Loyal dog returns home at last to Victorian Market
A plaque commemorating the tale of a loyal dog has been unveiled today in Inverness’s Victorian Market. The plaque is the first of a series of seven artworks to be installed at various locations across the city.
The legend of the loyal butcher’s dog of the old Victorian Market is a little known story of true canine loyalty, and rivals the sad tale of Edinburgh’s world famous Grey Friar’s Bobby.
The loyal dog guarded a butcher’s shop owned by AA MacDonald in Inverness’ market in the late 19th century. The gas lit Victorian Market, caught fire and was completely destroyed in 1889.
It was reported at the time that the loyal butcher’s dog could not be persuaded to leave his post, and bravely stayed put, despite the desperate entreaties of the crowd which had gathered outside. Nobody was injured in the fire, but sadly, MacDonald’s loyal friend was never seen again.
This local legend is now commemorated by a special plaque which is one part of a bigger project, HighlandAR Legends, under the City-Region Deal.
Communications and Resilience Manager Ruth Cleland who is leading the project said: “HighlandAR Legends is a global, mobile app which will go live this week. The app uses augmented reality to bring the legends and history of Inverness to life. You will be able to download the app, follow the trail on a map and find the legends in the city, in the form of artworks. Simply point your device at the target picture to bring the market dog to life or see Nessie swimming in the river. You will be able to look over the shoulder of the Brahan Seer up at the castle and peer into a prisoners’ cell on the side of the steeple, or watch a unicorn and fairies play in a magic garden.
“The artworks and the app will provide a rich new experience for visitors to Inverness and also brings wider economic benefits and income generation opportunities to the Council.”
Manager of the Victorian Market Jo Murray said: “The HighlandARLegend plaques are such an innovative way to showcase these fascinating stories to visitors and locals alike. We are very dog friendly in the Victorian Market and it is appropriate that our plaque immortalises such a brave character. Our loyal dog forms an important part of the historical story of the Market and we look forward to seeing our customers have some fun with it when the App goes live.”
Provost of Inverness, Helen Carmichael unveiled the market dog plaque and another plaque of Prisoners on the side of the steeple opposite the Town House. She said: “I am delighted to see these stunning artworks going up around Inverness. It is a wonderful and exciting new way of telling the stories and legends of our city which is rich in culture and history. The app brings these artworks to life in such an amazing way and I am sure people will love it!”
The Prisoner plaque on the steeple tells the story of men who were imprisoned during the Highland Clearances. You can find out more about the new app and where the artworks are located and the history behind them at www.highlandar.co.uk
The Inverness Common Good Fund provided funding for the artworks which were designed by local artists and the Council’s Graphic Designer Kirsty Foster. Darroch McNaught of Deuxality created the HighlandAR app and augmented reality experiences. The Market Dog and The Prisoners plaques were designed by Claire Maclean and Kirsty.
If you would like to vote on a name for the Victorian Market Dog, go to our poll on twitter @highlandar_
The other plaques are currently being installed and the app will be tested and uploaded to Google Play and the Apple App Store. The project will be exhibited this week at Expo North on 27 and 28 June.
Ruth added: “I would especially like to thank Darroch and Kirsty for their hard work in making this project a reality and the overwhelming support from local Members and many others along the way.”
The Highland city-region deal is a joint initiative supported by up to £315M investment from the UK and Scottish governments, The Highland Council, HIE and University of the Highland and Islands, aimed at stimulating sustainable regional economic growth.