Road signs

In keeping with the tone of the project I took the above photos to highlight some of the ways links with Christianity are unnoticed. There are more around the area but these were just a snapshot so to speak. I found it interesting to note that all of the road signs that were named after saints appear to be in Dalneigh. Also, this does not appear to be something that was done in the past, the last photo (St Francis Gardens) is of a new block of flats that have only been built for approximately one year.

Dalneigh and Bona Parish Church

The Dalneigh and Bona Parish church seems to be a far more modern design compared with the styles of traditional churches however, like many of the churches in Inverness it has a large congregation.

churches along the river

I wanted to use this photo to capture the idea that there are many churches in Inverness, for example in one single frame I have managed to capture three.

St Mary's Church

St Mary's Church is situated on the banks of the River Ness. Attached to the church is St Mary's primary school. In keeping with the tone of the project I found it interesting to note that some families of the children who attend the primary school are not practicing catholics themselves. The rules on this are due to change shortly however.

first three churches

The photos taken above were captured at the beginning of the project when I had intended to take a photo of every church in Inverness. However due to various difficulties it became apparent that this would not be possible. The first church in Kinmylies is relatively new compared with, for example, Trinity Church (3rd photo) however it is very popular with many in the community. The second photo of Celt Street Evangelical Church is interesting because the building itself is not reminiscent of the more traditional church structure.

St Andrews Cathedral

The photos above were taken of Inverness Cathedral. I started my project here because I think it is such a lovely building. It was designed by architect Alexander Ross and completed in 1866 (although a lack of funds precluded the building of the two giant spires of the original design). Architecturally it is a beautiful building and fits in very well with its surroundings. Unfortunately I had problems accessing the building and therefore could not provide any photographs of inside. I might try again though!

introductory comment

The following series of photographs were taken as part of a project entitled ‘Banal Christianity in everyday life in Inverness’. The title, it is hoped, reflects exactly what the project is about, namely the integral nature of Christianity to social life in Inverness. The photographs aim to show the way in which links with Christianity have become so engrained within the area that they may not always be recognised. The most obvious of these would be the proliferation of churches in the Highland capital (a current estimation suggests 34) however links with Christianity are much wider and more subtle in context as the project hopes to portray.