The Inverness Local History Forum holds Illustated Talks throughout the year, presented by guest speakers on a wide variety of topics.
The talks are held on the first Wednesday of every month at 2.00pm (except January, July, August and December), in the theatre of the Spectrum Centre in Margaret Street, Inverness, alongside the bus station.
The next Illustrated Talk will be on Wednesday 1st May, when the speaker will be Donald Mackenzie on Abertarff House.
Past Speakers and Topics
2024
Hugh Dan MacLennan - Bught Park and Shinty David Henderson - Images from the Joseph Cook Collection Calum MacLean - The churches of Inverness
2023
Maureen Kenyon - Inverness 'Worthies' Roddy Maclean - Origins of place names in Inverness and environs Lorna Steele-McGinn - 200 Years of Central School Willie Morrison - Photographs from his Collection Adrian Harvey - Andrew Paterson and his 1912 film Mairi Dave Conner - The Gondolier Lorna Steele-McGinn - Women in the Highland Archive Service Collections Calum MacLean - The School Buildings of Alexander Ross David Henderson - Images from the Joseph Cook Collection
2022
Iain Maoileoin - The Raigmore Bunker Allan Cameron - Various vintage films of Inverness Norman Newton - The butcher business of the Victorian Market Dave Conner - The Early Railways
Willie Morrison - Photographs from his Collection
Jennifer Morag Henderson - Josephine Tey; New Research
Norman Newton - Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders' Memorial
David Henderson - Images from the Joseph Cook Collection
2020
Dave Conner - Chief Constables of Inverness
Sinclair Gair - Alexander Battan Grant
2019
Tim Honnor - History of Printing & Inverness Printers
Lawrence Sutcliffe - Early Inverness Cinemas
Ross Martin - Reminiscences of 1950s Inverness
Sinclair Browne - Inverness Harbour; Past, Present & Future
David Henderson - Images from the Joseph Cook Collection
Gill Bird - The Highlanders' Museum, Fort George
Anne-Mary Paterson - Joseph Mitchell, the Paterson's & Highland Railway
Willie Morrison - Vintage Images from his Collection
Allan Kilpatrick - The US Navy Bases in WWI (One-day Conference)
2018
Erik Lundberg - Wardlaw and the Old Fox Alison Parfitt - Academy Street Townscape Heritage Project
Robert Preece - Inverness Scouting Before WWII
Ross Martin - The Old High Church
Dave Conner - US Navy Base 18 in WWI
David Henderson - Images from the Joseph Cook Collection
Maureen Kenyon - Local Women & the Great War
Stephen Wiseman - History & Current Operations of the Caledonian Canal
2017
Sandy Thomson - Nigg; From Crofting to Oil
Norman Newton/Maureen Kenyon - Photographic Journey Through the Streets of Inverness
David Alston - How Inverness Benefitted from the Slave Trade
Jim Leslie - History of Inverness Hospitals
Lorna MacLennan - Academy Street
Jim Miller - 200 Years of The Inverness Courier
Matt Sillars - Importance of Andrew Paterson to Inverness & Scottish Photography
Robert Preece - History of Inverness Royal Academy
2016
Jason Kelman - Town House Restoration Work
Jim Miller - History of the North Roads
Jim Mackay - Medieval Symbol Stones of the North
Anne Fraser - Some Highland Scientists
Allan Cameron - Old Film of Inverness
Sandy Ross - The Foundation of the Site of Inverness
Alison Boyle - Strathpeffer Hospitals in WWI
Bob Shanks/Lynsey Easton - Medals & Militaria of WWI
2015
Cait McCullagh - Museum Collections; Every Object Tells a Story
Walter McGinty - Inverness Stained Glass
Jim Mackay - Ferries of the Beauly & Moray Firths
John Sinclair - Highland Buses
Maureen Kenyon - Oral History of Inverness
Eileen MacAskill - The Rose Street Foundry
Colin Waller - Mental Health in the Highlands
Dave Conner - Law Enforcement Over the Years in the Inverness Area
2014
Jim Miller - Inverness & the Stagecoach
Hugh Dan MacLennan - The Morag MacInnes Photograph Collection
Graham Clark - Murder on the Black Isle
Jason Kelman - Maintaining Inverness's Historic Buildings
Jim Leslie - More on Highland Hospitals
Adrian Harvey - The Andrew Paterson Photograph Collection
Willie Morrison - The Inverness Courier Vintage Photobook Vol.10
Andrew Mackintosh - Storyteller
Christina Stewart - Highland Culture & Entertainments
2013
Cait McCullagh - Behind the Scenes of Inverness Museum
Maureen Kenyon - Was Your Granny a Suffragette?
