Tomnahurich Cemetery

]] Before its use as a cemetery the hill, due to its prominent location, hosted various social events such as an annual horse race, which used to take place around the hill on the 24–25th May. In 1753 the hill, which ground was considered too poor in quality for agriculture, was planted with trees, mainly Pinus sylvestris. The views offered from the hilltop were praised by artists and scientists. For instance Thomas Pennant climbed the Tomnahurich in the 18th Century, reporting its name as Tommin heurich. In the second half of the 19th century the Inverness Cemetery Company, a joint-stock company, developed the present-day cemetery and opened it in 1864. Although its design is attributed to…

The cemetery is located on a low but very prominent hill 1.5 km SW of the city centre, between the Caledonian Canal and the River Ness. The hilltop is at 70 m, and its topographic prominence is 53 m. The cemetery consists in two areas: a formal graveyard on the upper plateau, which also hosts a war memorial, and the Lower Cemetery, occupying the low ground around the hill. Some footpaths connect these two burial areas. The hillside is covered in woodland and provides a convenient habitat to several bird species. The hilltop offers a wide panorama on Inverness city, the Moray Firth and on the Ness Valley. The Tomahurich itself, as seen from the surrounding plain, is an important landmark.