Highland Council

"Hidden Highland Histories WWII" will explore areas across the Highlands that were used for secret military operations. During WWII, access to the Highlands was often restricted and local people and military personnel required special passes to enter, while in some areas of the Highlands, local populations were evacuated.

Working in partnership with the Highland Print Studio and the Highlands and Islands Museums Forum, this project will engage with local primary and secondary schools, youth groups and older people's groups in order to develop relationships within their communities and increase awareness of the impact WWII had in the local area.

One potential vignette will be the evacuation of the village of Inver and surrounding area to enable secret training for the D-Day landings. It is hoped that many memories will come from individuals who were children at the time. From December 1943 to April 1944 thousands of troops used the Tarbat Peninsula for training. It was used as a live firing range for infantry from the Third Division as well as a training area for secret new “swimming tanks” which, it was hoped, would play an important part in the D-Day landings. When the local people returned they found the fields cratered by shells and roads churned up by tanks.