Tomnahurich Cemetery

Tomnahurich Cemetery is a burial ground situated on a hill in Inverness, featuring an upper plateau with formal burial grounds and a lower section surrounding the base. The site contains thousands of memorials connected by a network of paths that lead through different areas.

This burial ground was established in 1864 when the Inverness Cemetery Company created it with a layout designed by Charles Heath Wilson. Construction was overseen by George Grant Mackay, and a lodge entrance building was added later in Victorian style.

The name comes from Scottish Gaelic, meaning hill of the yew wood, which reflects the connection between local language and the landscape. This heritage remains visible in how locals and visitors refer to and understand the place today.

The cemetery can be accessed through a main entrance lodge, from which several paths lead into different sections. It is best to wear comfortable shoes, as the terrain is hilly and some paths become steeper as you move around the site.

Before becoming a cemetery, the hill hosted annual horse races, showing how dramatically the site transformed. Trees were planted in the mid-18th century to improve the poor soil conditions that existed at the time.

Location: Highland

GPS coordinates: 57.46795,-4.24278

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:59