N ature and music for the e e a y nd ea r,
Wisdom to teach and sweetness to enchain ;
Oh who cou d rea m a ha fortni ht ere , l d ppy g h
And wishof ou t save a rtin to com lain ! gh , p g, p
R. L owe L ord Shr brooke 18 8 ( ), 5 .
AL ASTAI R RAN AL DSON M ACD ON N E L L of n arr G e . , l g y Fro m a d ra w in g b y D e n n is Dighto n o n the o ccasion of the visit r inb h of Geo e IV to E ur . g , d g PLAC E - N AM ES
GLENGARRY AND GLENQUOICH
AN D T H E I R ORI G I N
E DWARD c L L I E . E C
L O N D O N
C O . L T D . SW A N S O N N E N S C H E I N ,
P A T E R N O ST E R S QU A R E
1898
PRE FACE .
TH I S small book has b een written with the wish to preserve the origin o f so me o f the names o f the hills and straths o f Glengarry and Glen
uoich and w h the ho e tha ma encoura e q , it p t it y g the people o f those glens to keep up the o ld
oca ra ons l l t diti .
My thanks are due to a ll those who have so
n h s ohn l e ed me and es ec a to e srs . ki d y lp , p i lly M !
‘ ‘ M ac e nnan n us M D one ll and Dona M D onald L , A g ld
‘ o f G en ar to M r. An us M Donell of G en l g ry, g l b uc and to M r ame s H e n e rso n o f Glen uoich k , . ! d q
o M ames R ss o f M erkinch Pub c Schoo t r. o ! li l ,
I n verness for man interest n notes to M r. , y i g ;
h f his M Frase M acKintos for the use o SS. C . r
account o f the b attle o f Blér na L ei ne ; to
her M rs R b e t E l ce or he s e ches m mot . o f t y , r li , k t
n R of ac hee a d Sir . urchiso and to M rs M p M n ; . v v i P RE PA CE .
E lli ce of I nverga rry fo r the hithe rto unpublishe d
s etches o f en rr nd his henchme n k Gl ga y a .
L a s I can no su ffic ent ex ress m ra u e tly, t i ly p y g tit d to the Re v N e acne l the a u hor o f the . ig l M il , t
L te ra ure o f the H han e rs for so n rev s i t ig l d , ki dly i
n r i g my p oo fs.
RD E D WA . E L L I CE C . C O N T E N T S.
PAGE I N TROD U CTI ON
TH E GLE N GARRY D ISTRI CT M OU NTAINS LOCH S RIVE RS
P LACE -N AM E S
TH E ABE RCH AL DE R D ISTRICT M OU NTAINS RIVE RS
P LACE -NAM E S
TH E ARDOCH Y D ISTRI CT
M OU N TAI N S
RI VE RS
TH E GL E N QU OI CH D I STRICT
PLACE - NAMES OF GLENGARRY
N R U N I T OD CT I O .
GL E N GARRY is situated in the centre of the l Highlands, and nvergarry occupies the cen tral part of the great glen which runs across Scotland from I nverness on the east coast
to Fort William on the west .
Few of those, however, who have merely travelled up and down the line of the Cale
do nia n Canal , and have not broken their
a journey to visit Gleng rry, have any idea of
the beauties of this most beautiful glen . It may safely be said that the view from the northern shore of Loch Garry on an October
morning is unsurpassed in this world, and many who have spent their lives in travelling have, without hesitation, declared that it is
difficult to find scenery to equal it . The climate is much more bracing than that P L A CE ! VA M E S OF GL E N GARR Y.
of the west coast , and , owing to the great width
of the glen, nearly seven miles , the rainfall is only about half that of its very wet neighbour
Gl n u h e oic . q The winter is mild and pleasant , and the frost not nea rly so severe as at I nver ness ; indeed, from its central situation, the district can boas t of a wonderfully equable tem
e ra tu re . p The mountains , the highest of which lie along the south side of the glen , form the commencement of that great chain of hills which end with the Rough Bounds on the west coast, and Ben Tee stands out when we view him from Fort Augustus as the proud sentinel of the army behind . These hills have no great interest for the geologist beyond the S s familiar ign of the glacial age , the ’ m ks a nd the mon a nes mou ton nees ice ar , t g mutton-backed mountains - and rocks worn smooth by those p re -historic glaciers which
r e h Si A . Geiki as so ably described in his
The c mica schist ro ks are mainly gneiss and , but the neare r the approach to the line of the
ed n a Cal o i n Canal, the more varied do the strata
n . appear to be . The explanatio is simple The great gle n runs along the line o f fault which TI I N TROD UC ON . 3
S a extends right across cotl nd , and especially at Invergarry does this “ fault become inter esting. On the north side , at Leek, are masses of granite, changing into diorite, picrite, and schistose rocks as w e leave the seat of the disturbance . On the south side the order is entirely changed, chloritic schists , agglomerates, ironstone, and in places , graphite, minerals which have for the last 150 years attracted the notice of those interested in the develop
a ment of the resources of the Highl nds . The different appearance of the surface is even more apparent to the naked eye than is the change in the composition of the rocks . On “ the north side of the fault there is abnu d ance of heather and poor pasture , whereas the Splendid grazing on the south side runs from
-tO - S hill p to loch ide.
I f not interesting to the geologist, the glen, in the spring and summer, is indeed a paradise
N 0 to the ornithologist . less than eighty or ff ninety di erent kinds of birds breed here , and these include a variety not often found in such a small compass . The crossbill from the north ,
w - and the s ift and house martin from the south , the golden eagle and the peregrine falcon from - L 4 P L A CE N AM E S OF G E N GARR Y.
the hill , and the red shank and dunlin from the
f - f fire - plain , the tiny chi f cha f and crested wren, and the splendid wild turkey from America — (introduced) these , and the numerous birds
which are common to the Highlands, may all be found breeding in Glengarry within the
r range of a few miles . Besides the b eeders there are occasional visits from such rare w strangers as the wild s an and the skua, and in the autumn wild geese invariably pass
al down the can , the heralds of approaching winter. w The flora of the glen , o ing to the absence ff of lime, is not so di use as it would otherwise be ; but the gardens of Glengarry have been noted for their beauty from the earliest times, and the cottagers are to this day as proud of them, as they were in the old days when a busy population enlivened the shores of Loch
Garry.
It is not, however, the beauties of Nature which have made this part of Inverness -shire famous . The history of Glengarry , when pieced together, is so full of raids and fights, ” a l wars and rumours of wars , that one is most tempted to believe tha t pea ceful occupa I N TROD UCTI ON . 5
. 1 0 tions were unknown From 3 7 , the earliest date in which mention is made of Gle nga re ch as being granted by King Robert the Bruce ’ Ra nul h to his nephew Thomas p , until the 45, there was certainly no more turbulent glen in the Highlands than Glengarry. Led by a suc cession of brilliant chiefs , the Macdonells of Glengarry were in the forefront of every movement in the Highlands which savoured of enterprise or adventure . At one time
fighting against the Crown , at another zealous in the defence of the Roy alist cause, now
’ n leadi g a raid into a neighbour s territory, now defending their own , nothing seems to have come amiss to these hardy warriors and
’ when , after the disastrous 45, peace was forced
fi on them , we nd the chiefs gradually sinking under the heavy expenditure which necessarily followed the restoration of their impoverished estates, until at last , crippled for want of funds, and destitute of men, they were compelled to part with their ancestral home .
But , in spite of these constant turmoils, there were times of rest . For many years Glengarry was the headquarters of the Roman Catholics 1 of the north . In 650 we find Irish priests - 6 P L A CE N A M E S OF GL E N GARR Y.
S er coming from pain to minist to the people, — schools established in I 67o the very first Roman Catholic school in the Highla nds
’ le and , from that time on to the 45, the g n
was never without a pastor. These priests , however, can hardly be said to have had a
a f s pe ce ul time . While the ca tle was in the hands of the Macdonells, no doubt, all went well with them ; but when the Government troops were quartered there they were liable to capture and imprisonment, and more than one is recorded to have died in the dungeons of the old ruin . S ’ ince the 45, owing to natural causes , the Protestants have increased more rapidly than the m Catholics, and the for er are now probably
the two n s in a majority ; but sects , it is eedles to say, live together in perfect harmony, as indeed they appear always to have done, except when the disturbing influence of a company of f soldiers at the castle made itself elt.
The last great chief, whose portrait is given
s on the title page, was Ala tair Macdonell of A Glengarry . man of splendid physique and
a great accomplishments , he was also the l st chief who attempted to keep up the ancient
- Y 8 PL A CE N A M E S OF GL E N GARR .
860 12 2 . 1 individuals, were quite destitute In E Mr. Edward llice bought the Glengarry
n S portio , and ince this time the population and prosperity of the district have steadily
s increa ed .
The history of the glen , however, does not
come within the scope of this small book, and beyond the events which have reference to the
- various place names, it has not been attempted
to go . For the benefit of the reader the following short list of chiefs of the Macdonells is here
given . They are all alluded to in the stories
which follow as Glengarry.
H I E FS OF L E GARRY C G N .
1 Re n - . gi ald or Ranald ab out 1400 1419
2 D on - . ald M acRanald 1419 1450
ohn - 3 . ! Macdonald 1450 147 0
A - 4. lastair Macdonald 1470 1500
h - 5. ! o n M acdonald 1500 1515
- 6 . Alexa nder Macdonald 1515 1545 A as a r M acE an h A ( l t i M ic lastair. )
7 . E nea s Ma cdonald D n 8. o ald Macdonald
D omhnull M ac Aon hais h A a s a r ( g M ic l t i . ) H is ran son g d . 9 . E neas Macdonell ab out 1645- 1682 L or ac o ne a nd Aro ( d M d ll s. ) [arm ou r/an on 9
- H is fi I o. ld a n l b ou 1682 16 rst cousin. Rana M cdo el a t 9 5
- H is son. 11 r D h a o l 1 1 2 . Ala sta i ub M cd nel 69 5 7 4 H is son 12 ohn on 1 2 - 1 . . ! Ma cd ell 7 4 7 58
- H is son . 1 Ala s a on l 1 8 1 6 1 3 . tair M cd el 7 5 7 H is ne h 1 D un an a one 1 6 1-1 2 p ew. 4. c M cd ll 7 79 H Ranaldson is n 1 . A as a r so . 5 l t i Macdonell 1792 -1828
H is son 16 E n R naldson . . eas a Macdonell 1828- 1840 Th a v r ma ( e b o e dates are only app oxi te . )
I N studying the topography of any Highland district, it is as well to get some idea of the more common Gaelic terms which are used to denote the various features of the country
a a round . Cert in names are constantly recur
ring, and it needs but a slight acquaintance with Gaelic to dissipate the apparent diffic ulties
- attendant on the study of these place names . The names used to denote hills are
S u rr ] Ben, Torr, Tom , g , Meal , Cnoc, Creag,
d a m an C .
Be inn s Ben ( G. ) is almost alway applied to a high mountain standing by itself, as is also
a C rn, the latter when the hill is in addition
stu dded with stones and rocks . - P L ACE N AM E S OF GL E N GARRY.
M e all is a large rounded hill , and Torr a small and pointed one. Cnoc and Tom are both use d to denote knolls or hillocks .
S t G S u rr coo ( . g ) is a large steep rock or precipice . The common names for the “ plain are 0 E R idh e . Acha, Dal , Mona or Mun , L n , lar,
G —a whi h Ach and Auch ( . Achadh) field g is, or has been, cultivated .
Bla r— a as green gr sy field , in late years often applied to a battlefield .
Re idh— a flat piece of land .
G M dh— a . o na Mon , Mona, or Mun ( ) moor, generally heathland . L o n a marsh . — Dal a portion of land belonging to some particular owner, often one of the minor septs of a clan . Hillsides or slopes are denoted by the words L e a c . , Leitir, and Bac L — L e ac G. e ac a , Leacan , Leek ( ) flagstone, h also a tombstone, used for a illside with a number of perpendicular rock faces .
- 1- G. Leitir ( Leth tir) ha f land , hillside
(half the land cut away). I R N T OD UCTI ON .
— a Bac shoulder, or ridge, on the side of a hill . The na mes for valleys and hollows are
e al . Corrie , Laggan, Glac, Gl n, and B loch G “ ” Corrie ( . Coire) kettle, used for a big circular hollow in the side of a hill . “ Glac the hollow of the land , any small h l o l . ow, usually a wooded one
n— a - Lagga low lying valley.
B a la — Balloch (G. e ch) a pass between two hills .
z— i fo r a Lastly, the wood names are Co lle big wood , and Doire for a small grove or clump of trees .
The district, on which the following notes are made, has for reference been divided
z— A into four portions southern portion , the
Glengarry district ; an eastern portion , the
Aberchalder district ; a northern portion , the
Ardoch y district a western portion, the Glen qu o ichdistrict . T H E GL E N GARRY D I STRI CT.
N T M OU AIN S.
ARN N A H - U RCH AI RE B E AL L ACH C . feet “ The balloch or pass of the cai rn ; u rcha ire
of the shot . — BE I N N BH RE ACH D The spotted hill . A
h u o f small ill on the low gro nd Ben Tee, so called from the rocks which are dotted about on it , and give it a speckled appearance .
BE N N T E I E . feet . In old maps and ” S and S books this name is spelt ith hee, “ and is no doubt the sa me word as Sithe
- fairies . The hill of the fairies . The top of this hill is known as Glengarry 's Bowling
Green . There is scarcely a square yard of green of any sort, and the steep and rocky sides would not conduce much to a game of bowls, but by some it is supposed, that the fairies who haunt the Ben, were wont to join in
a the g me , hoisting the balls over the rough 12 H E GL E N G RRY RI 1 T A D I ST CT. 3
rocks , and racing down the hillside after those
that had gone as tray . In latter days the name has been applied to the be autiful and smooth green on the top of e Corrie Glas , but in most of the old maps Gl n
’ garry s Bowling Green is marked on the
summit of Ben Tee .
A second derivation is sometimes given, — Tigh a house ; from the resemblan ce of
the hill to the roof of a house . 1 It was generally believed in the glen in old days that the stones used in building the castle f were collected rom the brow of Ben Tee, some
a nd six or seven miles distant, handed from one individual to another until laid at the disposal
of the masons . ’ AL F L L W T H E G —B m L /z S . . ac m ao C HO O , g . f eet . A small hollow on the side of Ben
Tee .
