The River Nairn at Firhall, Nairn

This postcard shows a riverside walk at Firhall on the south side of Nairn. The River Nairn rises in the Monadhliath Mountains and passes through Strathnairn for 38 miles before emptying into the Moray Firth at Nairn.<br /> <br /> Nairn is a royal burgh situated on the southern shore of the Moray Firth, approximately 16 miles from Inverness. It was once known as Invernairn because of its position at the mouth of the River Nairn. Before the coming of the Inverness and Nairn Railway in 1855, Nairn was a market and farming town inland from the Fishertown, a fishing village probably settled by the Norse before 1000 AD. <br /> <br /> In the 16th century Nairn had a mixture of Gaelic-speaking Highlanders and north east fisher folk, who spoke Scots or English. It is recorded that King James VI and I boasted that he had a town in Scotland so long that the people at one end of the street spoke a different language from those at the other end.<br /> <br /> The most recent part of Nairn is the Victorian resort town which grew up around the existing Fishertown after the arrival of the railway. The town became a popular health spa due to the medicinal properties of the local sea water, the long sandy beaches and the sunny dry climate. Elegant Victorian villas and prestigious hotels were built to accommodate the growing number of visitors. Other facilities were also developed, including a promenade, a bandstand and two golf courses.