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Norwegians in Edderton, Tain, Nigg and Portmahomack in WWII

After investigating in 2024 the presence of the Norwegian army in the Contin area, ARCH turned its attention to the Edderton, Tain and Nigg areas, with sessions held in Edderton and Tain, culminating in a well attended open day in November 2025.

After the invasion of Norway in World War II, the Norwegian government relocated to the UK. Norwegian men and women joined the Norwegian army, navy and air force, and there was significant military training in the Highlands by the army.

Initially based in Dumfries and Hamilton, the Norwegian Brigade moved to Edderton and Tain area in summer 1941.  Photographs from the Norwegian Archives, together with some memories and military documents, allow us to identify where troops were stationed. The Independent Mountain companies were based at the disused Balblair Distillery. Four rifle companies were housed in tents at a ‘nearby farm’, which from photographs is Broombank Farm just beyond the distillery. The battery and machine gun company were initially based at ‘Nigg Camp’. Photographs allow us to determine that this was at Newfield near Nigg Station, not Nigg ferry. Substantial remains of the foundations of this camp still survive.

In autumn 1941 the Norwegians moved to Aberdeenshire for the winter, a move which makes more sense considering the men housed in tents. The troops returned in June 1942, first said to have been stationed at Tain, and then again at Nigg Camp. But most troops by this time had moved to Contin and Dingwall, with headquarters now at Brahan Castle. However, the three independent mountain companies rotated their times between Contin, Dingwall and Nigg Camp.  

From 1942 some Norwegians were also stationed at Fort Nigg as part of the Coastal Artillery Unit, watching for enemy ships. Fort Nigg was situated half way up the North Sutor. The Coastal Artillery Unit moved to the South Sutor in 1943.

In November 1943 the Norwegian army left the Highlands, locating in Stirlingshire.

While in the Edderton and Tain areas, the troops trained for liberation. They also helped the Home Guard at lookouts. Photographs from the Norwegian archives show them also assisting with harvest at Hilton Farm, Pormahomack. There were probably several hundred men, and some women, a substantial group, but mixed with British, Polish, Indian and Czech soldiers in the area, together with Canadian and Newfoundlander foresters – and even foresters from Hondurus in Golspie.

King Haakon and Prince Olaf made visits to help with morale, bringing official photographers. There are a number of pictures of a substantial parade in 1941, and memories of a similar one in Tain. The lines of parading troops gives some indication of the numbers involved.

Norwegians were integral to the filming of a propaganda film in Portmahomack in 1943. Around 15 Norwegian soldiers and 15 women and children were drafted in as actors, some of the soldiers to play the Germans. In addition around 60 Norwegian fishermen in 9 boats were used on weekends. The film is a fictionalised story of Norwegian fishermen resisting Nazi occupation. Copies of the film and a book, Before the Raid (1943). History of a war propaganda film by Tom L. West can be purchased from Tarbat Discovery Centre (as of 2026).

The group researching this interesting story spent much time pouring over the Norwegian archive photographs, identifying a number of sites. While few remains survive of their presence in Edderton, the substantial remains of Nigg Camp deserve further survey and recording!

As with the project investigating the Norwegian presence in Contin, this project benefitted from the collaboration with three Norwegian researchers George Michael Bratli, Kjell Johansen, and Oddbjørn Johansen who are writing a book about this area. They shared their findings and some Norwegian sources, and we again had a pleasant zoom session. In turn we were able to identify some places in photographs, and results from newspaper searches. While we had no firsthand memories, many people contributed stories – and fortunately Tain Museum has a recording where  Forbie Urquhart, Donnie Macleod, Paul Lippock and Wattie Louden with their memories of Norwegians in Tain.

A display with results was created, and an online version is now available on the ARCH website. A binder of resources has been deposited at Tain library. A summary of results is also available in the ARCH Document Library, in the Norwegians in the Highlands folder.

Scottish Power Renewables Beinn Tharsuinn Community Fund (Tain and Edderton Community Councils) provided help towards funding towards venue hire. Thanks to all those who attended the sessions and helped research this little-known history of the wartime Highlands.