Faith Hope and Charity
Faith Hope and Charity are three statues, each about 9 feet tall, which were commissioned to stand atop the YMCA building at the corner of High Street and Castle Street opposite the Town House in Inverness. The foundation stone of this impressive building was laid on 22nd April 1867 by Lord Ardmillan and topped off with the three statues in October 1868.
Faith Hope and Charity were a common motif in Victorian art, celebrating Christian virtues prevalently espoused and admired by the populace at the time.
Faith Hope and Charity were created from sandstone by Inverness sculptor Andrew Davidson (1841 – 1925) better known for designing the Flora MacDonald statue that stands in front of Inverness Castle. He is also attributed with sculpting the bust of Rev Dr MacDonald in Inverness Town House and the font at St Andrew’s Cathedral.
Faith Hope and Charity stood sentinel over Inverness until 1955 when the YMCA building – by then Cameron’s department store – was demolished to make way for a more modern building.
Taken to Orkney by an antique collector in 1960, they languished in a private garden until July 2007 when they were purchased by Inverness City Committee with the Common Good Fund for £15,000.
Faith Hope and Charity are now registered with The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland that is responsible for recording, interpreting and collecting information about the built environment, which relates to buildings, sites, and ancient monuments of archaeological, architectural and historical interest.
They have now been restored and refurbished by specialist conservators in readiness to once again grace the skyline of the City of Inverness.
Public consultation revealed two locations as possible sites for Faith Hope and Charity – Ness Bank Church Gardens and Inverness Castle Embankment overlooking the River Ness.
Inverness City Committee will consider the costs for installation at both sites and their suitability before deciding where to relocate Faith Hope and Charity.