E RRY I L L TH E . B H , This is sometimes written The Bury Hill from a mistaken notion that it has something to do with the burying-ground at Kilfinna n which lies at its foot The Gaelic name , however, gives the
M eall D ea rca — correct meaning , nan g the
1 I nver ness Adver ti ser old fi e s. , l - 14 PL A CE N AM E S OF GL E N GA RRY.
al hill of the berries, so c led from the quantities
of crowberries and bilberries which grow on it . — L ACK AI RN T H E G . Cd D u b/z . m B C , . From the black rocks and heather with which it is
O n covered , and in pposition to its eighbour the f White Cairn . eet.
’ ' RRI E A —M l L G. e l M r e l O S. a a oi Gfi a z s C G .
b ill : feet . The of the grey corrie from the summit of which one of the finest views in
a n the glen is obt ined . The mo ument on the top of the hill is a favourite place for lu ncheon
a with st lkers, and it was probably here that S m Alastair Dubh (Black andy), a fa ous Glen
garry stalker, and a certain noble lord, were
n r one day sitti g and admiring the scene y .
S w as u andy, who had not much English , anxio s to impress his visitor with the extent of Glen ’ garry s property, and suddenly addressed him ” as — follows All that you see, then strug gling for suitable words and waving his arms
a ll in the air, he panted out and that you ’ ’ do not see, that s Glengarry s l — ' A V E . CORRI E N A S O I G. M aull Gaz r a m
feet . The hill of the corrie , ’ bha idh — o f Sao the fox s litter . This corrie is rarely without a fox, and great numbers are
- I 6 PL ACE I VAM E S OF OL E N GA RR Y.
- - de fine d Lochiel . The water shed is ill , as from
the north side, a small stream which might well
be taken for the march burn , flows round the
its base of the hill , and eventually finds way
rka i into Loch A g . The claim was resisted by
Glengarry, who went to law over the dispute, f and the action was decided in his avour.
Prince Charlie, in his wanderings after Culloden ,
passed two or three nights on this mountain ,
2 rd 2 6th 1 6 . from August 3 to , 74 Cameron in his account says that the Prince and his party resolved that night to go to the top of Mullan
ta a rt g , a high mountain in the Braes of Glen ” i luns Ke ng e . C (Cameron of Clunes)was sent
out to see what the enemy, who were near at “ ’ Cluns s hand, were about ; and in the evening,
son went to his father from the Prince, and then
they all returned , and carried some whiskey,
bread, and cheese , and got to the Prince about
’ twelve o clock at night . He was on the side of
the mountain without fire or any covering. d They persua ed him to take a dram , and made
not a fire ; which , however, they durst keep above half an hour before they extinguished it . By daylight they went up to the top of the ’ mountain , where they staid till eight o clock in TH E GL E N GA RR Y D I TRI 1 S CT. 7
the evening without rising up. The Prince slept all the forenoon in his plaid and wet stockings , though it hailed . M E AL L AN T N . ARSU I N . feet The hill ,
Ta rsu inn across, lying crosswise to the general range of hills .
- - — OU R N A CH G. S u r r S ON I CH . g “ f a h — eet . Co inne c moss the sharp
rock of moss . T E AN GAN U I RE (as marked on the ordnance
- - h n h S c d ic . map), on the east slope of cur na
This is another corruption from the old Gaelic , — Teanga gu n u rradh the tongue without a
w . person , an o ner Here again in old days was a disputed march between Glengarry and
Lochiel .
— ll D ir e L L T H E . M ea o TAG O I G . S W OD H ,
' n D a a z m/z . feet . The hill of the grove of the stag.
L CH O S.
L cH v — LOCH o . The derivation of this name
Adam na n r seems rather obscure. , in the year ”
00 L ochdiae a . 7 , has it , lso Nigra Dea
! ournal of the M iraculous E scape of the Y oung h v r C e alie . - 18 PL A CE N A M E S OF GL E N GA RRY .
The word is evidently half Gaelic and half
Latin , and was probably first used in the S t . time of Columba, who travelled once or twice up and down the loch on his way to ” Inverness . Nigra Dea means the black ” L ochdiae eae— goddess, hence or D the loch of
c the black goddess, whi h , owing to its great depth and the steepness of the mountains on
r . either side, is always of a ve y dark colour The surface was raised 12 feet when the Cale do nia n Canal was made , and the navvies who were employed at Laggan grew potatoes and cabbages , and fed their milch cows on the ground which is now under water at the east end of the loch . — LOCH AN N A C U RRA The little loch of the herons .
' I N N E R CH T H E G - L rian n D z ta or . . o o D LO ,
' L ac/um n a D z ota . The loch of dinner or the f meal . This little loch , which lies at the oot of
Ben Tee, on the old road from Loch Garry to
Kilfinna n , gets its name, like so many other places in the district, from an incident which happened at the time of the battle of Blar n a
e e L ine (s e p . When the Macdonells were coming across from Loch Garry side to TH I RI 1 E GL E N GARR Y D ST CT. 9
intercept the Frasers , they halted at Lochan na Diota and had their midday meal there . Tradition says that every m a n put a stick into
' the ground , so that on their return from the m battle, they should be able to nu ber the
ee 1 missing (s also p . There is another anecdote connected w ith this same old road A funeral party one day left Greenfield early in the morn ing on their way from Loch Garry to Kilfinna n . In those days the coffin had to “ be shouldered the whole way , some seven
h r or eig t miles , across the hill , and eve y able bodied m a n of the village made a point of attending, so as to be able to take his share of the burden . All went well on the way out ; the body was safely deposited in the graveyard
Kilfin na n r f at , the funeral se vice per ormed , and m the party started on their long tramp ho e .
r w They had not gone ve y far, ho ever, before
the they stopped, as was custom , at the old
- fe w resting place, a hundred yards to the north
meal of Lochan Diota. After a good and a w drink of hiskey , some of the men became
u q arrelsome, a fight ensued , one of the mourners w as e was n kill d, and there nothing to be do e A E -N AM E F N PL C S O GL E GARRY.
but to take this second corpse back to Laddie.
an As they neared the township, they saw
old woman , the grandmother of the lad who
was killed in the fight, standing at her cottage
S u door, awaiting his return orrowf lly they
v told her of the e ents of the day , but far from
expressing any regret, she cried out , My blessing on the Glenga rry men who will take ” one corpse out and bring another one home .
OCH AN AN F H UDAI R— L The loch of powder, probably from the dark grey colour of its waters . ’ ’ ' ' P H T H E G — L oc/z a n a G/z ea a a z s I K E S C . . LO ,
d ich ea a s . O (g ) Loch abounds with pike, in spite of many attempts to get rid of them , and now and then they get far up the River Garry , causing great destruction among the salmon parr and you ng trout . LOCH AN AN S TAI O (Sr Ac) - The little lochof the precipice .
RI VE RS.
’ A L L T L L A — A N Allan s burn , on the Green
field ground , so called from one Allan Mac
e donald of Greenfield, who was drowned whil
w as crossing this burn about 1840. The burn RI C 2 1 TH E GL E N GARR Y D I ST T.
in heavy flood , and the body was carried down by a h the force of the water as far as Garrygou al c . — AL L T N AN ATH A The burn of the kiln . Atha ” means literally a kiln used for drying grain . ’ — AL L T A BH ODAI CH The burn ; Bodach 8 ’ . See . of the churlish old man ( p 4 , Tom a
Bh da ich o . ) — AL L T N A CAI L L I CH The burn of the old m woman . This burn takes its na e from an “ ” old woman who went wrong in her mind .
M an dall a c The old lady lived at y , and was , cording to all accounts, well cared for and looked after by the people of the glen , yet, in spite of their kindness , she was for ever
r t ying to get away to the hill . One day , when r eve yone was busy at the hay , she managed to escape from the people who were housing her.
These did not know where she had got to, and, after searching the whole countryside
u witho t success, came to the conclusion that she must have drowned herself in the river.
Not long after, some herdsmen , who were out on the hill , saw her gathering berries on
Ben Tee , and came home and told her people .
u Once more they sco red the hillside for her, - P L A CE N A M E S OF GL E N GARR Y. but without even getting a glimpse of the poor woman , and again gave up the search . How
a t m ever, the beginning of winter, the sa e shepherds, while herding their cattle and goats, caught sight of the old woman creeping
All ailli h into t na C c wood . This time a large number of m e n and wome n turned out to search for her, and at last secured her in an
- o f- - out the way corner, by the side of the burn which runs through the wood ; she was going along “ on her hands and feet like a
beast, and appeared to have had nothing for her food b u t the berries and roots that grew in
the forest . I n old days there were no poor
e m hous s or lunatic asylu s, and the only way in which these poor half- witted people were kept “ ” alive was by going from house to house, which
meant , in the case of this old woman , that one
u crofter wo ld keep her for a week , and then
send her on to his neighbour, who would look
after her for another week, and so on . A certain tailor was living at this time in
M a ndall d y , the site of his house is still pointe “ a out , and was t king his week of the old
woman . He had two sons, one of them very
kind to her ; but the other , always laughing at
24 FL ACE ! VAM E S OF OL E N GARR Y.
showing only too plainly what had happened . w Mad ith passion , the youth leapt out of bed, ’ and , with his shirt red with his brother s blood , rushed from the house vowing vengeance on the murderer . With the fresh snow on the ffi ground, he had little di culty in following the track, and came up with the old hag just as she ’ S wa s entering the neighbour s cottage. eizing her by the throat , the boy would soon have put an end to her , had not his father and some of the people of the house come up and
off w as f held the lad , until the old lady sa ely away .
AL L T N A R CH E — C I The burn of the march , the march between Easter and Wester
M andall y . AL L T N AN RP— t CO The burn of he corpses . d I n old ays, funerals on their way from
- Lochaber to the burial ground at Greenfield , w went by a path , which follo s this burnside
for some distance , and rested at the point the where path crosses the burn . Here were
built the usual cairns and piles of stones , and
many of them are still standing. The old Gaelic proverb is by no means forgotten in
Am meu da ich Glengarry fear nach an carn, c r . 2 ,
0 will not in he gallows who pass by a no to increase
7 Of Glengarry,
l s y .
i t ‘ e I .
b u rn o f gather nto Loch Oich pears to be no orl ln tradition as to the g of the name, which ,
. however, speaks for itself G —A l/t ’ . L E U RN . a da z d/z LAD DI B (Lad).
The burn of the mill lead . Laddie burn is
u one of the most beautiful b rns in Glengarry, and in former times a large number of people
r lived on its banks , where nume ous green 2 6 FL A CE ! VAM E S OF GL E N GA RR Y.
patches mark the site of the former se ttlement .
a a nd There were sever l mills here, more than
one mill lead is still to be seen , also the old l millstones which ie in the burn . Probably
o f the one last mills in work was a sawmill, used to cut up the splendid old fir- trees which
grew in the surrounding woods .
- PL ACE N AM E S.
“ “ R RI SH AI G— drisha i A D Ard, the height ; g ,
of little brambles . The brambly height .
Brambles grow all along the shore here , and ,
from their sunny situation, ripen their fruit
well .
BADAN T I G a O A sm ll clump of trees,
opposite Tomdoun , in the west end of Glen ’ —B a a n—t-seoé/z a . G. a : garry ég Bad , the
se obhai . grove or clump of trees ; g , ofthe hawk Badentoik was a very considerable settlement at one time, and the name is constantly crop ping up in old deeds, spelt in every conceivable ” Badinta wa 1 12 way, from g , in 5 , to Batten ” teo 1 8 . g, in 7 5 There is not one house left n o w ; but the clump of trees and the hawks are s till there. E R I R 2 TH E GL N GA RY D ST I CT. 7
I n old days there must have been a very m large nu ber of birds of prey in Glengarry , as 1 appears from the following list of vermin 8 trapped in the glen between 183 7 and 1 40.
11 oxes . 6 Go sha s F 3 wk . W 1 8 a s. 2 8 o mm n uz z ar s 9 ild c t 5 C o b d .
- 2 6 M ar n ca s. h 4 ti t 3 7 1 Roug legged buz z ards.
106 o e ca s . P l t 3 Honey buz z ar ds .
0 1 oa s an d ease s . 6 2 K es r s 3 St t w l 4 t el .
6 a ers. 8 r n h 7 B dg 7 Me li awks. 8 r e s . 4 Ott 63 H en b arriers . 8 ous oa i il e s o n w 6 r fa . 7 H t (g g d). ! e lcons 2 Wh e- a e sea ea es h- r ha s or 7 it t il d gl . 9 As colou ed wk
- 1 o en ea es . n a s 5 G ld gl lo g t iled blue hawk .
18 s re s. 1 1 o e ro s O p y 43 H od d c w . 8 u h s n s. 9 Bl e awk . 475 Rave
- f n ran e e e a o s . orn o s 7 O g l gg d lc 3 5 H ed wl .
1 1 o h 1 ern o s. H bby a wks . 7 F wl
- 2 75 Kites or salmon tailed 3 Golde n owls.
e es 8 a es. gl b . M gpi r hb arriers 5 Ma s .
Ma ny of the birds and beasts quoted in the above list are now almost extinct, and the only ones which appear to have increased are the
x a d fo es , stoats and we sels , house cats and hoo ed crows .
'
OL I N lz cm . B The cow ( ) meadow Here ,
1 t Gaz et eer o f Scotland . 2 8 -N M F G E N GARR PL A CE A E S O L Y.
again, was a considerable homestead, and per haps the best grazing along the Loch Garry
side . BRAI GH U AI N E The green brae above
u Greenfield , so called from the n mber of dark green fir trees in this spot . — C N OCAN N AN OSN A The hill of sighing . (See p 44 — CL AON L E I TI R The inclined hillside . COI L L E N AN SAL ACH Either the wood of ” Sa la ich Sa ile a ch , dirtying, polluting ; or ,
the Kintail men . The wood is a wet and
boggy place to walk through , and I have not been able to trace any anecdote connected w ith
m e n Kintail to this place , though the Kintail and the Glengarry men were constantly at
feud with each other . OI RE Bo CH AI L E I N C The corrie , Bo , “ ” Cha ile in of the cow ; , of Colin , the corrie of ’ r d Colin s cattle . C o hCha ile in or B0 Cha ile in
n the is a famous so g all over Highlands , but
especially in Lochaber, where it was composed .
