The Lost Families of Stratherrick, Strathnairn, and Dunmaglass, Inverness-shire, Scotland
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The Lost Families of Stratherrick, Strathnairn, and Dunmaglass, Inverness-shire, Scotland |
The Parish of Daviot and
Dunlichity is about 23 miles long, and about 6 miles wide at its broadest and 1˝
miles at its narrowest point. The boundaries are very irregular. On the east and
south-east it is bounded by the parish of Moy and Dalarossie; on the south-west
by Boleskine and Abertarff; on the west and north-west by Inverness and Bona;
and on the north by Petty and Croy and Dalcross. On 15 May 1891, the area of the
parish was increased by the transfer of the following portion of the parish of
Croy and Dalcross: ‘So much of the main portion of the said parish [Croy and
Dalcross] as lies to the west and south of a line starting at a point on the
boundary between the said parish and the Parish of Petty at Feabuie, and running
thence in a south-easterly direction along the present boundary between the
counties of Inverness and Nairn until it reaches the river Nairn at a point near
Kinrea Mill, thence in a southwesterly direction up the medium filum of the said
river until it reaches the march between the farm of Dalroy on the estate of
Cantray and the farm of Croygorston on the estate of Culloden, and thence in a
generally south-easterly direction along the said march until it meets the
boundary of the Parish of Cawdor’. In 1891 the county boundary was also
altered, so that the part of Daviot and Dunlichity, which formerly lay in the
county of Nairn, is now in the county of Inverness. The present area of the
parish is 59,223 acres.
The River Nairn, which has its source at Cairn Gregor in the south-west of
Dunlichity, flows through the united parish, entering the Moray Firth at Nairn
in the neighbouring county, 36 miles from its source. The name, Nairn, is
doubtless connected with the Gaelic snŕmh, meaning ‘swimming’ and the
Latin, natare, ‘to swim or float’. The river is famous for its salmon and
sea-trout fishing. Four lochs in the Dunlichity area - Duntelchaig, Ruthven,
Coire and Clachan - are also noted for trout fishing.
The name Dunlichity has no connection whatsoever with the Clan Chattan, as was
claimed in the Old and New Statistical Accounts. It is derived from the Gaelic
words flichead, meaning moisture. or fliuch, ‘wet’ ; Dun means ‘a hill or
fort’ . Dunlichity, therefore, is ‘the hill of the wet place’, which is a
very good description of this part of the parish.
Daviot comes from an old Pictish word, Deveth. The root of the word is dem,
‘sure or strong’ - Gaelic deimhin. The name, therefore, has no connection
with David, Earl of Crawford, who built a stronghold near the present House of
Daviot.
During the two World Wars many large
woodland plantations were felled, but in recent years the Forestry Commission
has replanted large areas with quick-growing trees. Scots fir, larch, ash, oak,
beech and spruce seem to suit the soil of this parish and grow well. Near the
manse, there are some hazel trees and during the season the children gather the
nuts.
The following statistics relate to Strathnairn forest, which comprises the moors
of Farr and Dunmaglass: area of forest, 3,924 acres; under plantation 1,014
acres; plantable 760 acres; agricultural and unplantable 2,150 acres. The
species already planted in the forest, include Scots pine, Sitka spruce, Norway
spruce, Japanese, European and hybrid larch, and Douglas fir. The number of men
employed in forestry in the parish in 1952 was 23.
Fern, nettle dock, foxglove, St
John’s wort, lichen, nettle, and maiden hair fern are all found in the parish.
In spring-time, primroses grow in abundance along the banks of the River Nairn
and at the roadside, while in late summer people come in cars to gather for
jam-making, such fruits as blackberries, cranberries, brambles and raspberries
which are found all over the parish.
Meallmore Moor, near the main road and Daviot railway station is one of the most
famous moors for game in Scotland. The late King George V used to shoot over it,
when he was a guest of MacKintosh of MacKintosh at Moy Hall.
