Sculpture of
‘Kenn and the Salmon’

This artwork located by the harbour in the village of Dunbeath was commissioned by the Neil Gunn Society in 1991. It marks the centenary of the author’s birth and was designed by Alex Main (1940 – 2010).

B’ e Neil Gunn fear de na sgrìobhadairean ficsean Albannach a bu chudromaiche tràth san fhicheadamh linn. Tha an obair aige a’ coimhead air beatha na Gàidhealtachd, a’ gabhail a-steach na buaidh a bh’ aig Fuadaichean nan Gàidheal air coimhearsnachdan. Fhuair e an duais chliùiteach Duais Cuimhneachaidh Sheumais Tait Black ann an 1937 airson Highland River .

The monument depicts the climax of a dramatic scene from Highland River. Nine-year old Kenn is shown carrying home a huge salmon, poached with his bare hands from the Dunbeath river.

The book is largely written in a stream-of-consciousness style as we follow Kenn’s life through a series of dramatic episodes. These vary from his school life with a sadistic teacher to the trauma of World War One. Throughout, Kenn attempts to find peace in the natural world.