Mrs . Grant of Laggan , who lived for many years at Fort Augustus, gives a capital trans lation and explanation of the song in her “ Essays on the Supe rstitions of the High R 2 TH E GL E N GA R Y DI STRI CT. 9
u lands , which f lly explains how the above
She : An corrie came to be named . says cie ntly the hunter was admired as a person
of manly courage, who, in the pursuit of a
and livelihood , exerted the virtues of patience
r fo titude, and followed Nature in her most
u sublime retirements . Herdsmen were co nted
the sons of little men, and were considered to be as much below the hunters a s the cattle they tended were inferior in grace and agility th u to e deer which the others purs ed . I n
process of time, however, the maidens began
s the to boa t of herds of their lovers, and viewed the huntsman as a poor wandering
u advent rer. About this time the song seems
to have been composed . The enamoured
nymph , willing to think Colin as rich as others , talks in an obscure manner of the cattle of
CrodhChaile in a Colin ( ), and pursues the met phor through many playful allusions to the
and deer, roes, fawns , etc . , their manner of sporting and feeding, in a style too minute fo r translation . In the end, however, it appears that the boasted cattle of Colin were no other than those wild commoners of nature, ” and his sole profession that of hunting. 0 L ACE -N AM E r L E N RR 3 P S o G GA Y.
“ The Chailein Glengarry Corrie Bo , lying on the north side of Ben Tee, is a favourite
bu t resort of deer ; , curiously enough , at the lower end of the corrie is a small knoll called h ” the H ill of watc ing, where the herds who came from the Bolin n crofts used to sit and watch their cattle . As the Gaelic song is too well known to need repeating, I only give Mrs . ’ c Grant s translation, whi h , to use her own
v words , preser es the tender simplicity of the ” original, and is well worth a perusal .
'
Cr od/z Cl mrld n.
’ M v o n lov d o n m o n m ear C li , C li , y C li , y d , ’ Who rt wont the wild mountains to trace without fear ; Oh here are th flo s ha so s f re oun , w y ck , t t wi tly b d ’ And fl o er the hea h hou ou hn the roun ! y t , wit t t c i g g d
So a e so var e so eau eous he r hue d ppl d , i d, b t t i , So a e so ra eful so harm n to v e w gil , g c , c i g i ; ’ ’ O er the i fores here s nou h can om eer w ld t, t g t c p W h - the l h oun n fl o s of m o n m ear. it ig t b di g ck y C li , y d
n ear o in m o n m ove My Coli , d C l , y C li , y l , Oh here are the her s ha so of move ! , w d t t l tily ’ Withbranches so stately their pro ud heads are cro wn d ;
W h h r mo on so ra the oo s all resoun . it t ei ti , pid, w d d
’ Where the r h rees han ee n o er foun a ns so ear bi c t g w pi g t i cl , ' At n oo n a he re s ee n roun o n m ear d y t y l pi g d C li , y d ;
2 PL ACE ! VAM E S OF GL E R 3 N GA R Y.
r s This rock , on which the old uined ca tle of Invergarry now stands , was formerly the gathering place of the Macdonells of Glen
r gar y, and from thence they took their famous ” - hi hi h F t c . war cry, Creagan an
Mrs . Ogilvy, in her Highland Minstrelsy, “ has a poem on The Rock of the Raven , which is too long to give in its entirety , but the following verses give a good idea of the stirring nature of her theme
Beware of Macdonnell ! beware of his wrath! I n fr en sh or fora o h ross not his a h i d ip y, l c p t H e no e hno ou n s to his ove or his ha e k w t b d l t , And the win d of his claymore is blasting as Fate e the h -cat who s r n s from her a r in the ro Lik ill p i g l i ck, — in h H e lea ps on the foe there is death t e shock . And the r s of the air sha be or e h heir re bi d ll g g d wit t p y, When the chief o f Glengarry comes down to the fray W hhis war-c r The o of the aven it y, R ck R
The ea e he ove h om n on on h h gl l t d i i ig , H e d e s hhis n red a one in the sk w ll wit ki d l y , ’ N or heedethhe sa n at noon o er the en , ili g gl , The turbulent cares and dissensions of men ; But the raven exulteth hen s r fe is at han w t i d, H is eyes are alight withthe gleam of the brand And s hen the red urn n ross oe hround till, w b i g c g t , And a hers an o a at for fie mou nd g t Cl C ll ti d ,
The first at the tryst is the Raven . G A Y D I I TH E L E N G RR STR CT. 33
The history of this old castle is very diffi h s cult to follow . It as been built at lea t three as times in its present situation , and burnt 16 often . One of the earliest records is in 54, when Glengarrie ’s new house was burnt by
’ a Cromwell s soldiers, under General Morg n , on
2 rd destruc the 3 of April of that year. The f tion , however, was not su ficiently complete to
al satisfy Gener Monck, who , on the following
rema nin day, ordered the y g structure to be ” onee rs s was defaced by the p y . The ca tle 16 0 soon rebuilt, and, in 9 , Colonel Hill is instructed that in cas e he found that the house of Invergarry cannot probably be taken in this season of the year with the artillery,
r etc. , he is to give Glengar y an indemnity for his life and fortune upon his deliveringup s the house. Whether a curiou old bras s can no n , which was discovered not long ago on
Cra i lea s g , a small hill overlooking the ca tle , had anything to do with the projected siege or not , must remain a matter of conjecture ;
a n rate - as but , at y , this old f hioned piece of ordnance was found lying on the very track which the soldiers would have taken to get a
as gu n in position to command the c tle . ’ A E - AM R 34 P L (I N E S OF OL E N GA R Y .
I n 169 1 Glengarry was still defending his
‘ a lis adoe house with an earthwork and p , and is the most bigoted man that w a y e s aliv n but he was evidently obliged to surre der, as in 169 2 there was a garrison of Government
n soldiers in the house, who remai ed on and o ff f 1 2 th until the rebellion o 7 15. On the 5 of September of that year Glengar ry marched 00 down to the castle with 5 men , surprised 1 the garrison, and took Lieut . Lauder and 5 men prisoners . To explain his conduct, Glen garry writes the following amusing letter to i S r . R Pollock, the English Governor of Fort William
’ A [g r a nder M am onel/ of Gleng a r ry to Me
F a G r n r or Willi m. ove o , t
2 2 nd Se 1 1 . p t! 7 5
SI R —I , am heartily sorry what I am to
ofl end inform you of might in the least you , and that is the surprising of the garrison in my house, which of necessity I was obliged to do for the safety of the poor people , who were threatened by the soldiers that they would fall T G Y 0 1 7 3 1 H E L E N GARR 3 07 . 35
upon them , and I am hopeful a person of your honour and integrity will rather approve tacitly, rather than disapprove, such measures ; and more especially King George having re fused to accept of our address, which hardship few or none ever tristed with . N o doubt others will take the same method . However, since it is not the quarrel of private gentlemen or noblemen , so I am glad it is not of ours, and therefore your friendship to my wife and little family is entreated be yours most obliged and humble servant
AL E ! AN DE R A M CDONE L L .
I n 17 16 the English garrison were back in the castle, and shortly afterwards evacuated
1 2 Y and burnt it . About 7 7 the ork Building Company commenced smelti ng iron in Glen
o ne garry, and the director of the works ,
s Thoma Rawlinson, finding the walls of the old castle still standing, fitted them up as a l residence for himself and his workmen . As soon as the alterations and building were com
le te d m p , so e gentlemen of the clan came and dined with him, and in the speech which fol
1 ’ Burt s Letters . 6 L A CE -N AM E OF L E GARR Y 3 P S G N .
a w a s lowed the usual toasts , the Englishm n foolish enough to bid them “ be welcome to ” n anythi g that is in my house . Upon these — two last words one of them cried out : D n ! ! you , sir y our house I thought it had been Glengarry’s house Upon which they knocked
b u t the candles out and set upon him he, being
strong and active, escaped to another room, and
called his workmen to him, who, arming them
n selves, and runni g to his assistance, drove the l gentlemen off] The Y ork Building Company were not long
in existence , and , with their failure, the iron
works were discontinued , and the rightful owner once more took possession of his
home . From 1743 to 1745 Glengarry and his family were active in promoting the interests of Prince
Charlie . During these stirring times the old castle seems to have been the headquarters of
many of the Jacobites . Prince Charlie slept
the 2 6th 1 here on of August, 745, and again
1 1 6 on April 7th, 74 , the day after Culloden . “ He arrived at I nvergarry Castle about four
u or five in the morning, and fo nd only one
1 ’ Burt s Letters. TH E GL E N GARRY D I TRI S C T. 37
man there, who said Glengarry and his family were abroad , and had left no provisions or fur nitu re in the house, so the Prince was obliged to lie on the floor without any refreshment .
When daylight appeared , Edward Burk saw a net , which he drew in the water, and catched ” 1 r two salmons, on which they dined ve y well . The Prince remained in the neighbourhood till
o ff about three in the afternoon, when he went ’ L c i l s r to o he count y . I n May the castle was burnt for the las t time by the Duke of Cumber land .
° G — r a l I L E A C e z a té . CRA G . . g The grey crag, so -called from a large grey rock near the top of the hill , now almost hidden by trees and under growth .
' —D r ir A G. z e m D U RN AH CH L I SH . o
The grove of the armpit . A small wood on the side of Ben Tee . The slope of the hill at this point resembles the hollow of a man ’s armpit . — l G P o l mm n . D OG L T H E . ca POO , . A pool on the Lower Garry . Here again the origin of the name has been entirely lost . It was on the
1 “ ! ournal o f the Most Miraculous E scape of the Y oung ” Chevalier . P A E -N AM E OF OL E N GA 38 L C S RRY .
flat close to this pool on the west side of the “ river, that the games were held in Glen ’ 1 r gar y s time . The people assembled at Inver garry and marched up the glen to the field, headed by the pipers and their chief. The
: games were of the usual sort tossing the caber, dancing and pipe playing, and included a race to I nvergarry and back, about six miles . This was alway s reckoned one of the most trying
a nd u contests of the day , d ring the race the men freq uently threw o ff their kilts and arrived in their shirts only . Another feat of strength was twisting the four legs of a cow ; the poor brute was brought up and felled before all the
a nd people, the man who accomplished the task
fa was presented with a t sheep as a prize .
After the sports were over, the bard of the clan was called out a nd recited an extempore poem
a nd in Gaelic in praise of his chief the clan .
v The festi ities ended with a grand dinner, at
r which all the count y people were regaled .
(See p . D RU I M ARRY — G The ridge of Garry. There
is an anecdote connected with this hill which ,
whether true or not, deserves to be recorded .
1 ’ ose h he l s em n en ! p Mitc l R i isc ces.
TH E GL E N GARRY D I TRI S CT. 39
Fingal was said to have two residences, one in Glen Turret and the other in Glenelg near
u Kyle Rhea, and it is s pposed by some that the various corries and straths named after him in Glengarry, mark his route from Kyle Rhea
m n to Glen Turret . A o g his followers was one
Garry, who was left on this occasion in charge
m n of the establish e t in Glenelg, while the others
n were out on a hunti g expedition , with special orders to watch the conduct of the ladies who
remained .
n Being weary of watchi g, he fell asleep, and
O u the ladies, seeing their pport nity , and yet not
a n wishing to do him y serious injury, fastened
him by the hair to a pillar of the house, hoping no doubt to have some high jinks by them
r selves . Gar y, according to all accounts , soon
woke up (he must, indeed, have been a sound
sleeper to have slept as long as he did), and
his rage, when he found himself fast , knew no bounds ; but his fair persecutors had reckoned
without their host ; tearing out his hair, he was
n soon free again , nor was he lo g in taking his ’ revenge, for e er the ladies knew what was hap
pening, he had fastened up the doors and set
u S fire to the b ilding. ome of the other Fin 40 F L A CE ! VA M E S OF GL E N GARR Y. galia ns who were gathering shell -fish on the coast of Skye noticed the smoke of the burning
e . house, and, fearing a mishap, hasten d home
When they got to Kyle Rhea, they found that the current was at its height— the channel is
a t narrow here , and the tide when full ebb races along like a swollen river in flood there was no time to lose , however, so these hardy swimmers plunged boldly into the flood , and all “ got safely to land except Mac Ratha, who ” was drowned, hence the name of Kyle Ratha .
Alas for their pluck, when they arrived at their home it was only to find a mass of smouldering ruins, and to see Garry escaping over the dis tant hills . The latter became an outlaw, and
Gle n u o ich for long dwelt in a cave in q , called — to this day U a mh Ga rridh the cave of
Garry , where no doubt he would have ended
e inn his days in peace , had not the F e one morn ing accidentally come upon his cave . Garry for some time kept them outside by sending out
flights of pigeons, which he had tamed . In
a such numbers did these come out, th t the P einne were unable to enter, and a discussion arose as to whether there was any use in S . searching the cave at all aid one of them , TH E GL E N GA RR Y D I TR C 1 S I T. 4
There can be no man in there, with all these ” ” “ pigeons . Hooch , replied the other, it is
’ ” probably just one of Garry s tricks . When
he heard this, Garry felt it was all up with him ; but with the courage of despair he bravely faced his end at the point of the sword he forced his
n way through his asto ished enemies , then with a
b e desperate leap from the rocks, cleared the
r River Gar y , which lay far below at the foot of
the hill, and , landing in safety, fled down the — f glen the prints of his eet , where he alighted
in the soft moss , are yet visible . The gallant
Fin alia ns g were soon in hot pursuit , and, after a long chase , poor Garry was over taken and sla in on the hill which still bears “ ’ ” D ru im his name, Garry Garry s Ridge . It is only fair to say that the Gle nqu o ichpeople ” S u rr Ga iro ch claim g , Ben Garry, as the
- death bed of our hero .
I RE ARB H — DO G The rough grove . ’ OI RE N A E ARBA— - D The roe deer s grove .
