File:Inverness-shire Constabulary car BST36 and 2 PCs circa 1948 (8378891440).jpg

I received these three (copies of) photographs many years ago. Only the group photo had any information - that it was taken in Portree circa 1950, and it named the officers. The other two with the officer(s) and car are I suspect of a similar vintage, albeit slightly earlier.

The car BST36 appears to be an Austin 10HP (produced until October 1947), and bears an Inverness-shire registration mark.

The officers are wearing high-neck collars so it's before 1950 when collar and tie for all ranks was adopted.

From research on the Am Baile web site, (only selected pages of the Inverness County Council Vehicle Registration Record Book are on-line) AST898 was registered in May 1943 and BST118 in November 1945 (www.ambaile.org.uk/en/item/item_writtenword.jsp?item_id=6697

The Inverness-shire force (according to the Chief Constable's Annual Reports) had 7 vehicles by 1946, all for Traffic (and all Wolseleys) and all but 1 acquired during 1947.

(Previous years, as an austerity measure had the whole report crammed into 2 pages, so such as vehicle information was omitted)

In the 1948 Annual Report , Chief Constable Fraser also mentions there being 3 motorcycles and 3 Austin 10hp cars in good condition (+ one for the Uists which was withdrawn due to its poor condition, and its replacement had still not delivered)

By the 1939 Annual Report there were 7 Road Traffic vehicles:- 1 x Wolseley 18hp 1 Austin A.70 (16hp) 2 x Wolseley 14hp 2 x Wolseley 10hp 1 x Austin A.40 10hp (acquired new 1949) (plus 1 Wolseley 14hp kept in reserve, undoubtedly at HQ in Inverness)

Meanwhile for General Purpose use around the County, there were: 5 x Austin 10hp saloons 1 x Wolseley saloon (2 of above replacing motor cycles)

So I would suggest that this of a vehicle registered in early 1945, and pictured here circa 1948.