Ben Nevis
The South Ness Stitchers had the task of transferring from rock to thread one of the most iconic mountains in Britain, Ben Nevis, and the story of the man who repeatedly reached for the summit.
Ben Nevis is emblematic for these stories, the very definition of the High-Lands, the highest and most famous mountain in Britain.
Every day between June and October, 1881, a man climbed Britain’s highest place, often walking up through the clouds. Clement Wragge was a meteorologist and he recorded the temperature, measured the wind speed, observed cloud formations and took other readings on the summit. He suffered the indignity of being known by his peers as Inclement Rag.
On clear days that summer Clement enjoyed spectacular, unimpeded vistas stretching in every direction, sometimes seeing as far as one hundred and twenty miles. To the north he could make out the peaks of the Torridon Mountains, the pointed top of Morven in Caithness, Lochnagar in the Cairngorms to the east, Ben Lomond in the south, and out to the ocean in the west lay the high cliffs of Barra Head.
From Ben Nevis, Clement saw the Highlands, the mountains, loch and glens that define the north and west of Britain, and the islands beyond them.
Wragge ascends the mountain in search of knowledge.Image provided by Kirstie Campbell
Meteorology and Ben Nevis
South Ness Stitchers - Jane Foster, Bernadette Fienes, and Sara RamseyImage provided by South Ness Stitchers
Sara RamseyImage provided by Smartify
Listen to more stories from the South Ness Stitchers
WITH THANKS TO THE SOUTH NESS STITCHERS
This panel was stitched by Jane Foster, Bernadette Fienes, and Sara Ramsey who gave their time, skill and energy to completing a fantastic artwork for their area.
If you would like to see the panel up close and admire the detail of their work, please look out for the panel at an exhibition near you soon. To find out more, follow Inverness Castle Experience on Facebook for all the latest updates on the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands and the new visitor experience in Inverness, open 2025.