’ ' ’ L E CK TH E G — e a n Flz z r e z AG S . . Cr a n o . E RO , g 0 f This rock, a steep crag about 4 eet high , is
in the centre of the Glengarry forest, and on a ledge about the middle of the rock the eagles
E n have their nests . very year they bri g up 2 FL A CE -N AM E OF GL E G RR 4 S N A Y.
two young ones ; but food is scarce, and as soon
as these are able to fly, they are driven out of the country by their Spartan pare nts to fend
fo r themselves . — E I L E AN BAN The white or light-coloured
island . N BH — E I L E A DU The black island . — ’ E I L E AN N AN SASSUN ACH The Saxon s is
ou . land , the River Garry
' F N TH E G - E z lea n I L AN D TH E WA S . S O . S ,
E /z u m m nla id . Probably tame swans , tho gh occasionally in hard winters wild swans come
on to Loch Garry. ' —F e D DAN G aaa n . F E . . A crevice through ” which the wind whistles . Fead , a whistle. This high pass lies at the foot of M ulla nta ga rt
(see p . and here is also the highest inhabited
house in Glengarry. A sto ry is told of an old woman who used to “ ”— live here, called Cailleach na Feddan the old the lady of Feddan . Her cottage was by burn side close to the march between Glengarry and
Lochiel on the watershed of the ridge, and a little stream ran do wn from the hill behind her
house, which could be diverted so as to flow
either way . When the Glengarry men came E W E N n M ACP H E E o f uo ich I s a . , Q l d
ro m r E r o f W m F a d a w in g b y the a l e yss . (See pa ge
- G 44 FL ACE N A III E S OF L E N GA RR Y.
“ Ga rrif maps it is generally spelt . The second
S s derivation , published in a book on cotti h
- Ga ra idh — place names, Glen the glen of the
Gar garden , cannot be the correct one, as the
r h in Ga a id is long and not short as in Garry . ” The third derivation is Glen Ga rridh ’ See D ru im Garry s Glen . ( Garry , p .
’ RE E N FI D G — A e /z u n I n E L . /z a d a z e. G . old ” Acha a o ne deeds often spelt g v . Here was
- M a m u i the burial ground of the c h cge ns . The
M a cdone ls of Greenfield, another famous cadet family of Glengarry , also lived here for many generations . E G — Gl L L N U I E . . en a z /z f G L o lg . The Cal s
Glen . Glen Luie was for many years the seat
M a cmhu ic e ns of the g , a sept of the Mac
See donalds . ( p . ’ L E N GARRY S OWL I N G RE E N Se G B G . ( e Ben
Tee , p .
H I L L F L T H E O . See o ir GO D , ( Tom an , p .
H I L F R AN I N H E - T . L O O G G. G , Cnoca n em ’ ’ “ ” Osna z a lz Os na idh — f The little hill , o the “ “ sob or groan . Locally called Cnocan ”— nan Oicho ich the hillock of O ich! Oich! A small knoll at the head of Loch Lochy Close to the battlefield of E lar- na Leine tradition says TH E GL E N G R AR Y D I STRI CT. 45 that the few who escaped from the plain below made a last stand on this hillock , where they were cut down to a man by their assailants .
H I L L OF H N T H G — M enll er oa én W AT I E . C G, . “ a w d/ta r e f . The hill of the tree of looking ” “ out or watching . A small knoll at the lower end of Corrie Bo Cha ile in (see p . whence the herds used to watch their cattle .
I N SH AN TOI R WOOD (on ordnance map).
G C il/e I n n i n - t . o s a Sa oir , but really Innis “ — e - soar. Innis m adow soar free, exempt . The free meadow . It is said that
‘ M L e ra n a crofter named , who lived here in old times , had the land free and paid no rent to anyone. He kept a great number of cattle and horses, and was the happy father of five or six daughters ; to each of these on their weddi ng ( and they all married)he gave a grey mare and foal . There is a small green above this wood
‘ ’ M L ran s called to this day e croft .
N VE R R I b/z r GA RY . n i I . The mouth of (liter “ See ally, confluence of the River Garry . (
Glengarry , p .
ARRY L E See hi I N VE RG CAST . ( Creag an F thich , p . V G. C A i ni a n . K 1L F 1 N N N . if onn The 6 L A CE -N AM E OF L E N ARR 4 P S G G Y .
“
St . . church or cell of Finnan Finnan ,
St . better known as Finnan , was one of the missionaries who came over to the mainland ’
St . after . Columba s death Little is known
u about him , except that he labo red for many years in the cause of Christianity in the district
Kilfinna n of Lochaber, and died at , where a ” 1 church was erected to his memory .
1 60 Ru ari About 4 , Allan Mac , a wild and
the Cla nra nalds daring chief of , is said to have committed many excesses , and to have burnt
K lfin na n the church of i . I n the Dean of ’ Lismore s collection is a poem in which allusion is made to Alla n and the raid
Fierce ravager of churchand cross
Beside that other lawless raid
A ai ns nnan in en arr g t Fi Gl g y,
ave ursed th a hea A an . H c y b ld d, ll
Allan was himself at last captured and
u 1 0 . u exec ted in 5 9 It is , however, as a b rial place of the Macdonells of Glengarry that
n n Kilfin a has latterly been known, and for many years the great chiefs and their retainers
I u ” M o dart Rev . . a ona . y , by C M cd ld N GARR Y D I TRI TH E GL E S CT. 47
as were buried here The l t great funeral , that of Colonel Alastair Ra naldso n Macdonell of 182 8 Glengarry in , drew together a large con course o f mourners ; no less than 1500 people attended , and the body was borne by eighteen
who Highlanders, were relieved at regular intervals . The day was very stormy, the Kil
finna n burn in high flood , and, as there was
S no bridge at that time, the wollen river reached high abo ve the knees of the people as they f orded it .
ADD I E See . L . ( p “ AGGAN See Achadrom L A hollow . ( ,
e tc . . , p — See L E AC LADD1E The Flags of Laddie. (
2 p . T A E — LE I I R L PPI The muddy hillside . On
rai le a u the south Side of C g . This hillside is f ll I/
ea of springs . Lapan m ns mire or mud .
There may be another derivation . — L ON ATH GH OBH L AI CH The marsh of the f forked ord , near Laggan . Loch Qich here makes a sort of fork gobhlach is also used in Gaelic to denote the face of an old woman
ac when her nose appro hes her chin , and perhaps this simile be tter de scribes the shape 2 PL A CE -N A M E OF GL E N GARR 5 S Y.
S reprisals on either ide , seven of the latter, headed by the “ Alasdair Mor Mac Mhic
Dhu ha ill g big Alasdair, the grandson of — B uga ll arrived one morning unawares at ’ K e o chs p p house , and , forcing their way in , him killed and his two sons . For many years
nothing was done to avenge the murder. The
murderers, however, feeling sure that their
a pursuit was only a m tter of time, kept a sharp
- look out on their enemies, and built a small
cottage on the hill opposite Invergarry Castle , whence they could obtain news of any expedi
n w tio hich might be projected against them . ’ Ke ochs At length pp sister, despairing of
justice , incited Ian Lom , the famous bard , to
- m write the stirring and well known la ent, “ Cu mha Cla nn na Ce ap a ich The Lament ” of the Clan Keppoch . Copies were sent to Lord Macdonell and to Sir James Macdonald of Sleat much indigna
was tion aroused throughout the country, and Glengarry was invited by the Privy Council to take Steps to avenge the outrage ; but he either
a n ra te refused, or, at y , failed to move in the Sir matter, and James Macdonald was directed by the Government to take up the case . The TRI TH E GL E N GARR Y D I S CT. 53
party which he despatched from the isles, start ing on a Wednesday, crossed the Lochy on S S be aturday night, and on unday morning w fore daybreak , the hole of the conspirators , “ M br w except Alasdair , ere surprised and ” killed , and their houses set on fire .
M r Alasdair o had retired to his cottage , which he had some time previously loopholed
a nd f and fortified, now , with the help of his wi e , he was ready to offer a determined resistance .
His assailants were unable to effect an entrance . Many of them were killed or sorely wounded by the hot fire which Alasdair kept up from w the bothy, ably assisted by his courageous ife , who, though her leg had been shattered by a ball early in the fight, continued to load his rifle and mould his bullets . At last, one of the attacking party managed to place a large bundle of bracken and dry heather under the eaves of
u n the roof, and , quickly setting fire to it , retired
s ff hurt . Ala dair, su ocated by the smoke of his now burning house, and feeling that his last w hope was gone , seized his ife in his arms, and ,
u r shing from the door, was soon cut to pieces by his assailants .
off The Islesmen cut the heads oftheir victims, L A CE -N A M E S OF GL E N GA R Y 54 P R . and proceeded w ith them to Invergarry Castle to lay them before Glengarry, but ere they arrived at the house they washed their gory trophies at the little spring now known as the ” Well of the Heads . The heads, having been
S w hown to Glengarry , ere afterwards buried in a small glade a Short distance east of the
castle .
6 L A CE -N AM E OF GL E N GARR 5 P S Y.
a 6 less th n goats and 7 3 kids , besides
G o ibhre much other spoil . From this Craig na , perhaps the best view along the whole length
of the canal is obtained, as there are no inter
v enin g hills, and, on a clear day , a person can
see from the North Se a to the Atlantic . It was on this summit that the beacon was lighted
when Glengarry wished to summon his clan . The fiery cross w as first displayed on the top
o f im most tower Invergarry Castle , and mediately the beacon was kindled on Craig
na Gour, whence it could be seen all up Glen garry, and up and down the great glen . E L D RI G Probably a corruption of B ilid “ ” RTdhe Ridhe the hinds , a valley ; “ “ “ ” U lla mh E iri h or possibly Ull or , quick ; g ,
S . rising, from the abrupt nature of the lope
The name, though spelt Eldrig, is pronounced
r E le ig .
L E ACAN N D OI RE BAN N E AR feet . ” S Leacan , the lope ; Doire, of the grove ;
Ba nn a r G — 6a na ir e . ( ), a place where the
- sheep are milked , sheep fold . — “ L ei ir F ea r . E TTE RFE ARN . G. n L t Leitir, the slope ; Fearn , of the alder tree . ’ “
L H A GH I N N E f . MU L AC L . eet Mul TH E AB E RCH A L D T I E R D I S R CT. 57
Ghlinne lach, the summit ; (Gleann), of the glen .
RI VE RS.
A L L T N A RI C H E Allt C , the burn ;
crioch . Criche ( ), of the march This burn marks the march between the Aberchalder and Laggan farms . AL D E R R T H E w C BU N, , hich flows into Loch
Oich at Aberchalder, and gives its name to “ ” “ the latter place, Aber, the mouth ; Chal der, of the calder . Calder, according to all
to o ra hists the p g p , is a corruption of Coille “ ” : Dur Dur, an obsolete Gaelic term for “ ” e wat r ; and Coille, of the wood . The Calder burn runs through a wood for almost its entire length . ’ “ COACH AN A BH RUD H AI STE — Coacha n , the ” Bru dha is te streamlet ; , of brose, from the dark and frothy appearance of the stream w hen in flood. ’ G — /It n i /l e n I RI E R T E . S t a A S N H . A na . F BU , (See p 7 5 8 P L CE -N AM E OF L E N GARR Y 5 A S G .
- PL ACE N AM E S.
“ “ ACH AD ROM — Achadh, the field ; Drom
dru im Achadrom ( ), of the ridge . is the water
o f of S shed the Great Glen cotland , and in old maps there is marked near this spot a place S S . called the tone of the Rigg or Ridge kene, “ S ” in his Chronicles of the Picts and cots, connects this ( D ru im) Ridge with the Great ” “ S D ru malba n Ridge of cotland, , which,
rising near Ben Lomond, proceeds by the head of Loch Katrine past Ca irndru m and
D ru im a nd Tyndrum , the Cairn of the House
D ruim of , on through the Moor of Rannoch
e t and over Ben Ald r, until it intersec s the Great Glen of Scotland at a place called
Acha drum D ru im , or the Field of . Hence it
ROSS S and proceeds through hire, crosses Derrymore at a place where the waters flow east and west from a little loch called Loch
D ru im Droma, or the Lake of , till it finally
loses itself in the mountains of Sutherland .
No doubt all the places got their names locally, but it is none the less interesting to find that when pieced together these local ridges make
the D rumalban Acha dro up great . m was a TH E ABE RCH AL DE R D I TRI C ‘ S T. 59 famous place in old days ; here was held the All fair or market, and here were the gallows .
L a a ne the old deeds were signed at gg , in
Acha dro m - re , and, as a battle ground , it is ’ markable that both the first Skirmish in the 45 and the celebrated battle of Blar- na- Leine were u fo ght near this field . The skirmish in the ’ 45 was practically an affair of outposts between three companies of English regulars and a body
a of the Macdon lds of Keppoch , who came in contact with the former somewhere near Spean
Bridge . The regulars retired on to Fort
Augustus, whence they had come, closely pursued by the Highlanders, and on repassing
Achadrom u through , the Glengarry men (abo t fifty of the Ke nne dies of Laggan) Showed themselves in their way, and sent a message to the English to surrender. This they refused to do, and at the same time commenced to fire on the Glengarry men . After a time the mili
a t ry , who were firing at a long range, ran out of ammunition , when the Highlanders at once
S charged , word in hand , and compelled them
u to s rrender. Four or five privates were killed, — — and one officer Capta in Scott was wounded in h s u r the e st e n e -tw o t e ho lde ; r , b i g ighty , - 60 FL A CE IVAM E S OF GL E N GARR Y .
hn a rr were carried o ff prisoners to Ac a c y . S Captain cott, who behaved with great bravery ,
’ w as L o chie l s taken to house, where , at the instance of Lady Lochiel, his wound was dressed .
ABE RCH AL D E R Aber , the confluence ; ”
see . Chalder, of the Calder ( p The Highland army halted here for the night of
2 6th 1 w August , 745, here they were joined by 400 of the Glengarry Macdonalds ; early the next morning Prince Charlie commenced his famous march across Corrie Arrick B AL AL I STE R (near Laggan) Baile Alas ”
w . dair, the to n of Alister, after Col Alister
Macdonell . While the Caledonian Canal was im being constructed , Glengarry , anxious to
182 0 prove the property, erected in a chapel
new at Laggan, and commenced to build a village, which he called Bal Alister. This name is now rarely used , the only survival of
Ba lma las te r it being in g Hill . E AL ACH STRE AP B Beallach , pass or bal
Str a e . loch ; p , climbing A very steep pass south of Laggan . ‘ ’ E D H R G — lcz r na L ei I L OF TH E I TS. . B F S ne.
- d Blar fiel e s . , the battle ; L ine, of the hirts TH AB E RCH AL D E R D I TRI CT 6 1 E S .