Red deer are found on the hills of Flichity and Farr and in snow storms descend
from the heights to low ground in search of food. Roe deer frequent the woods
along the banks of the River Nairn. Recently badgers have been caught at
Nairnside, their skins being used for making Highland purses and their bristles
for shaving brushes. During the Second World War, when many of the gamekeepers
were away on war service, foxes increased in number and now abound on the moors
of Flichity, Farr, Inverernie, Dunmaglass and Aberarder. Wild cats, 2˝ feet
long and dark brown in colour, with bushy tails, also roam the moors. Brown
squirrels are still found in the woods, while weasels are numerous and attack
game and poultry. Wild goats used to be seen in large numbers high up near the
summit of Brin Rock, but their numbers have become reduced in recent years,
probably owing to the shortage of butcher meat. Grouse also used to be very
plentiful on all the moors in the district, but in recent years there has been a
sharp falling off in the number of birds and the bags have been small. This has
been caused by disease and the increase in pests during the war years when the
young gamekeepers were away on service. Rabbits and white and brown hares are
found throughout the parish, although by 1955 most of the rabbits had been
killed by myxomatosis. Partridges frequent the low ground but are not numerous,
while woodcock can be seen, especially in springtime. Otters are sometimes found
in the River Nairn and usually feed on the salmon.
At the east end of the parish is
Culloden Moor, the scene of the last battle fought on British soil. Here, on 16
April 1746, the hopes of Charles Edward Stewart, the Pretender, were for ever
dashed. The Highland army was utterly defeated, and the Duke of Cumberland
earned for himself the name of ‘Butcher’, because of his merciless slaughter
of fleeing and wounded clansmen. The prince, accompanied by a few faithful
followers, fled westwards from the field.
Among the brave Highlanders who fell was young MacGillivray of Dunmaglass, who
led the Clan Mackintosh in place of their chief, a loyal supporter of the
Hanoverians and at the time of the battle serving with Loudon’s regiment in
the Black Isle. Lady Ann MacKintosh, however, was an ardent supporter of the
prince, and had raised a regiment from her husband’s clan and followers. On
that fatal day the Clan Chattan regiment bore the brunt of the battle and the
heroic Dunmaglass fell as he wielded his broadsword among the Royalists. In the
morning he was found on the battlefield beside the well, known to this day as
the ‘Well of the Dead’. It is said, that about 400 of the clan Mackintosh
were buried in one grave. It should also be noted that MacCrimmon, the great
Skye piper, was killed in this battle. He had a premonition of death and before
leaving home composed the famous pibroch, ‘No more returning’.
The graves of the different clans are marked. The battlefield was cared for by
the Gaelic Society of Inverness for some years, but it has now been taken over
by the National Trust for Scotland. There is a resident warden in charge, who
can give information to the many thousands of people visiting the battlefield
every year.
There are remains of Druidical
temples at Daviot, Gask, Tordarroch and Farr. On the summit of the hill at
Dunlichity is a large upright stone, called the ‘watching stone’. No doubt
it served in olden times as a signalling station, its signals being noted and
passed on by other stations on neighbouring hills.
Mention might be made of another large stone in the Dunlichity district. This
stone, situated at the side of the road about 300 yards south-east of Dunlichity
Church, has a hollow or basin cut into it, about 4 inches deep and 9 inches in
diameter, and appears to have been used as a baptismal font when the Episcopal
Church was dominant in the country. According to tradition, credulous people
used to bring their sick children to have them cured by being washed or
sprinkled with water out of the basin. The water in the basin had preferably to
be rain direct from Heaven, or dew. Not far from this stone is a natural
circular hollow in the gravelly soil, which was for long used as a conventicle
by the episcopalians. Little now remains of the castle, built by David, Earl of
Crawford, near the House of Daviot. This castle, erected at the beginning of the
fifteenth century, was an imposing square building with a tower at each corner
and passages in the middle of its walls. It commanded an extensive view of the
countryside all around and could not easily be attacked because of its
dominating position. In course of time, parts of the walls were knocked down and
the stones used to build a modern farmhouse and steading at Daviot Mains. The
remainder of the building was finally demolished about 1750, the stones then
being used for the building of a walled vegetable garden and the lime and
rubbish to enrich the owner’s dunghill.
The following are the census figures
for the parish: (1801) 1,818; (1811) 1,634; (1821) 1,750; (1831) 1,788; (1841)
1,681; (1851) 1,857; (1861) 1,741; (1871) 1,598; (1881) 1,252; (1891) 1,106;
(1901) 999; (1911) 907; (1921) 853; (1931) 810; (1951) 694; (1961) 683. In the
first part of the nineteenth century, the population of the parish fluctuated,
reaching a peak of 1,857 in 1851. Since that date it has declined steadily, and
for the last fifty years has been less than half the 1851 figure.
Until 1891, part of the parish lay in the county of Nairn. The figures of
population for this part were recorded, along with the part of the county of
Inverness, in the census report for Inverness-shire for the years 1801-21, but
thereafter until 1901, part of the population was recorded in the Census Report
for Nairnshire and part in the Report for Inverness-shire. The parish now lies
wholly within the boundaries of Inverness.