I mentioned in this post that our journey up to and back down from Elgin last April turned out to be a peregrination through the heartland of the Highland League.

It meant I have now visited nearly all of the towns which have hosted past or present Highland League clubs during my lifetime.

The first of these would have been Inverness (home to Caledonian FC,* Clachnacuddin and Inverness Thistle*.) I have walked past Caledonian’s former Telford Street Park ground and been to a game at Clachnacuddin’s Grant Street Park but never saw Thistle’s ground, Kingsmills. I think I may have visited Dingwall (Ross County) around the same time. After that – or possibly before – it would have been Brechin (many times now) to see The Sons of the Rock play Brechin City at Glebe Park. Next up was probably Fort William. Another trip to Inverness saw us take in Nairn (Nairn County) and Forres (Forres Mechanics.)

I don’t think I went to Aberdeen (Banks O’ Dee, Cove Rangers,) until well after those trips.

Then on our first sojourn up to Orkney we passed through Brora (Brora Rangers) and Wick (Wick Academy.) A year or so later a journey up to Aberdeenshire saw us in Inverurie (Inverurie Loco Works,) Huntly and Turriff (Turriff United.) In 2019 we went to Peterhead and on to Fraserburgh. The year after that on another trip to Peterhead we visited Pitmedden (Formartine United.)

And so to last April’s journey, passing through Grantown-on-Spey (Strathspey Thistle) and Rothes before reaching Elgin (Elgin City) with a side trip to Lossiemouth. Then finally, on the way back home, Keith.

So, out of all the towns/cities to host clubs in the Highland League during my lifetime I have only Buckie (Buckie Thistle) and Banff (Deveronvale) to visit.

*The present SPFL club whose name contains these two descriptors was formed when Caledonian and Inverness Thistle merged in 1994 to ensure entry into the then SFL. That merged team, Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC, have never played in the Highland League.

Fochabers is a village in the parish of Bellie in Moray, just off the A 96 road which acts as its bypass. It’s about ten miles east of Elgin.

Its War Memorial is a stone column in a triangle of land in front of the entrance gate to Gordon Castle.

Great War dedication, “To the men of the parish of Bellie.”:-

Great War names:-

Second World War Roll of Honour, Fochabers District:-

In my post about the view from one of the towers of Elgin Cathedral I mentioned there was a garden on the other side of the road.

Garden path:-

Just to the left in the background above you can see some sort of structure. Closer up it appears to mirror the cathedral:-

Some of the planting:-

Rockery and path:-

Elgin Cathedral from path:-

Lossiemouth is a town in Moray, situated where the River Lossie enters the Moray Firth. It’s about six miles north of Elgin.

It has an unusual wall mounted Memorial, hard by the River Lossie just before it reaches the Moray Firth. On Pitgaveny Street.

Dedications and names:-

The Memorial is surmounted by a figure of Victory and Peace:-

Spiney Palace lies a few miles north of Elgin and is a similar distance south of Lossiemouth.

View from entrance pathway. As is quitecommen when wev visit places it was swathed in scaffolding:-

Information board:-

Artist’s impression of the palace in its heyday:-

View of little tower:-

Part of Great Hall looking towards water tower:-

East gate and walls:-

Great Hall and well:-

Tower:-

(and scaffolding):-

The bridge is very close to Elgin Cathedral. It can be seen viewed from one of the Cathedral towers in the first photograph in this post.

As we were leaving Elgin Cathedral the custodians asked if we had visited the Chapter House. We hadn’t, as it appeared to be fenced off but we were assured there was access to it and so we went back.

On the way we passed this Pictish Stone:-

Reverse:-

Plus some carved figures:-

The Chapter House is stunning. It’s apparenty the best of its kind in Scotland. I can well believe it:-

You can climb both towers of Elgin Cathedral (but take your time.) One of them contains the architectural exhibits and carvings from my previous post. Unfortunately you have to descend again to get up the other one.

But it’s well worth it as it has a viewing platform at its top.

Ruins plus (intact) Chapter House on left. Behind it can be seen the River Lossie and two bridges across it.

View of Elgin:-

View north through park area:-

View west. There is a garden just across the road here to the right of the gates:-

The entrance to the Elgin Cathedral site (which is in the care of Historic Scotland) is through a building to the right of the photo of the mediæval entrance doorway:-

View from other side of doorway:-

Looking back to doorway from the nave:-

The nave information board:-

Details of nave ruins:-

Elgin Cathedral is perhaps the best reason for visiting the town. It’s a very impressive ruin.

Ruins with (intact) Chapter House to centre right:-

Closer view from left:-

Ruins:-

Elgin Cathedral towers and ruins:-

Towers end:-