Two capital accounts of this battle and the incidents relating to it have appeared within
m n the last few years, and every old a uscript that is brought to light seems to add some fresh fi ht 1 anecdote to this now famous clan g . I n 1543 a feu d broke out between the Clan
a ld M d r Ra n of oy e t and the Frasers . Allan Mac Ru a ri of M oy de rt was the chief of Clan
Ra nald 1 81 1 from 4 to 509 . He was twice
M a n . cia married First, to a daughter of of
A rdna m u rcha n ; secondly , to a daughter of
Lord Lovat . By his first wife he had two sons , Ramald Bane and Alister ; and by his second
Rana ld wife, Galda (or the stranger), who 2 was brought up by the Frasers . Ra na ld Bane w as executed ; his son Dougal assassinated , and the command of the clan
u devolved pon Alister. When Alister died in ’ 1 0 Oa si a m so n M o de rta ch 53 , his , John y , a man of great ability, was acknowledged as chief by
C the whole clan , and procured harters to the
1 0 estates . These he possessed till 54 , when he was lodged in prison with other chiefs by V James . This king, while making a tour
” 1 - h. An uar an N o es . raser a n os tiq i t , by C F M cki t 2 ’ “ “ ” re or s hlan s M oidart Rev. . a ona d. G g y Hig d , by C M cd l - 6 2 FL ACE N AM E S OF GL E N GARR Y.
“ S n round the North of cotla d , received at
Tro ute rness S e , in kye, the homag of most of f the insular and mainland chie s, including
r M o de rtach Alexander of Glengar y, John y , ’ Co nellis and others of the Mac y kin . Glad to
find so many within his grasp, he, without any
sense of honour, carried them away south , and ” committed them to prison . Lord Lovat and
s the Fra ers, seizing their opportunity, bestirred
r o e e Ra nald themselves for their p t g , Galda,
’ and with s uch success that John M oy de rtachs
charters were revoked , and granted to the
forme r .
M o de rtach When, however, John y was let
o u t of prison , he was at once joined by the
Ra nald whole of Clan , who acknowledged him
Ra na ld as their chief. Galda was expelled
M o de rt fu from y , and took re ge with Lovat, who
s prepared to a sert the rights of his kinsman . 1“ The Clan Ra nald did not wait to be at
tacked, but, assisted by the Clan Cameron and
- Macdonells of Keppoch , they over ran the
Ab e rta rff Stratherrick districts of , , and Glen
mo riston , possessed themselves of the Castle of
u Urq hart, and seemed to aim at a permanent
I “ - An uar an N o es . raser a k n osh tiq i t , by C F M c i t .
6 - 4 FL A CE N AAI E S OF GL E N GARR Y.
returned home to Strathspey by the Brae Lochaber with the Laird of Grant and the
bulk of the army ; but the Frasers, under the
n Ra nald command of Lovat, and accompa ied by
Galda and a few followers, to the number of
00 u about 4 , ret rned to I nverness by the south side of Loch Lochy in spite of Lord Huntly ’s remonstrances . When they arrived at Letter
Gle n lo Finlay (or, perhaps , g y Lord Lovat received information that the Clan Ra nald were in full march to intercept them , upon which
- in- his brother law, the Laird of Grant Macin
hi s tosh, and others advised him to alter route . It is probable this kind offer would have been
r accepted of, but James Fraser of Foye s , a
n headstrong, obsti ate man, dissuaded his chief from it, protesting it would be reckoned w co ardice in Lord Lovat, and an indignity ff done to o er him a convoy, that they were able enough themselves for any that could pretend to obstruct their passage . Upon this all these Chieftains and their men took their leave of him, and parted with him . Lovat marched down by the south side of Loch
u - Lochy, and abo t half way, he sent one Iain
Cle irach Cle irach , or Bean (the Clerk), with I TRI TH E A BE RCH AL D E R D S CT. 65
100 bowmen to occupy an important pass so as to secure a retreat in case of defeat, with
S h orders to keep in ig t of the main body, and, ’ if he saw danger, to come to their assistance.
Iain , however , either mistook his orders or lost
‘ a n ra te his way ; at y , he was no use to the 100 rest, nor any of the men he carried with
’ him . Meanwhile, the Macdonalds had not been idle they were on their own ground the pre cip itou s hills of Loch Lochy Side offered the enemy little chance of escape . They had gathered from all parts of Glengarry— one party of Camerons came along the north Shore of Loch Lochy, another party of Macdonalds
L och a rr marched across from g y past Ben Tigh , and the small Lochan na Diota — the loch
— m a of the repast where each man had his e l, and then (according to the local tradition) drove a stick into the grou nd so that they
C might ount the absent on their return home .
They gathered, no doubt, on that day in the — Allt Cru inne acha idh the burn of the gather — ing which overlooks Lagan Achadro m a nd the battlefield . Then , having had their arms ’ put in order on the adjacent smithy s knoll,
- - Cea rda ich h a Torran na , t ey w ited for the E - A 66 FL A CE N AM E S OF GL E N G RR Y.
’ u nco n enemy s approach . Lovat , however , scious of the strength of the force gathered him to oppose , marched on , and , on arriving at the head of Loch Lochy, he perceived a force of between five and seven hundred of the Clan Ra na ld marching down the hill in seven com
c pani s , with banners flying, and leaving no doubt of their intention to intercept him . 1 Lord Lovat immediately calls a council of
a war, and having all resolved to eng ge , he encourages his men in a Short harangue to this purpose
‘ na r d tie - cor s Gentlemen, you are my g p , whom I have Chosen o ut of many to accom pany me in this honourable expedition for the
Y u s . o services of my overeign are, most of ff you, my flesh and blood , the o spring of those heroes who Signalised themselves so often in
the defence of their country . Remember the
u o u hono r of your noble ancestors, of whom y
are descended , some of which will be for ever ’ on record as ill ustrious examples of Scotland s
pristine bravery . The several branches of our ancient family have upon all occasions distin
u ished g themselves , and to this day never
1 ” i - An u . r r h ar an N o es ase a n os . t q i t , by C F M cki t II E A R H L E R D I I T B E C A D STR CT. 67 brought the least stain upon the na me they bear . The time is short to Speak of each of them in particular ; methinks I see them all alive in you , and that they have transmitted their courage and bravery, as well as their
Y o u blood and name, to you . are , indeed , but
a a h ndful to encounter yonder formidable crew , ff but consider the di erence in other respects .
They are rebels, you are loyal subjects ; they outlaws, you are free subjects . I go on before
a you . I will haz rd my life with you and for you . I by far prefer a noble death to an
u inglorio s retreat, or anything that sullies the glory of my house ; and are not you as much concerned in its glory as I am ! We have from others the character of men of fortitu de and resolution we carry our lives on the point
. me n of our swords Let us act as . Fall on , and refer the event to Alm ighty God “ for the ’ f battle is the Lord s, who can save with e w as ” w ith many . He had scarcely ended when the enemy
came close to them at the end of Loch Lochy . Hereupon ensued a most fierce and bloody f conflict , ought more like tigers than men . he The Frasers t r w aside not only their plaids, 68 F A CE -N AM E OF GL E N ARR L S G Y.
as has been the common practice with the
off Highlanders , but threw their very short
coats and vests , and engaged in their shirts,
- with their two handed swords and Dane axes . “ This conflict is still called by the country ’ people Blar- na- Leine the Battle of the
Shirts . The fronts of both armies engaged
so closely , without either sides yielding or
giving way , that they were felled down on
each side like trees in a wood, till room was
made by these breaches on each side, and at
- - fis last all came to fight hand to t. There was none there b u t met his match to encounter
b u t him many were seen to fall , none to fly ;
fo r they all fought victory , which still remained
uncertain . “ There is one remarkable passage which
I cannot omit. I told you above that Lord ffi Lovat had with di culty prevailed on his son,
the Master, to stay at home to take care of ’ the country . He had been on a day s hunting
Co rricha rbie for his diversion in the forest of , a nd having taken home great plenty of venison ,
his stepmother , Lady Lovat, told him , with
u a sneer, that it was fine amusement for yo ng m n e as n a nd s a nd e to b ch i g birds bea ts, then TH E AB E RCH AL D E R D I STRI CT. 69
to sleep soundly in their beds , when old men were fighting in the fields . This sarcasm
n touched so sensibly this oble youth , that instan tly he takes a dozen resolute fellows
o ut with him , and sets resolving to find his f a nd ather friends, and accordingly he joined them at Loch Lochy a little after the conflict began, and fell in where the battle was hottest . The first sight of him quite dispirited and confounded his father . All was now at stake m they fought in blood and gore , and when any of them wearied with their two- handed swords and the heat , they went into the loch in couples and struck each other with their dirks . The
a nd Master acted like a hero , each of the men
wa s he brought with him worth many .
Lord Lovat fought so gallantly, hewing down all that came in his way , that his enemies ‘ called him a Cru a idhChosca r the ha rdy slaughterer ; a nd when they observed him to fall in the field, it inspired the few that remained
Ra na ld of the Clan with fresh vigour, crying out
Crua idh Chosca r with great joy , Thuit a ,
’ ‘ ’ u f a nd thuit The hardy c tter is fallen , is allen,
— e a as they cried they were knocked down y ,
n eve those who lay as dead in the field, when 0 P L A (! E -N AM E OF OILE N GARR 7 S Y.
a n w enemy came by, would lay hold of a s ord
o ff and endeavour to cut a leg or an arm . A Macdonald and a Fraser singled each other out for mutual destruction The Mac donald , while delivering a vigorous lunge with
‘ a his broadsword , cried out , Take th t from l ’ ’ Cla n ra na d s . Blacksmith The Fraser , parry ing the thrust and then s winging his battle- axe
’ ‘ M o ida rt u over the man s head , And tho
’ ’ M ac him ie s receive this from S Blacksmi th . When the day was over these two worthies
e were found lying beside each other, both d ad . “ This they contin ued from noon till the
fe w darkness surprised them , when very from either side were left alive , and the victory to 2 a M a c Ra nalds this day uncert in . The , as they
u u were more n mero s, so more of them fell in
u proportion . It is certain that only fo r of the
v o u t Frasers came ali e of the field, and not dou ble that number of the M a c Ra nalds and their adherents . But the loss on the side of
e the Frasers was incomparably more r gretted ,
the for Lord Lovat himself, and his eldest son , t Mas er of Lovat , and three hundred gentlemen
1 n h l o Amo t e C anranalds Rev . . a na g , C M cd ld . 2 The a ona s a ne a om e e v or M cd ld g i d c pl t ict y.
2 - 7 FL A CE IVAM E S OF GL E N GARRY.
few days after, as proved by the service of his i son Hugh, where n it is proved that he died
‘ in the month of J uly, When the news of this unhappy conflict ’ came to Lord Lovat s country, all who stayed — — at home men and women went to the fie ld m of battle , fro whence they carried the bodies of all their principal gentlemen . Andrew Roy of Kirkhill , who was uncle to Lord Lovat, was so like him that in mistake they carried his ’ a body, instead of my lord s , till they c me to ’ Cilliwhimman t , where Lord Lova s nurse met
n them, and found it was A drew Roy, upon
u which they b ried him there, as they did most of the gentlemen they brought out of the field
’ n a of battle, and returned , bringi g Lord Lov t s
Ra na ld body with them , who with his son and 1 Ranald Galda were interred at Beauly.
the Galda, by testimony of the Macdonalds,
u fought like a hero . His death was ca sed by
‘ a Strontian man called Mac Dhonu ill Ru adh
’ Beg, who, happening to be singled out by
Ranald , treacherously called out , Look behind ’ m you, which Ra ald incautiously doing, he was instantly pierced in the side and fatally wounded .
1 ” Amon the Clanranalds R ev . a ona . g , by . C M cd ld TH E ABE RCH AL D E R D I TRI C S T. 73
Ra nald a ff , by supreme e ort , dealt a tremendous
’ back stroke , his last, on his assailant s skull . The M o idart people were not at all proud of ’ their neighbour s after-boasting of his part at ” Blar- - e na L ine . “ a M SS In the bove . it is said that eighty gentlemen of estates (Frasers), who were killed on the spot , all left their wives pregnant, and ” everyone of them brought forth a male and , incredible as it may appear, there appears to have been some foundation for the report, as “ 1 in July, 574 , the year that Lord Lovat was d ma e Governor of Inverness Castle , at a ren de z v ou s To m - - thu irich of his men at na , near
u I nverness, he had eighty yo ng gentlemen with him much about the same age, whose fathers had been killed in the field of Lochy precisely
a thirty ye rs before that , and who all by a wonderful providence lived to men . ’ D N T H G — Cenm na N AI E S E AP E . . M L , ig
a h n — f Ite n . the i e a o Ceum step , N g the daughter or maiden . This rock which lies
’ on General Wade s road between Aberchalder
d ffi u and Laggan , was in old ays a very di c lt
s one to pa s, especially at night. One dark
u u and tempest o s night, a young girl was mak P L ACE -N AM E OF GL E N GARR 74 S Y.
ing her way home to Laggan , where her father was anxiously awaiting her. Night passed and did she not return , so at dawn of day the poor
b e man , thinking some accident must have
o ff - fallen her, started with a search party along
the path which she should have followed . No sign of her could they see until they came to
the dreaded rock , and there , sure enough , was
Se a footprint in the path . so ceum na nig
hean , cried out the unhappy father This ’ — m ust be my daughter s footsteps a nd looking
over the edge of the rock, they saw the body of
a the poor girl flo ting in the loch below. Ever since the rock has been called Ceum na nig ’ hean the maiden s step .
v iz There is another version of the incident , . , that the maiden was being pursued by some
u rascally sco ndrels , and that to save her honour,
she leapt into the loch and was drowned . One of the old files of the Cou r ier has also
an anecdote relating to this same rock, wherein S the writer says , that hortly after Prince ’ 1 u Charlie s arrival in Lochaber in 745, Ang s ,
’ i n fe w the la rd s younger brother, alo g with a
a others, espied from the battlements of the c stle five or six redcoats on the top of Ceum na TH E AB E RCH AL D E R D I TRI C S T. 75
’ i he a n N g or Girl s Leap , who had been sent
A u out from Fort ug stus . Angus immediately
’ loaded the Cuckoo, one of the twelve mus kets always kept in the upper part of the castle , ‘ each of which was eight feet long, the Cuc
’ koo being known to carry the farthest ; and having fired the gun , one of the soldiers was killed . The others seeing their companion laid prostrate, and fearing the same fate would happen to themselves, retreated back to Fort ” Augustus .
