“Hither Shores”. Nevrast was originally the name given by the Grey-Elves to the entire coastline of north-western Middle-earth. However, later, Nevrast became more specifically the enclosed seaward lands south of the Firth of Drengist, including the Mere of Linaewen. The Kingdom of Nevrast was founded by the Noldor in Beleriand but was abandoned later for Gondolin.

This region became the first dwelling of Turgon, who made a home for himself and his kin on the slopes of Mount Taras, in the halls of Vinyamar.

The concealed entrance to Nevrast was Annon-in-Gelydh, a tunnel through the eastern wall of the Echoing Mountains on the borders of Dor-lómin. The gate took the shape of an arch, which could be accessed by some steps. There was a stream flowing in the archway which began to go suddenly down a smooth slope into a great tunnel, but beside the river’s course there ran long flights of stairs leading onwards and downwards. After those rapids, there was a great dome of rock where the river rushed over a steep fall, then passed on again beneath another arch into a further tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, a tall, narrow cleft led out into a ravine, called Cirith Ninniach by Tuor. In the river were many fish, shining gold and silver, or gleaming with rainbow colours.

Only after four days walk from the tunnel did the ravine grow less sheer, with the river running deeper and wider. Fresh waters were added to the river from waterfalls on either side.

The Mere of Linaewen was bounded by wide mires and pathless forests of reeds. Nevrast also had a sea coast. There were tall and sea-hewn cliffs south of Drengist where there were many coves and sheltered inlets, and beaches of white sand among the black rocks. Leading down to the beaches were often winding stairs cut in the stone, and by the water edge there were ruined quays built from great blocks hewn from the cliffs. Elven ships once moored there.

Below the long slopes of Mount Taras were the Halls of Vinyamar, the eldest of all the stone works built by the Noldor in exile. The tower at Mount Taras was the westernmost of all the towers of Middle-earth, and was the first thing a sailor would see when crossing the sea from Valinor. The ruins endured even till the time of Tuor. The Halls were high up on great terraces that looked towards the sea. When Tuor visited them, wind, rain and frost had damaged them and there was a growth of grey-green plants on the roof shingles. The courts were high and windy. At the entrance of the Halls was a wide stair, which passed under a lintel before entering the building. There was a high-pillared hall, which, at the eastern end, had a high seat upon a dais. The floor was paved. The chair was hewn of a single stone and written on with strange signs. On the wall behind the throne hung a shield, hauberk, helm and long sword. The shield was long and tapering, and its field was blue, in the midst of which was wrought an emblem of a white swan’s wing. The shield was light and wieldy, wrought seemingly of wood overlain with thin plates of metal. The wide shore down from Mount Taras was known as Taras-ness.
Encyclopedia entry originally written by atalante_star