Avoch History & Community Garden

Harbour Information Installation

In keeping with Avoch’s strong fishing heritage we wanted the installation to comprise of the bow of a boat, completed in sandstone and slate. The port side to display information on the history of the harbour (built by William Telford) and Avoch’s fishing heritage. The starboard side to display information on Avoch’s (rare) Common Tern breeding rafts, the archaeologically significant Ormond Castle and the history of the village.

We included old photographs, ‘Did you know?’ quotes, and some Avoch dialect phrases/pronunciation. The collective memories were coordinated by a small group of volunteers and gathered from residents and groups. The village panel includes a hand drawn map directing visitor’s to places of interest within walking distance.

Avoch Community Garden

The Community Garden, sited adjacent to the Avoch Harbour and next to the listed Dock area has been enhanced by a culturally inspired mosaic, designed by local artist, Sally Purdy and created by residents and members of the Friendship Club, to encapsulate the heritage of the village. Fishing played a prominent role in the economy of the area until relatively recent times. Now, only a few Avoch fishermen and families are active although they have to fish much further away in the sea's around Scotland to make a living. We are very pleased that many creators of the mosaic were old fishermen or from fishing families and advised on the accuracy of the mosaic content. An information panel describing the content and heritage of the mosaic is on the back of the artwork in the newly designed ‘Maritime garden’. The gardens are designed to be a tranquil place to sit and remember the village-of-yesteryear whilst overlooking the harbour and Moray Firth.

We would like to thank our funders for making this project possible.