OI L L E SH L U GAN — Slu a n C The wood , g ,
n of the eck of the bottle , so called from the
a sh pe of the wood , which narrows to a point at one end . “ “ CU L L OCH v— Cul , at the back of Loch , the loch . — ’l ’ D L Y D / r na ir ia z . . A A G . a RU R . Rory s field
H G — D nOIz llm S ll w I AN . Si a n i a n S . or . The ’ f a black airies knoll . A knoll near Lagg n , “ Allt which also gives its name to the burn ,
Sithe a n nan , running into the canal close by .
S a s The ithe were fairies, or, as the later Christi n
n used to regard them , demo s , who were wor shipped by the ancient inhabitants of these P - 76 L A CE N AM E S OF GL E N GARR Y.
“ . S S s parts kene, in his Celtic cotland , give an extract from the book of Armagh , which explains who these Sithe were supposed to be t On one occasion S . Patrick and his atten dants assembled one morning at a well , or
f . ountain , near Cruachan in Roscommon The two daughters of King Laoghaire , Ethel the f e de lm air and F the ruddy , came early to the well to wash , after the manner of women , and they fo u nd near the well a synod of holy bishops
St . with . Patrick The ladies were much
‘ s tartled by the goodly company, and they knew not whence they were , or in what form
u or from what people , or from what co ntry ;
e t me n S but they suppos d hem to be of ithe , or
’ gods of the earth , or a phantom . And the
‘ virgins said unto them , Where are ye and
’ St whence come ye ! And . Patrick said unto
o u them , It were better for y to confess to our ’ u r true God than inquire concerning o race . We see from these que stions that the objects of the popular belief were Mysterious b e ings who were supposed to dwell in the heavens or the earth , the sea , the river , the mountain or — the valley , and who were to be dreaded and ” conciliated . Everything that was bad was put TH E L D ABE RCH A D E R I STRI CT.
w r : do n to the fai ies if a cow gave no milk , it was the fairies who had milked her ; if a young mother died, it was the fairies who had carried
ff 1 L e a bh r o . a her I n an ancient tract, na ’ hU idhri , we are told that the demoniac power was great before the introduction of the Chris tian faith ; and so great was it that they , that
n is the demo s , used to tempt the people in
S human bodies , and that they used to how them secrets and places of happiness, where they Should be immortal ; and it was in that way they were believed . And it is these phantoms that the unlearned people call Sithe and Aes
Sithe . The farm of Shian is constantly mentioned in old deeds and charters , but the name is very little used nowadays .
A ha dr m F ill E I L D ROM AN c o . e F , close to , ”
D ro ma n . the market ; , of the ridge An annual fair was held here in old days . “ G — Glen bn ie The b u I c L E N BUCK . . . G glen, h t e . (boc), of buck Generally applied to roe buck . ’ “ — I nn is Sim G . I M ON S E AD OW. S M Innis , “ Sim S . the meadow ; , of imon There is
1 ” ene e o lan . Sk , C ltic Sc t d - 78 FL A CE IVA M E S OF GL E N GARRY.
t the a tradi ion that one of Frasers of Lovat,
a S n med imon, was pursued and overtaken after “ ” Blar- - e the battle of na L ine , at this I nnis ,
where he was killed . AGGA AGGAN ACH ADROM L N , or L , as it used to ” ” See be called . Laggan , Lag, a hollow . (
ch r A ad o m . )
N E L c L E ACAN N U AI e a a nn, ”
U aine . . , green The green slope ’ I N GAL s ROAD Ra tha d hio nn F F , or per
hi n o n . haps, Roth F The road of Fin or
Fingal , or the wheel Roth of Fingal . This name is applied to two circ ular cairns of stones
e nd ich at the west of Loch O . They are pro bably the oldest vestiges of human dwelli ng
Po cocke places in Glengarry, and are noticed by “ 1 60 in his tour in 7 , where he says, On the road ’ near opposite I nvergarry is a kern about 60 feet in diameter, being a circle of stones round ” a plain spot . These stone circles are supposed to be the remains of some ancient burgh or
1 Pictish tower. Burghs are large Circular
fortresses built of unhewn stone , and entirely
without cement The form is conical, and within an exterior cone is reared an interior
1 ’ ” W lson s rehs or Anna s f an i P i t ic l o Scotl d .
TH E ABE RCH AL D E R D I STRI CT. 79
e r e n structure, the walls of which are either p p dicula r , or constructed at an angle, which , leav ing a space between the two of about Six feet
. at the base , brings them together at the top
Within this Space between the walls , a rude staircase or rather inclined passage communi cates round the whole, with a series of chambers formed by means of long stones laid across from wall to wall , so as to form flooring and ceiling. These are lighted by openings looking into the interior area. The central space is open to the sky . The rude masonry of the exterior is broken only by a plain narrow h e doorway, whic , from the absenc of gate
posts or grooves, was probably secured when danger was imminent by building it ‘ up with ” “ T a pile of stones . It is probable, hese buildings were the work of a savage race who m ai ed far more at defence than aggression , and that they were the temporary places of Shelter of a people liable to sudden inroads from powerful foes, and similar to the palisaded log- house or fort which the first settlers in the backwood frontiers of America used to erect as a place of retreat on any sudden attack of the ” treacherous natives . 80 L CE -N AM P A E S OF GL E N GARRY.
TH E P E N N E — I . The Fianna, or followers of
Fingal , or Finn the leader, were the earliest h Gaelic inhabitants of the Hig lands . Famous hunters and warriors, their name has been “ perpetuated in every glen of the Highlands, and the legends of their prowess by every “ poet. I n Glengarry we have Corrie na “ P m of Finnia ns Allt einne , the co e the ; ” ’ ion n Fhio nn F ghail , Fingal s burn ; Teanga , ’ Rathad hionn Fingal s tongue of land, and F ,
’ Fingal s road . Who Finn and the Fe inne were has been a “ matter of much discussion , but it seems pro
n bable that , instead of bei g only mythical heroes, as they were formerly supposed to be , they were really the last leaders of the great race in Albin and Erin who disappeared in history before the extension of the Gaelic
u conquest and s premacy . The popular con ’ ce p tio n of Fionn s prowess may be gathered from the following grand passage of Highland poetry 1
W h ou - soun n s r es he rushe es ar it l d di g t id d w tw d, I n he C a n of his armour r h t l k b ig t,
’ 1 h r M acneill s Literature o f the Hig lande s. TH E ABE RCH AL D R D I TRI C 81 E S T.
And he oo e e the s r o f o a ha s a ers l k d lik pi it L d , t t c tt ’ Dismay o er the war-way and fight
Like a thousand waves o n a crag that 1011yelling When the u s orm is at its he h gly t ig t, So a fu the ashof ma and his ea ons w l cl il w p , While his face wore the winter of fight !
H is smoo h a more i ere a of t cl y gl tt d l t, I n his ham o n ha n was h c pi d it lig t, And the m oring winds ke pt mori ng his locks ’ Like spray in the whirlpool s might .
The h s on ea hs e he ere sha en ill c id t y w k , And the a hseeme to rem e hfr h p t d t bl wit ig t, ea me his e e s and his rea hear e s e n Gl d y , g t t k pt w lli g, Oh heer ess err e s h c l , t ibl ig t
The leader of the P einne was surrounded by a worthy band of followers . Ossian , the son of Fingal , was himself a hero , a great bard , and a brave warrior ; his son Oscar, peerless in
t e b ut streng h , g nerous to a fallen foe , ever ready to meet the fiercest Champion tha t ever came from Lochlin ; Gaul , stout and valiant , and next to Oscar in prowess ; the beautiful
- brown haired Diarmid , who cannot be seen
a Ca ilte by any wom n without being loved ; , — the o e t Co c hu lin a n d the ra s o n a n he se p , , h C t were the p rinc ipa l w arriors o f th a t g a lla nt ba n d - 82 FL A CE IVAM E S OF OL E N GARR Y. of Finnia n heroes whose names are indelibly engraved on the hills and straths of their
native land, while their deeds are recalled in ” 1 a thousand songs . RU DH A N A RAI CH E T Rudha, the pro ” Tra i he montory ; g , of the beach . The Calder burn brings down great quantities of
gravel and stones when in flood, and , with
the help of the loch , forms this beach . ’ H I L L G — T n Cr / ma no ie z e . T H E GAL L ows . . o o
” ” Croiche Toman, the knoll ; , of the gal lows. ’ G I N GAL S ON GU E . . Tea n a F hionn F T g .
Teanga, the tongue of land, used very generally for any piece of heathland with a b n on ea h s ur c ide of it, forming to a point ” at the bo m of Fhio nn tto the tongue ; , of
S e r e . Finn o Fingal . ( above )
—B me B . e N . y so peopl the name Ra tha d
oa innian e Fhi n, or F Road , befor noticed, is applied to a green lane which winds up the h on the s the a n ill outh of c nal ear Laggan , and leads u owa rd s t e o f p t this ongu land .
1 ’ M acneill s era ure f the i h n r Lit t o H g la de s . I I T H E ARDOCH Y D STR CT.
M OU N TAI N S.
’ A R K — G H E G. r l es RC I s OC . C e i l n i ag p g . Archie
M a c hille M hu c e ns was the last chief of the g g , a sept of the Macdonalds, who are said to have owned Glengarry about the time of King Robert the Bruce, and before the Macdonells became possessed of the land. The last chiefs of this
- Gle nlu ie race, whose dwelling place was in , and whose burial -ground is said to have been
M acmhuc e n Greenfield , were three brothers g .
a Now , Dunc n Macdonell of Morar coveted
Glengarry, and leagued himself with Lochiel and
Lovat to kill the three brothers . Accordingly,
M a cmhu c e n g Mor, the eldest , was killed by
Lovat at a dinner, given , it is said , for the express
n purpose of putti g an end to the Macdonald .
u r The second , R airidh ( Ro y), was killed by some ’ ’ L ochiel s L ochie l s of men , and by orders, at a
Achadro m place near Laggan , called to this 83 8 P L A CE -N AM E OF GL E N GARR 4 S Y.
’ l ir h D a rua id . The day , Rory s field third , A rchie, was one day out hunting with Duncan
C Macdonell , now his successor to the hieftain
o ship, when they came to the steep crag ab ve
’ I nshla a n gg , since known as Archie s Rock, below which the deer often lie . Duncan readily seized the opportunity he had been so long waiting for, and treacherously asked Archie if he could tell the time of day by the sun . While the latter was gazing up into the sky, Duncan ,
off with a swift stroke of his sword , lopped his head, and the head , as it rolled down the rocks, ’ ” groaned out, Two o clock .
ARN BAN . . C feet The white cairn . ’ RN H I C RH AON U I L L —M a c Ra na ld s CA M cairn .
See The hill above Loch Lundie . ( p.
TAR I N N Ca m ARN SU . . C feet , and “ ta rsu in n , across lying crosswise to the general range of hills . “ L ACH RI CH E . . C C feet Clach, stone ; ” Crio ch criche, of the march the march
le nmo ris o n between Glengarry and G t .
L M A. C RE AG C H A 564 feet . The bold crag ;
calma, stout, bold .
’ ’
M A . C RE AG A CH L A H I N . 470 feet The kite s
S t crag. This is till a favouri e resort of the
- 86 FL ACE N A/II E S OF GL E N GARRY.
a bounded with hares. The name might also ” signify the hill of the geldings .
M E A U L H bill L L L E AC AI D . . feet The
S a of the lope of treasure . This n me is not now used in the district but the treasure referred to
I‘ l l’l was probably the C summer grazing . There is a ruined sheiling close by . M R E AL L N AN UAD H A . G. feet The
’ n you g hinds hill.
RI VE RS.
— AL D E RN AI G S a id to be a corruption from ” “ Allte amha ir — Allta i the burn of Evie , or fhrio nn — o f a ifrio n n the burn the mass ( ), the name which is always used by the older in habitants of the glen , and the supporters of either derivation thus account for the origin of ” ll amha ir — A A te . the name . woman called Evie (E a mha ir) used to keep a flock of goats here which she herded by the burnside . Allta irinn - The burn has a very rough and m stony botto , and when in spate can only be
Alde rna i crossed, if at all , at the ford above the g h Mill, and this ford was on the old hig road up
ffi n and down the glen . The di culties of crossi g TH E A RD OCH Y D I TRI C 8 S T. 7
“ b ochda n the burn were increased by a , or goblin , who often intercepted the belated
travellers at this point, and there was no escape, as there is no other ford for some distance on
either side . The good priest who lived on
- Craig an t Saga rt (see p . anxious to help the poor people, for some years held a midnight
mass at the place, and no doubt many a belated traveller welcomed his cheery face when they came to the dreaded ford . ’ A L L T I E — A BH A N N The milk burn . ’ — AL L T A BH E I TH E The burn of the birch
trees (beith). ’ — AL L T A BH I ORA The burn of the thorn
bushes (bior). ’ — AL L T A CH OARU I N N The burn of the moun
c ru inn tain ash ( ao ). AL N N See L T DAI GE A Daingean burn . (
Daingean, p . ’ — COACH AN A BH ROCAI RE The streamlet of ’ ir t b roca . the foxhunter ( ) Glengarry s foxhun er,
‘ M D onald one Ewen , lived alongside of this
S stream , and a hort distance up the hill is a ridge (not marked on the ordnance map)still called after him Cnoc fad E ogha nn bhrochda r ’ Ewen the foxhunter s long hill . L - E A 88 P A CE N AM E S OF GL N G RR Y.
’ ’ E - C e/z n laz e a OBL I N S R T H . G. oa a G BU N , g The streamlet of the glade of the
e n goblin . About the d of the last century there lived on the Glengarry estate one Sandy ‘ 1 ’ M D one ll mbr , better known as Alastair a — BhOchdain Big Sandy of the ghost a man remarkable not only for his great physical
strength, but for his wonderful gift of predicting
future events . Sandy lived on a patch of land some four hundred yards west of Kildonan graveyard a t
M ri i u ne g e . He was a frequent visitor to
n Invergarry House during the long winter ights , where he often enlivene d the company with
e a his stories and his f ts of strength . One
wa moonlight night as he was on his y home , and was passing a small grove which lies
M u ne ri ie between the head of the loch and g , he sa w what b e supposed to be a deerhound
crossing the road in front of him . The thought suddenly occurred to him that it must be one ’ of Glengarry s deerhounds which had followed f him all the way up rom Invergarry . Irritated
’ at u the occ rrence , and fearing Glengarry s
1 ’ “ Mentioned in Mackenz ie s History of the M ac ’ ona s a A s a r hr ir d ld s la t i a B oca e .
