The Invergordon Archive
No: 1610 Contributor: Allan Kilpatrick Year: 1947
High Street Aerial ViewThe picture is part of an aerial photograph taken by the RAF on 19th June 1947. The view is pointing south-west over the town and shows the eastern end of the High Street, but what is of interest is the structure which has been arrowed. Key streets and the Bone Mill have been identified to help, but does anyone know what the unusual structure is? The ‘large version’ of the picture may help.
View Large Version
Picture added on 04 August 2013 at 10:28
Allan, the unusual structure is where the dockyard gate was located. My guess would be the guard offices.
Added by Harry O'Neill on 04 August 2013
I recognise the workshop at the back of Moirs the joiners and on the other side of the lane the Nissen huts behind the "Wrennery"...
Added by Liz Taylor nee Askew on 05 August 2013
Also recognise Billy Geddes home on Munro Street.
Added by Harry O'Neill on 06 August 2013
Amazing! Harry is right, I was born in the wee But & Ben in Munro Street in 1942 (the house with the tall chimney stack and just 2 windows). The right hand side was where the bedroom was so I guess that's where I arrived. The left hand room was the living/kitchen area. I can remember sitting in my cot in this room. There was no electricity and the ceiling had to be regularly whitewashed to remove the soot from the paraffin lamps. The toilet was round the back in the garden. Just behind the pole against the wall at the back was our Anderson Shelter, half dug into the ground. Happy days? Maybe not!
The Mystery object is almost certainly something to do with security at the Docks as this is where the main gate was.
The Mystery object is almost certainly something to do with security at the Docks as this is where the main gate was.
Added by Bill Geddes on 21 October 2013
Hi Billy, what was your route to school? High Street or Joss?
The High Street would have been interesting at that time of the morning.
The High Street would have been interesting at that time of the morning.
Added by Harry O'Neill on 22 October 2013
I remember as a child visiting your old house where the retired shepherd from Colliemore lived with his wife. It was very dark with the coal range the only light during the day. My dad Hamish used to collect his pension for him and drop it off on his rounds as postman...
Anonymous comment added on 23 October 2013
The wee But & Ben in Munro Street (the house with the tall chimney stack and just 2 windows) was Kenny Ross's cycle and repair shop until fairly recently.
Added by Kenny MacCormack on 24 October 2013
I can't recall this, however it seems to be exactly where the Security Shed was at the main dockyard gate where Hugh MacRae and Charlie Aburrow stood guard.
Added by Duncan Murray on 31 December 2013
Hello Duncan, that is where the security shed was, but I remember it lower down, believe there was only about one step up at the door.
Added by Eddie Trotter on 02 January 2014
Interesting to see how intensively the gardens were cultivated in those days. Food was rationed of course, so it made sense to grow as much as you could. People often had chickens too. Before I went to school I used to stand at the bottom corner of Munro Street chatting to the gatemen across the road. I think the Nissan Huts to the left of the photo were in the rear garden of what was known as the "Wrennery". This was the accommodation for Naval WREN's who worked in the Docks, presumably in Office and Communications posts.
Added by Bill Geddes on 17 November 2014
The house in the foreground in front of the Nissan huts, is where the Ronald Ross family lived, Podge, Sconner etc (Tout).
Added by Harry O'Neill on 18 November 2014
I think the item shown is a Chacon. This was basically a weatherproof, iron-framed wooden container, about 7 feet by 10 feet and 8 feet high. They had lockable doors at one end, and four metal rings on top for craning. They were widely used in the Navy and dockyards for transporting naval stores (by road or rail), or as temporary 'Lay Apart Stores'. Named after the Chatham dockyard and stores depot (CHAthamCONtainer), they were the forerunner of the modern ISO containers used by shipping, lorries and for storage.
Wasn't the dockyard gatehouse just a few yards further 'in'?
Wasn't the dockyard gatehouse just a few yards further 'in'?
Added by Rod Bell on 18 November 2014
The Bone Mill and the adjacent buildings are being demolished at the moment. Several had been demolished some years ago but the last remaining ones are being cleared this week.
Added by Catherine Williams on 17 March 2017
They were pretty old buildings, still too bad they will be gone. What will be going in there, housing?
Added by Harry O'Neill on 17 March 2017
It is a shame that so much of Invergordon's old buildings have been lost by demolition and not renovated for retail or housing.
Added by Liz Taylor nee Askew (Adam) on 17 March 2017
The Bone Mill is still standing today when I drove through Invergordon, but the other buildings are rubble except for an archway. Don't know what is going on the site but housing is being built where Frews garage used to be at the top of the High Street, so probably.
Added by Catherine Williams on 17 March 2017
Can anyone give any stories or information regarding the Bonemill please? I have 2 possible years for it being built and wondered does anyone know the exact year in which it was built by chance?? Thank you
Added by Lee Gripton on 16 March 2019
Lee, do a google search for Invergordon Bonemill, a page for Scotland places should come up some info on there.
In case not, here is what it says.
Commenced 1864. A Mr Munro, Banker, Invergordon, and a Mr William Ross, Banker, Tain joint proprietors..
In case not, here is what it says.
Commenced 1864. A Mr Munro, Banker, Invergordon, and a Mr William Ross, Banker, Tain joint proprietors..
Added by Harry O'Neill on 18 March 2019
My wife and I have recently bought the house that includes the Kenny Ross bike shop building. It will all be stripped down and rebuilt as a family home. We've found so many rusty bits of old bikes......everywhere....
Added by Chris Gray on 05 August 2020
I can see the bungalow we lived in the Ross family were next door .The nissen huts are just behind one was still been lived in forget there name now.
Added by W.Macpherson on 05 August 2020
Yes that's right Harry. There was Jimmy,Colin,Margo,Sconner,Ronnie,and Christine Ross.
Added by W.Macpherson on 06 August 2020