Ardersier history

(Scottish Gaelic Àird nan Saor)  was originally a small fishing village on the Moray Firth to the east of Inverness.  The Gaelic name Àird nan Saor translates into “headland of the joiners” and is believed to refer to the local legend that the carpenters working on the construction of ecclesiastical buildings along the Firth lived here.

Before Fort George was built in the aftermath of Culloden, a small fishing hamlet called Blacktown existed in the area of Fort George, its economy based around several small open fishing boats. Its relocation eventually led to the creation of the village of Ardersier.

Parts of Ardersier between Connage cheese factory and the sea were owned by the order of the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar also owned land at nearby Flemington, the names can still be found on maps as Temple Land, Temple Bank, Temple Cruik and Bogschand.

Ardersier used to have a railway line that ran to Inverness, it was used to transport the soldiers from Fort George during the First World War.