TH E ARD OCH Y D I STRI CTI 89
S n wrath , a dy swore at the dog, and bade him
off be home, when in an instant the dog assumed a human form , and accosted him in
S Gaelic . The pot where this strange meeting “ ’ ” took place is still known as Glac a Bhbchda in — ’ the goblin s grove. Sandy and the goblin held many midnight
n meetings after this, and ma y a fierce fight did they have in the dead of night ; but at whatever hour the fight began it always ended with the
dawn of day, when the ghost fled to his grove . Sometimes the ghost held conversations with S andy , and revealed to him many of the events H about to happen to the ouse of Glengarry,
S . which andy in his turn related to his friends, but so improbable were these stories that no
one believed them . At last, however, it came to Glengarry ’s ears that Sandy was predicting
u a downfall to the Ho se of Glengarry, and he
at once sent for him . Sandy was severely cross- questioned by his d chief, who aske him whether it was true that
he had prophesied the downfall of the house. ” “ Sure enough , answered the seer, that day
is not far distant, and were I to tell you all I h ” know , it would break your eart. Glengarry 0 - 9 FL ACE IVA M E S OF OL E N GARR Y.
angrily seized his henchman by the shoulder ,
and turned him out of the house . These sad
forebodings , nevertheless, proved only too true,
- fi v e and within twenty years the chief was dead, and his son was compelled to sell the estates so long in the possession of the Macdonells of
Glengarry . Soon after this interview with his S chief, andy enlisted , and his regiment, the 6th 7 Macdonald Highlanders, proceeded to
a . a n rate Americ Here , at y , with the wide
Atlantic between them , he thought he would be free from his unwelcome deer hound ; but no sooner had he landed on American soil than the bochda n met him a nd assured him it was no use his attempt “ ” ing to escape . But take heart, said the ghost , “ I shall do you no harm , and though you are
bound to go through many perils , and to fight
in many bloody battles , you will come out of
them all without a scratch , and not only that, but you will live to go back to your old home
M u ne ri ie at g , where your bones will rest in peace at the old family burying- place at Kil ” S n . dona . All this came true andy was
drafted into the Black Watch , and served
through the Peninsular War . He was present
- Y 93 FL ACE N AM E S OF GL E N GARR .
’ in the Old King s Inn at Fort Augustus . On this day the pensioners had gathered together “ as s usual , and after payment were ta ting the
u a . n sual dr m A stra ger , sitting in the corner
a n of the room , part from the compa y , at length S rose , and , walking across to andy , addressed him thus Do you remember seeing me at Sa n Sebastian Sandy answered that he did not The stranger then asked if he remembered being knocked dow nstairs by a private soldier after the taking of that tow n Sandy replied that he remembered that very well indeed b u t he k w never ne who did it . ” I am the man , answered the stranger . Sandy and Mackay had a de ocha n sla inte together ; but the rest of the old soldiers in sisted that the two should no w be given a fair trial to see which was the stronger fellow, as the scuffle they had in Spain cou ld not be a o d S d ce te . a n p as fair play andy Mackay , in whom the martial spirit was not yet dead , made no objection to the proposal , and a wrestling bout was decided on . The struggle was a severe one, and lasted for about an hour , TH E D OCH Y D I TRI AR S CT. 93
n without either showi g signs of giving way , and it was agreed by the onlookers that had Sandy been younger (fo r he was now far a d v a nced in years), he would have been more a th n a match for Mackay . — COACH AN N AN CN o The streamlet of the
hazels (nut bushes).
’ M AC H E E TRE AM E T G — C ncha n M kie P S L . o S .
P li eo. One Macphee, a native of Lochaber, who emigrated in the early part of the century, used to live here . — COACH AN RI ABH ACH The brindled or greyish streamlet .
RRY ARB H Ga r r a v T H E RI VE R GA or G (pron . )
. See Rough . The rough river ( Glengarry, p .
L OCH S.
See H ARRY . . LOC G ( Glengarry , p
G L o/z L inne . o o LOCH L OY N E . . The loch of grace , comeliness . Mr. Mackay refers the 1
i . e . . name to lann , , the loch of the glade
I N N — LOCH L OSGU The loch of the toads .
H U N D I E . See . LOC L ( Lundie , p
1 W r u ha r and Glenmoriston . a a . U q t , by M ck y - 94 FL A CE I VA I II E S OF GL E N GARRY.
— LOCH OI CH Possibly a corruption from U isge Water ; but in olden days it is ” i e i . o . e frequently spelt g , , which would mak o i e it mean g , the youngest loch the smallest loch along the line of the great glen .
OCH AN OI RE CAD H A an L D Loch , the little ” l Ca dha och Doire , of the moorland pass . — LOCH AN N A FRE UM H AG The little loch of the roots . L OCH AI N BH A— l DU The little b ack lochs.
PL ACE S.
A H N AN BA— ACH D The field of the cows . — ACH ADH N AN DARAI CH The field of the oak trees . — ACH AD H L UACH RAI CH The field of rushes ; on the north side of Loch Garry, and one of the oldest farms in the glen . — ’ Y G /z id/z . A r a a . ARDOCH . . ae High field
B — A ARDN A I . ruined village, west of Ard ” och a r Ard y prob bly derived f om na beithe , the height of the birch tree . ADAN M E AD H ON B Badan , little groves ”
M ea dho n i . e . , middle, , the little groves in
L n the centre of Loch o y e .
6 FL A CE -N AM E OF GL E N GA R 9 S R Y.
- from the deep, narrow , and rock bound gully
which marks the entrance of the pool . — CN OCAN BI ORACH The pointed rock . RE A — C G ARD The high crag. — ’ C RE AG AN - T SAGART The priest s (sag a r t) rock . A rock above the high road about one mile west of Invergarry . A small sweetbriar
’ S bush still marks the ite of the priest s garden , and his house was a little east of the present
Craig Ard House . The well below the high ’ road is known as the priest s well, and the chapel was somewhat west of his house in the
fields below . Here lived the same priest who
d rna i See officiated at the mass at Al e g . ( p . — C RE AG AN TORRA L OI SGTE The crag of the
l is te burnt ( o g ) rock . R M H OI RE — C O D The crooked grove . — D AI N GE AN N The fort .
— - - N D i e/in r n . G . a l a i D AL CH OOR . Dail, the “ ” ir — o f chu n . land or field ; , gen . pl of cairn h cairns of stones . This was anot er very ancient village ; it is mentioned in 1512 as
D elle c a rne—a - h one merk land . D RY N ACH AN Probably from D ro ig ne a ” C han , thorn trees, with which this hillside I I TH E ARD OCH Y D STR CT. 97
u D r na cha n abo nds. y is invariably included in ff all the old deeds a ecting Invergarry, which was
the seat of one of the principal cadet families . — D RUI M BUI D H E The yellow ridge . — DOI RE N AN D U I L L E AG The leafy grove . E ’ “ ” AS AI L A CH U I RN . D Eas, waterfall ’ D allchu rn f water all . Allan of Lundy s cave
n is ear this fall . ’ — le N E G. E n H I L D RE N S SL A D TH . i a n C I , a i Clo nne. A small island in the Upper Garry,
fa r Garr ou a lach not below yg , surrounded by
deep holes and black pools , the dismal haunt “ of that much dreaded monster, the water kelpie .
Su One nday, a long time ago , eight little children were playing on the island, where they had been left behind by their parents , who had gone across the river with some boat loads of hay . For some time they played happily together, but suddenly , on looking towards the river, they saw a strange animal slowly rising out of one of the deep pools, and making his way toward them . Delighted with the chance of a ride , seven of them clambered u — p on to his back the eighth the eldest, and — more cautiou s than the rest put out his hand G - E N ARR 98 P L A (I E N AM S OF GL E G Y.
and touched the beast with his finger. No
sooner had he done this , than he found himself
re fast, nor could he remove his finger, which
’ as mained glued to the monster s skin . Quick
b e thought , seized a sickle lying on the grass
o ff near him, and with one blow cut his finger ,
and sa ved his life . With a roar of rage the
u ! beast pl nged into the river, and , alas for the
poor little children on his back, all that was ever seen of them w as their seven little hearts
floating on the top of the water.
Ever since, the island has been called , Eilean
’ Cl in n o e . na , the children s island — E I L E AN N A FAOI L E I GE The island of the
seagulls on Loch Lu ndy . Loch Lundy is e a rar ly without its se gulls , but in spring it is the happy nesting ground of hundreds upon
e hundr ds of gulls , principally the common gull
- a and the black he ded gull . ’ E I L E AN M H IC RH AON UI L L M a c Ra nald s
See . Island . ( p — E I L E AN M H UL CAI N A small island on little
M huc n Loch Garry ; should be Eile an ge (pron . ’ Vuch en - M a cv uch e n s g ) The g Island , who are said to have had a small fort or fast place on 8 See . this island . ( p
- 100 FL A CE I VAM E S OF OL E N GARRY.
’ given us the chief event of M ac Ranald s life
- h s the well known raid of Killc rio t . He tells
n us how, duri g these fighting days , young
Angus of Glengarry, burning to distinguish — himself, determined to lead a raid though aga inst the advice of his father and Allan i nto the cou ntry of the M ac Ke nz ie s how these
e wer surprised and defeated , and how on their
way home by sea to Loch Hourn , the Mac donalds were in their turn attacked by the
M ac Ke nz ie s S and defeated with great laughter . Y oung Angus of Glengarry was among the
slain , and Allan only saved his life by leaping m into the sea and swi ming ashore . Allan took
the earliest opportunity to be revenged, and not long after these events led a strong party of Macdonalds to the la nds of Killchrio st near Beauly He found the M ac Ke nz ies totally unprepared , burnt their lands, destroyed their crops, and finally mercilessly set fire to a church in which a large congregation was at worship, driving back at the point of the sword all who attempted to escape . Meantime, in order to drown the piteous cries of those within the building, he caused the piper to march
u u round and ro nd the b rning church , and the TH E O Y I ARD CH D I STR CT.
pibroch which he then played has ever since “ been known at Killchriost the war- tune of the
Macdonells . Allan , however, and his com rades had little time to enjoy their revenge ; the M ac Ke nz ie s soon collected in overpowering
numbers , and finding the Macdonells resting 1 fla t M e alfo u rv o nie on a near , now known as Lon na fala — the marsh of blood— attacked
u them with great f ry, routed them , and pursued
them as far as Loch Ness Side . Allan was
again one of the few who escaped , and that only by a desperate leap firs t across a deep
chasm in a burn , and then into the loch , where he was fortunately picked up and saved by
Fraser of Foyers, who happened to be out
u fishing in a boat, and recognised the famo s f red jacket from a ar. The leap across the
ne Aile in ravi is still called after him , Ceum Mhic Rhao nu ill the leap of Allan Mac
Ra na d l .
This is very briefly the account which Sir
T . Lauder gives of the event ; but Mr . K .
Macdonald , in a paper which he not long ago S read to the Gaelic ociety of Inverness , has discredited the story of the bu rning of the
1 U r uhar and Glenm ri t n W o s o . a a . q t , by M ck y 102 E - M F N PL AC N A E S O GL E GARRY.
M ac Ke nz ie s in the church . There no doubt
2 was a raid , and as many as 7 cottages and
u ho ses were burnt , including the house of the “ minister of Killchrio st with his b a il] librari e k ” of boo s, but none of the earlier writers mention the merciless burning of the con
re a tion f a g g , which able ppears to have been invented about the beginning of this century . The only specific “ burning ” which is mentioned “ ” is a bu rning by the M a c Ke nz ie s of a party of 36 of the Macdonalds in a change house at
To rrie b reck , during the pursuit which followed
. an d the raid According to this account, Allan
Gle nmo risto n his party were overtaken in , and f although they ought valiantly, they had at last to fly many of them were killed in the rough
M a c Ra nald - as burn, but Allan , being half naked he fled , lapp just over it and made his escape ” of all the rest . Whatever may be the true version of the
Killchrio s t raid, it is certain that from that time onward Allan was a marked man by the
M ac Ke nz ie s . For some years he was in constant danger, and when attacked used to retreat to his island home in Loch Lundie, where he could hold his own until help came
- 104 FL ACE N AM E S OF GL E N GARR Y. — Mhic Rhaonu ill the cave of Allan Mac Ra na ld It is said that Allan employed a ” mason to improve and strengthen the cave, and that when the job was done he quietly put k e h an end to his wor man, f aring t at his place
of retreat might be revealed . Allan appears to
have outlived his dangers , as we find in the Records of the Privy Council that Sir L a u chla n Mackintosh (who had been ordere d to secure
M a c Ra nald him), so far from pursuing Allan , has patched up all matters betwixt Allan and ff ” him and settled all their di erences .
' — E E K L ea e . L . G. . A flagstone The Mac donells of Leek were another cadet family of l G engarry , who settled in Leek about the
n 1 n beginni g of the 7th ce tury . — LU N D I E The origin of this name has always
t ra hs been a puzzle to op og p i ts . Probably it is “ L On - a o derived from marsh ( f , London)
f a the ort on the marsh . The M ac Ran lds of Lundie were a famous sept of the Macdonells of Glengarry ; some of their descendants are still living in the glen . — M U N E RI GI E There a re many possible deri v a tions a of this n me, but none which appear correct .
SC H L AT G L E N U O I C H 18 . OO Q , 44 (See page
106 - PL A CE N AM E S OF GL E N GARRY.
l i . G e n u o ch after Mr Ellice bought q , two ladies, while walking one afternoon along the high
a ro d , were surprised to find a number of signs
s and and marks in the and by the roadside,
going on a little further they came to a bothy .
where the author of these mysterious figures ,
s was an itinerant schoolma ter, busy with his
pupils . The only pen in the house was a large ’ e w agle s feather , with hich a small boy was
a was h rd at work, and , as there no blackboard, the mas ter had to do as best he could with the
roadside sand for his arithmetic lesson . — RH UD H A GI I OBH AI N N The promontory of
the smith .
RU D H A CH AL U I M romo n Rudha, the p “ Chalu im — tory ; (Callum), of Malcolm Mal
’
colm s Q . promontory, on the shore of Loch ich
was Here the house of one Malcolm Macdonald,
1 1 who emigrated to America in 85 . He
worked at Invergarry as estate carpenter.
’ N AN AI R— RE I DH L The mare s (Lar) flat . AI N I H — RE I D H R C The ferny flat .
