The landscapes associated with Clan Munro, the animals that inhabit this world and their connection with people over the centuries through story and music provided the components of the very first online event for the ‘Cura-Munro’ photo documentary project presented on November 8th 2020 reaching out to audiences of all ages.
Photograph: Cromarty Firth/Clan Munro landscape – ©Nick Sidle/Heartstone all rights reserved
Hector Munro, the Clan Chief, and his wife Alpha, who have helped with access to some of the remote areas which fall within the ‘Munro lands’, gave an opening welcome address from Foulis Castle, the ancestral home of Clan Munro. The Castle is located in the heart of this environment and surrounded by forests, mountains and farmland as well as the marine world of the Cromarty Firth.
Photograph: Foulis Castle – ©Nick Sidle/Heartstone all rights reserved
Hector explained how the land surrounding the Castle has been inhabited by the Munros for over 1000 years and that they have been and still are, in many ways, the ‘caretakers’ of the land, safeguarding it for future generations. Alpha presented her special interest – some of the many medicinal plants to be found in the landscape. Both emphasised the impact of climate change as something that cannot be ignored and as a mechanism to raise awareness of the natural environment of the north shore of the Cromarty Firth in a new way, this Heartstone photodocumentary project is of particular relevance at this time. The project will be culminating in an exhibition in the autumn of 2021 with a programme of online events leading to it, this being the first.
Photograph from the event: Alpha (left) and Hector Munro (right).
In this event, the focus was on the landscape, some of the smallest creatures – moths and butterflies – and some of the largest marine animals found in the Cromarty Firth. Sitakumari hosted and opened the event, in her role as the dancer/storyteller for Heartstone, with a story of Chandra, the fictional heroine of Heartstone’s book, The Heartstone Odyssey, and her encounter with moths at night drawn to a bonfire on a beach in the area.
Photograph from the event: Sitakumari – Pose: ‘Listening’
This led to the presentation by Dr Tom Prescott, Senior Conservation Officer for Butterfly Conservation Scotland, pictured on the right of the screen above, who spoke of some of the most spectacular and colourful moths to be seen in the area. He highlighted how moths are a direct marker for climate change, with new species being seen in the area not normally found here, and the crucially important role they play in the food chain. The effect these changes have on the growth of crops in the area is already being felt by farmers such as Hector and others across the Highlands, hence the need to highlight what is happening to all age groups, to raise awareness and mobilise action from everyone whilst there is still time.
Photograph: Elephant Hawkmoth – ©Nick Sidle/Heartstone all rights reserved
One of the creatures Tom spoke about was the rarely seen Narrow Bordered Bee Hawkmoth, which Nick Sidle, Heartstone’s photographer, was lucky enough to capture on one of his photo-assignments in the Highlands for this project and which will have a place in the ‘Cura – Munro’ exhibition. This is a moth which looks like a bee, a clever mechanism to avoid predators!
Photograph: Narrow Bordered Bee Hawkmoth – ©Nick Sidle/Heartstone all rights reserved
It was a great pleasure to welcome Dr Paul Thompson, pictured on the right of the screen above, as the second guest speaker for this event to present the world of the seals and dolphins of the Cromarty Firth.
Photograph: Harbour Seal – ©Nick Sidle/Heartstone all rights reserved
He has been studying these creatures from his base at the Lighthouse Field Station, which he established in 1990, and has been undertaking research since then, making him one of the foremost scientific experts in this field.
Photograph: Cromarty Lighthouse – ©Nick Sidle/Heartstone all rights reserved
Paul talked about the seals and dolphins, what is known about them, their movements, the potential impact of climate change and much more from the most recent research he has personally been involved in. Paul explained seals are found all over the world and never fail to have a mesmerising effect on many of those who come close to them, including him. His work is ongoing from his base at the Cromarty Lighthouse.
Photograph: Grey Seal – ©Nick Sidle/Heartstone all rights reserved
To highlight the connection the people, who inhabit the north shore of the Cromarty Firth, have had with the natural world that surrounds them, Sitakumari presented two stories, the first connected with the moths to open the event and then, one of the myths associated with the Selkies, or seal people, mysterious half-seal, half-human creatures who were able to live both on land and in the sea. The story demonstrated how the cultural mythologies which have grown around the observations made by people from the past have often been a parable for human behaviour and still have a relevance and message for us today.
Photograph from the event: Sitakumari – Pose: ‘Together’
Alpha Munro is a musician and founder/leader of Kiltearn Fiddlers, award-winning musicians in the Highlands. She and two of her associated musicians provided a real sense of connection with the world of the Munros and Highland culture through music on the themes of the butterflies, moths, seals and dolphins as featured in the event, from the drawing room of Foulis Castle.
More shows will be following covering the landscapes and other creatures of the world of the North Shore of the Cromarty Firth in the coming months.
Our grateful thanks to the Port of Cromarty Firth, the Clan Munro Association and the Northern Meeting Charity for their funding and support towards the ‘Cure-Munro’ photodocumentary project which is ‘shining a light’ on the natural world of the north shore of the Cromarty Firth, bringing together cultural heritage, history and current-day science of the natural environment in a new way.
The photographer, writer and concept designer for this project is Nick Sidle. To see more of the photos from the Cura-Munro project, follow the link:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksidle/sets/72157674328969274/
