Madaidhean-alliadh air an doras

Wolves at the Door ~ Inverness, Scotland

A Wolfish Smile ~ Wolves once roamed the Highlands and many places still bear their Gaelic name madadh-allaidh.  So it seems right that they greet visitors at the Town House to remind us of the wild landscapes of which the Highlands are famed.

The wolves were carved by stonemasons Derek Cunningham and Ivan Navarro as part of major conservation work the Town House.  The wolves join an Inverness bestiary that includes the camel and elephant on city’s coat of arms, unicorn, falcon and gargoyles that you may see as you explore the city.

Top Dogs ~ Look up and you will see a pair of dogs gazing over the cityscape, alert and ready for the off.  And for a while that is just what happened - the dogs vanished.  Thankfully, just before conservation work was completed they were discovered in their storage crate hideaway.  The wolves had already been carved to take the place of the missing hounds, but this time it was the dogs that came out on top.

A Wolf in Pict’s Carving ~ The Picts are known for their skill in stone carving and this one from around 500 AD is no exception.  Most people see the image as a wolf, but there are some who say that the ear and eye shapes are those of a dog.  Found in a wall at Arduous in the late 1800’s, the stone is now displayed in Inverness Museum (to the right of the Town House), where you can learn more about the culture of the Picts.