, had their own private burial place, guarded by this wonderfully carved angel.

The stone that got away! This 1662 marriage stone I think originated in Castle Street, Inverness, but it recently appear...
01/05/2026

The stone that got away! This 1662 marriage stone I think originated in Castle Street, Inverness, but it recently appeared in Fraser's Auction Room in Dingwall! Would I bid for it? How often does a marriage stone from 1662 appear in an Auction Room?

Kirkmichael is a key location in the new historical novel by acclaimed author Shona MacLean. And there's lots more place...
24/04/2026

Kirkmichael is a key location in the new historical novel by acclaimed author Shona MacLean. And there's lots more places in the Black Isle, Easter Ross and Inverness where dramatic scenes within "The Cromarty Library Circle" unfold! We'll have a look at a few of those, and try to avoid any spoilers. And no, this is not a sponsored post!

We’ve previously written here about iron gravestones; this week we’re expanding into iron churches – the so-called “Tin ...
17/04/2026

We’ve previously written here about iron gravestones; this week we’re expanding into iron churches – the so-called “Tin Tabernacles”, and also halls, houses, barns & Co – specifically historic *corrugated* iron, a wonderfully versatile and still aesthetically under-appreciated building material. This area is fortunate still to have many fine vintage examples, which document our heritage, as well as more modern ones, and they deserve a closer, and more appreciative, look. If still in doubt, prepare to be converted! ;-)

Muirtown House was built in the open countryside, but Inverness has reached out around it. Now it stands rather surreali...
10/04/2026

Muirtown House was built in the open countryside, but Inverness has reached out around it. Now it stands rather surrealistically in a modern urban context. There are some lovely stories associated with Muirtown House, including a duel over the most beautiful lady in the Highlands and, of course, a marriage stone or two... And a big thank-you to Erik Lundberg who drew my attention to wonderful Muirtown House – he used to live there!

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Kirkmichael Trust
Balblair
IV78LQ

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