- T rn lz N ARI E G. n TOM A I . o o The
knoll of the sheiling . — WN . G. Tom do TOM DO nn . The brown
knoll . T RD C Y D I 10 H E A O H STRI CT. 7
’ R b il TO R A C H AIT The l of the cat . — U AM H AI L E I N M H I C RH AON UI L L The cave d S a ee . of Allan M ac R nal . ( p TH E G L E N UOI CH I TRI CT Q D S .
T H AT so much happiness as is disclosed in these pages should have been enjoye d by those in
habiting this dreary glen , without a neighbour,
or even the primitive resources of butcher ,
as baker, grocer, or tailor ; into which g or other modern improvements have failed to St penetrate, and for which George evenson , f Pro essor Whetstone, and Rowland Hill have
' — a laboured in vain region where learning, science , and religion find no representatives in lawyer, physician , or clergyman, and which agriculture has abandoned to the dominion of the wild animals of the chase ; that a com munity should be content and happy whilst thus deprived of the benefits of civilization is a lamentable instance of the triumph of bar
b a rism . “ Should a desire be awakened fo r a better
n ff state of thi gs , I beg to o er my services as agitator on the spot, for the reform of these 108
FL A CE ! VAM E S OF OL E /VGARRY.
a se ttached, or tho which from their prominence are more generally known to the inhabitants and visitors of the glen . ’ “ H U RR TH I ON AI L L SR — S A G ON ron , the ’ a i thio n ll . point ; a ghurr , of gathering A
- u o ich high ridge in the north west of Gle nq .
I n s Gle n uoich e old day , when q was und r sheep ,
n the shepherds met at this point, whe ce they s h pread out over t e hill to gather the sheep .
A A —A 11t Oe liz - B . i e. e L L T E G. The birch tre burn . ’ AL V — A [I /z The L TA TT H G t dd ie . O I C . a M a burn of the old man . This burn is said to be
b ma n haunted y a wicked old , indeed , some s ay none other than the old gentleman himself.
AI TE N N ACH G —A t l fi in i e e . . a . Abounding junipers . AL L T N I GH I N N E OGH AI N N - The burn of ’ u Ewen s da ghter. A small burn which runs into Loc h Quoich a short distance west from
u i Q o ch Bridge . This girl was drowned while crossing the burn when in flood . Her father,
Buncha olie Ewen , lived at . — AL L T RUI GH E AN D U I N E The burn of the
’ Alltbea man s sheiling, a short distance from , TH E N E W Y ORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
AST R L E N O! AN D O ,
TI L DE N FOUN DATIONS. “ - ARC H I E M ACD N E L L ee r sta ker to G n arr . O , D l le g y w Fro m a dra in g b y D en n is Dighto n .
FL A CE -IVAM E S OF GL E N GARRI
— S as s the haky P s . A precipitou pass about
e M elha nde ri the centr of the g , and so sheer is
10 the s pe on either side that , in places, a man
can easily sit a stride of the ridge. — BAC N A CE AN N AI CH E The shoulder (ridge)
s of the pedlar . A knoll a short distance north
u o ich of the Q Bridge, on which are two small
gravestones , which mark the graves of two pedlars who were murdered in a bothy hard
n by . The bothy has lo g since disappeared,
but the site is still pointed out . — BU N CH AOL I E The base or mouth of the
Caolie water, a small sluggish stream which flows from the watershed of the Loch Hourn
u oich. an road into Loch Q Caol me s slender,
narrow .
’ COACH AN N AM M UI C— The pigs streamlet, w probably ild boar . N OC N A CAE AI R— C The knoll of the sticks , at
the east end of Loch Qu o ich. A battle was fought between the Kintail men and the Camerons of Lochiel somewhere near the
Kin ie . g river The Kintail men , on their way
al was to the fight, h ted here, and each man , as
s the custom in tho e days , put his stick into the
u a gro nd , so th t on their return they should be U I C 11 TH E GL E N Q O H D I STRI CT. 3
See able to see how many were missing. ( also p .
— - i k Coir e ORRI E H . G C ir e li no e C OO . o g or skn k ig . The corrie of the grave or the corrie of moisture . Either derivation is appropriate enough ; the rocks around are wild and des olate , and the corrie of the grave keeps up the sentiment of the Lake of Hell and the Burn of
See . 110 the Old Gentleman . ( pp , — ’ COI RE N A P E I N N E The Fingalia ns corrie .
See ( p . ’ G — ir e S oir ookb ORRI E S O DA E . C C C RO L . o g ! iz oil . The corrie of the terrible preci p ice s . ’ G —E a T . l H I L D RE N SL AN D H E . i e n no C S I ,
Cloinne. Two boys were drowned in the Quoich River a short distance above this
. on island, and were here buried Later ,
n u about the beginni g of this century , the so th country shepherds used the island as a burial ground for their own children . Owing to the
floods which frequently submerge the island, they soon gave up the practice , as it was found that the coffins were liable to be unearthed by the force of the stream , and, in some cases , carried down to the loch below . One of the H 11 - 4 PL A CE N AM E S OF GL E N GARR Y.
last children burie d here was a son of Macphe e
uo ich of Q Island . — D RU I M N A H - ACH L AI s The ridge of the
r a mpit . — ’ E I L E AN M H IC PH E B M a cphee s island .
See I I ( p . 7 . ) — ’ E I L E AN N A CL OI N N E The children s island . See ( above . ) — ‘ ’ E I L E AN M H IC AN TOI SI CH M I ntoshs is
land . This island , which , from its name and
form, may possibly be handed down to pos
te rit y as a lake dwelling of remote antiquity , is “ ” as in reality but a small f t place, built by one
‘ M I ntosh C - u , a lacher, as a nesting gro nd for
u . the geese , swans, and d cks, which Mr Ellice
u i tried to introduce on Loch Q o ch.
D E R L H —D n E Y . I /z o i r e c i . OC G . o o The grove r of the little loch . ’ G - G /mi i — L H L E N . loe o c Ie n G AC OO . The ’ “ u glade of the holly tree . Glengarry s h nting ” hut was here in old days .
G — e e/z L I l en . E N O CH . G n no o i G QU . The
glen of the cup . The hills rise abruptly from
s the shores of the loch , and form an enormou “ i h” cu a c .
116 P L ACE -N AM E OF GL E N AR S G R Y.
the Corrie of the Graves and the Lake of Hell . Landseer loved to come here and paint his
c was rocks , still alled after his name . It
b ills Sir u among these that R. M rchison and
Sir u A . Geikie, then a yo ng man , traced the movements of the glaciers of bygone ages . Sir John Lubbock writes in no uncertain ” a G str in I n reat Britain, he says, I know no better illustration of ice action than is to be seen on the road leading from Gle nqu o ichto
Loch Hourn, one of the most striking examples S of desolate and savage scenery in cotland . A famous international race was once run from Loch ' Hourn to Invergarry under the — following circumstances Glengarry was one
u day at Loch Hourn, and drove home in fo r
’ hours time ; on arriving at Invergarry House, f i he in ormed the family tutor of his qu ck drive,
. n when the latter, a Mr Green , an Englishma , at once u ndertook to do the distance as quick 2 0 on foot . Glengarry bet him I ; he would — not and a day was named for the race . S d Later on, a Glengarry man , omerle Mac
donell , was backed against the tutor, and, not
‘ M Ra h . e contented wit this, Mr , commonly ” len uoich called G q , wagered that he would SI M H S n A H BAL D I E E R R. I a d I I I E G I KI U RC ON RC GE K (S R A. )
a t l n uo i h G e q c .
ro m a sketc b P ro r M erim e F h y p e e . TH E N E W' Y ORK HE LIC IBRARY
AST R L E N ! AN D O , O
TI L DE N FO U N DAT ION S.
118 F LACE -N AM E OF GL E N G RR S A Y.
L o ne Allan Dhu of Glen y . On the arrival of the competitors at Invergarry House , Glen ’ garry s wife stood at the front door ready to receive them and revive them with biz z ed ” porter , on meal . — ’ A i r o lz . R G. L oe/I F l o n i LOCH POU L A Y . al
The loch of the pool of the sheiling. ’ - M /z e G l li P e . M A P L AN D . E i eo n ie C H E E S I S . Macphee was a well - known character through o ut -S E n Inverness hire about 50 years ago.
n listing into the army as a you g man , he soon found the restraints of discipline irksome to his
u S restless nat re, and , after a hort term of ser
and vice , deserted , returned to his native Glen garry, where he lived in concealment with his
See . sister at Feddan . ( p The regimental authorities , however, hearing of his hiding
osse place, sent a sergeant with a p of soldiers
u n to arrest him , and these, coming to Feddan a wa re s u ffi , captured him witho t much di culty, ff and marched him o to the steamer at Corpach .
Just as the steamer was starting, Ewen sud de nl d ff y bent own , and, snapping his handcu s against an iron bar which lay on the deck, leapt
was off ashore. The steamer , and so was Ewen , er and bounding ov the heath, he was soon out TH E GL E N UOI CH D I TRI C 11 Q S T. 9
fe w of reach , unharmed by the bullets which the soldiers sent after him . For two years he wandered a bout the woods which line the Shores
Arka i e of Loch g , wh n, finding that he was no longer pursued , he made up his mind to build
uo ich himself a bothy on the island in Loch Q ,
e . which now b ars his name His bothy built, he must needs have a wife ; so one fine morning
D ulo cha n he stepped across the hill to Glen , where he had previo usly made the acquaintance
u u of a girl, and, witho t m ch more courting, popped her on his back, and returned to his
e u r . island, where they wer d ly ma ried
Gle n uo ich When Mr. Ellice first came to q he found Macphee in possession of his island . He was looked up to by all the poor people of ” the glen as a seer ; cows that were ill were
brought to him to be cured, and he was also a ’ noted weaver of charms . Mr . Ellice s first inter f view with Ewen was characteristic o the man . The former and a friend were sitting one night
Gle n uo ich after dinner at q Lodge , then quite a ” u small ho se , a but and a ben , drinking their
- whisky toddy, when in walked Macphee, attired, as usual , in full Highland dress . Mr. Ellice, in the course of conversation , asked him by what P L A CE -N AM E OF GL E N GARRY S .
r right he lived on the island for answe , Ewen
drew his dirk and , plunging it into the table,
said By this right I have kept it, and by this ” right I will hold it.
Macphee lived for many years on the island,
an d was a great favourite with Mr . Ellice , in
u spite of his notorio sly wild character. Many are the anecdotes told in Gle nquoich of his ’ escapes from the sheriff s officers ; but as time went on his sheep - stealing propensities grew
on him , and at last the neighbouring shepherds,
alarmed at the losses in their flocks , determined
to try and bring the thefts home to him . They had not long to wait ; one snowy morning they found the tracks of a man and some Sheep which led down from the hill to the lo chside just Opposite his house . The sheriff was in f formed, and two o ficers were sent to his house ;
Gle n uoich these rowed over from q to the island .
u Ewen, of co rse , was away on the hill ; not so f his wi e , who without much ado commenced to fire on the officers as soon as they approached
u the island ; these , being quite nprepared for
u this style of reception, fo nd in discretion the
better part of valour, and retired to Inverness . k Then , next wee , however, they returned in
122 FL E - AM E O E AC N S F GL N GARR Y.
o n uo ich the south side of Loch Q , while his
a confederates cut cross by the direct road , and lay in ambush behind a big rock on a green at the uoich as Ru i h edge of Loch Q , still known g ’ Grioga ra ich the Macgregor s green . The
n s drovers, soo after tarting, were annoyed to
find that their guide had a gun , whilst they
a themselves were unarmed , and so to ssure e in their safety, they wetted the powd r the pan ;
not but this precaution did avail them much ,
r v e for when they ar i d at the green , they were bo th me rcilessly s hot by the men who lay in
s ambush . Their bodie were stripped of what
of ever was any value, and then thrown into the loch ; but what was the disgust of the
n - murderers , on openi g the money bags, to find , not the gold they had anticipated, but a few m pieces of silver and copper, and a great any
u pieces of paper with pict res on them . These
n l would do for nothi g but ighting pipes, so putting a few into their tobacco mulls, they hid the remainder under a stone in Coire
‘ ’ E a ha in Oi — M E w e n s Mhic g g young corrie . Shortly after this there was a funeral in
L c Clunes, on Loch o hy side , and when the e pipes were light d, one of the above pieces TH E GL E N OI CH D I TRI C 12 QU S T. 3 of paper was duly passed round till it got to “ one Mr . Cameron of Clunes . Where did you get these pretty pieces of paper from 1” said ” he . I should like fine to buy some . Oh , ” “ for the matter of that , replied the other, I
S can how you where to get plenty of them .
u The bargain was soon str ck , and Mr . Cameron
a S secured the rem ining cotch pound notes, for they were nothing else , for a mere trifle .
u o ich To return to Loch Q , the bodies floated down the loch , and came ashore at a point close
- to where the flower garden now stands . They were buried by the people of the glen , and two
d r e s rowan trees were plante on their g av . These rowans were both growing in 1850 ; but one of them was , much to the annoyance of the late
Mr. Ellice, accidentally cut down by a man
w a s who working in the gardens, and the other has in like manner succumbed . There is
u nothing left no w but an old rotten st mp.
— M o l e/z e n d H N D E RI G. G. o on ea r M E L A g .
The bald red head . This long bare ridge, which forms the northern boundary of Glen
uo ich q , is one of the steepest ridges on the
n property, and its le gth may be reckoned by an old Gaelic saying which praises her as the 12 P - A N A 4 L ACE N M E S OF GL E G RR Y. mother of thirty large corries and sixty small ” ones . RUI GH N A A C S I The green of the sack ,
le n u ich S near the head of Wester G q o . mug
lers f g , when carrying whisky rom Kintail to
n Gle n u oich Loch Hour or q , used to rest their horses and eas e them of their burdens Sach ca n on this green . ’ — SGU RR A CH L AI D H E AM H The rock of the
i u nfortu n Sword. The or gin of this name has ately been lost . SPI DAN M I AL ACH Probably N iala ch l N e u . derived from , a cloud The cloudy point .
’ — M /z r ck R A V R G .S nr r o o o . SCOO ORO . . g
- - The rock of the sea pink. The sea pink or sea-thrift (A r mer io M a r itimo) grows all over this rock . — ‘ ’ TE AN GA M H IC AN ABA M N a b s tongue of land .
— See U AM H GARRI DH The cave of Garry . ( p
TH E E N D .
126 I N D E ! .
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