History
A brief look at the history of the town
(just click on an image to see the bigger picture)
Invergordon received its name from Sir William Gordon, a local landowner of the early eighteenth century. For centuries the estate on which Invergordon now stands was known as Inverbreakie, `the mouth of the Breakie', the Breakie presumably being the stream which enters the Firth at Rosskeen Bridge, near the old parish church west of the present Town.
Invergordon Castle
The earliest mention of Inverbreakie occurs in the thirteenth century when the Castle, about a mile inland from the Firth, was occupied by a Fleming, placed there, it is said, by William the Lion. From a very early period there were a few thatched houses near the spot where the harbour now is. The estate was purchased by Sir William Gordon about the beginning of the eighteenth century. Born in Caithness, Sir William represented Sutherland in five Parliaments (1708-1727) and Cromartyshire, as it was then called, in 1741-42.
The Castle, originally a stone tower, was enlarged or rebuilt by him, and plans were laid for the building of a new town near the Ness. His son, Sir John, was M.P. for Cromartyshire from 1742-1747, and again from 1754-1761. He became Secretary of the Principality of Scotland and may be regarded as the real founder of Invergordon.
The Castle was largely destroyed by fire early in the eighteenth century and it was replaced in 1872 by a large mansion house (left) which was itself demolished in 1928, after the break-up of the Cadboll estates.
Ideal Anchorage
The Firth has been recognised as an ideal anchorage for ships since the early 1700s. The history of the Royal Navy here dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, however, and continued through to the 1950s. Invergordon was used as a base for coaling and for taking on water in the middle of the 19th century.
Royal Navy Base
During the First World War, Invergordon was a full-scale base for the Royal Navy, providing fuel oil, water and dockyard repair facilities (right). It was during this period that the Hospital was built at the eastern end of the Town, and many of the buildings remain to this day.
Two tank farms were constructed, at Cromlet and at Seabank, together with the Admiralty Pier which received and delivered fuel to moored ships. The latter tank farm still exists and is a constant reminder of events nearly 100 years ago.
In 1915, the cruiser Natal (left) blew up while at anchor in the Firth, with the loss of over 300 lives many being those of the families of naval personnel who were aboard visiting at the time. The cause has been put down to faulty cordite.
Invergordon Mutiny
In 1931, at the time of the World Depression, the British Government announced huge cuts in the salaries of Government employees, which of course included the pay of able seamen. When the Atlantic Fleet returned to the Firth whilst on manoeuvres, meetings of the below-deck crew were held in Invergordon and a policy of passive resistance was agreed - no ships would sail from the Firth.
Although this is known as the Invergordon Mutiny, no ships were taken over and no officers captured. Within days of the first signs of resistance, however, the Fleet was slowly leaving the Firth and sailing to its home bases in the South. The effect of the 'mutiny' had caused a run on the Government's Gold reserves and in the short term the pay cuts were reviewed and reduced.
In the Second World War the Firth was not considered safe for the Navy as it was within flying distance of hostile forces on mainland Europe. It then became a base for flying boats, with a maintenance yard at Evanton, a training base at Alness, and three squadrons of aircraft based at Invergordon, patrolling as far as Shetland and the southern Norwegian coast. There were still visits by ships of the Royal Navy, however, especially for joint target practice with the Sunderland flying boats.
In 1971 British Aluminium constructed a smelter at the back of the town together with the pier that can be seen at Saltburn. This provided much employment in the area, but in 1981, due to economic factors, the smelter was closed.
Oil era
The Firth, meanwhile, had entered the oil era in the early 1970's when an oil platform construction yard at Nigg was opened. Expansion of the port area by the Cromarty Firth Port Authority provided local capability for the maintenance of oil rigs from all over the world. The port is also able to undertake construction work, supplementing the capacity provided at Nigg
The pier at the Admiralty Base, in the heart of the town, is used by the visiting Cruise liners, whose operators see Invergordon as an ideal berthing place for providing their passengers access to the Highlands. Only a very short distance from the town centre, the liner's passengers and crew are also close to all the town's amenities, described in the ‘Attractions’ section of this web site.
More Information
An excellent book on the history of the area is available in local bookshops. By Marinell Ash, it is entitled - This Noble Harbour, A History of the Cromarty Firth.
Also, a series of books on the history of the Invergordon is available from The Highland Council Service Point. (Tel No. 01349 852472).
Invergordon Image Library
If you are interested in the history of Invergordon through images, then visit the Image Library web site using the link in the list on the left of this screen.
Invergordon Naval Museum and Heritage Centre
A more tangible form of the local history can be found at the Museum and Heritage Centre, details of which can be found under the 'Attractions' Section of this web site.
