Fortrose
Academy window, 2007-08
As the pupils of Fortrose Academy come from all over the Black Isle, the theme of the window is convergence.
The design centres on the school badge, with the border featuring the names of the seven Primary schools involved in the project.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie have a rich history, from the Picts to the present. To celebrate Rosemarkie’s archaeological heritage, I’ve incorporated the crescent and v-rod symbol, from the Rosemarkie Cross-slab. Within this I’ve added ‘2007’, the Highland Year of Culture.
Legend and folklore are important parts of our heritage, and one of the most famous characters is the Brahan Seer. In 1969 the pupils of Fortrose Academy erected a monument on Chanonry Point to mark the place of his execution. The raven and dove, flying in opposite directions represent his final prophecy.
On either side of the point of the v-rod, swim a fish and a dolphin: In the past, fishing was important around Chanonry Point, e.g. The ‘Kessacks’ (small herring) of the Inverness Firth, and salmon – still netted off Rosemakie Beach. Nowadays the Point attracts greater numbers hoping to view the Bottlenose Dolphins.