Anne Fraser - The 'Ordinary' Fraser's of South Loch Ness-side
Sheila Mackay - Old Inverness Films
Alison Dougherty - Neil Gunn Remembered
Jennifer Morag Henderson - Josephine Tey; An Inverness Author
Andy Beattie - Restoration Work on the Inverness Steeple
Willie Morrison - The Inverness Courier Vintage Photobook Vol.9
2012
Janet Baker - Using the Archives
David Alston - Highland Landowners
Jim Leslie - History of Highland Hospitals
Jason Kelman - Town House & Steeple
Sheila Mackay - Inverness 'Worthies'
Norman Newton - Tragedy on Glebe Street
Stephen Wiseman - The Monster Canal
Willie Morrison - The Inverness Courier Vintage Photobook Vol.8
2011
John Wartnaby - Culloden; The Aftermath
Susan Beckley - Highland Archive Network
Alix Powers-Jones - The Highlanders' Museum, Fort George
Anne Fraser - Using Census Records
Susan Kruse - Prehistoric Inverness
David Henderson - Images from the Joseph Cook Collection
2010
Ian Burnett - History of the Town Hall
David Worthington - Highlanders in Europe
Jeanette Pearson - Hidden Gems from Inverness Museum
Jim Hunter - History of Community Ownership in the Highlands
Norman Newton - Old Inverness; The Watercolours of Pierre Delavault
Sheila Mackay - Inverness Remembered
Leonella Longmore - The Italians in Inverness
Lesley Junor - Inverness in Photographs
2009
A MacDonald - The Prison Service
Jim Miller - Council Finances
Anne Fraser - More Lessons by Loch Ness
Martin Gostwick - The Legend of Hugh Miller
Sheila Mackay - Potato Famine in the Highlands
Graham Clark - Red Castle of the Mackenzies
Rev A Younger - Church & Presbytery of Inverness
2008
Duncan MacDonald - Balmacaan Estate
Tom Coombs - Highland Railway
Norman Newton - Maps & Local History
Violet Murray - Wolf of Badenoch; The Inverness Connection
also Talks from Bob Steward and Willie Morrison
2007
Sheila Mackay - Social Housing in the Highlands
David Henderson - Highland Drove Roads
David Alston - Cromarty & Thereabouts
Roddy Balfour - More on Highland Emigration
Leonella Longmore - Inverness in the 18th Century
Willie Morrison - Tales From a North Journalist
Susan Kruse - Vikings in the North
2006
Addie Mackenzie - History of the Lovat Scouts
Jenny Rose-Miller - Around & About Old Nairn
Janet Maxwell - Childhood in the Highlands
Anne Fraser - 300 Years of Education by the Shores of Loch Ness
Fraser Ross - Beauly Priory
Donnie Grant - Tales From the Fire Brigade
Kirsty cameron - Inverness Archaeology Update
2005
Colin Sutherland - Inverness Burgh police
Ross Mackenzie - Inverness, Orkney & Flanders
John Graham - Scotland's Part in the Battle of Trafalgar
Ted Murdoch - History of the Port of Inverness
also Talks from Hector MacDonald and Alison Tanner
2004
Patricia Weeks - Local Archaeology Update
Jane Petrie - Travelling Folk in the Highlands
Eileen MacAskill - Old School Memories
Ian MacDairmid - Inverness Parish Churches
Andrew Ross - History & Workings of the Caledonian Canal
Gordon Harvey - Pictures From the Past
also a Talk from Jim Miller
2003
Bob Steward - Early Motoring in Inverness
Jane Petrie - Old Charters of Inverness
Bill Hamilton - An Old Inverness House
Brian Ford - Story of Fort George
Sid Atkinson - The Maestro Himself
Martin MacDonald - Inverness & the Gaelic
David Henderson - Images from the Joseph Cook Collection
2002
George Christie - The Barony of Kinmylies
Hector MacDonald - Tales From a Local Historian
Roddy MacLean - Gaelic Origins of Local Areas
David Henderson - Images from the Joseph Cook Collection
also Talks from Bob Steward, Norman Newton and Lesley Junor
2001
Stephen Moran - The MacAndrew Family Story
Bill Hamilton - An Architect's View of the Town
Leonella Longmore - Land of Churches
Ross Mackenzie - The Growth of Inverness Town
Jane Petrie - Crime; An Overview
George Dixon - The Road South
Eileen MacAskill - Industrial History of Inverness
2000
Lesley Junor - The David Whyte Photograph Collection
Stuart Brownlee - Archive & Library Developments
Ross Mackenzie - Culloden
also Talks from Sid Atkinson, Alison Fox, Norman Newton and Bob Steward
1999
Alec Wells - Story of Craig Dunain Hospital
Colin Sutherland - The Real John Adams Story
Allan Sellar - Highlights of a Provost's Job
Leonella Longmore - Photographic Slides Presentation
also Talks from Bob Sim and Donald Morrison
1998
Monica Clough - Inverness After the '45 Rebellion
Ian Michie - Inverness Tales
Ted Murdoch - Inverness Harbour
Bob Steward - Bell's School at Farraline Park
John Wood - What's Below Us; Archaeology of Inverness
Leonella Longmore - Photographic Slides Presentation
also a Talk from architect Hector MacDonald
1997
Jason Barker - Local History
Bob Steward - Tales of Our Forebears
Norman Newton - Inverness & Its History
Alastair MacLeod - Your Family History
