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THIS  BOOK  IS  PRESENT 

IN  OUR  LIBRARY 

THROUGH  THE 

GENEROUS 

CONTRIBUTIONS  OF 

ST.  MICHAEL'S  ALUMNI 

TO  THE  VARSITY 

FUND 


THE   CATHOLIC   HIGHLANDS   OF 
SCOTLAND 


THE 

CATHOLIC   HIGHLANDS 
I        OF    SCOTLAND 


BY 


DOM.   ODO   BLUNDELL,   O.S.B., 

F.S.A.SCOT. 


VOL.  I. 
THE   CENTRAL   HIGHLANDS 


SANDS  &  CO. 

21  HANOVER  STREET,  EDINBURGH 

15  KING  STREET,  LONDON 

1909 


AUTHOR'S   PREFACE 

THE  kindly  welcome  offered  by  the  public  two 
years  ago  to  "  Ancient  Catholic  Homes  of 
Scotland,"  and  the  request  of  many  friends 
that  the  series  be  continued,  have  led  to  the 
issue  of  the  present  volume. 

The  wording  and  spelling  of  the  original 
documents  have  been  retained  as  far  as  possible, 
even  at  the  risk  of  apparent  inaccuracy. 

It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  the  Author 
expresses  his  indebtedness  to  the  many  kind 
friends  who  have  assisted  him  with  the  illustra 
tions,  the  correction  of  the  different  chapters, 
and  the  revision  of  the  proofs. 

FORT  AUGUSTUS, 
May  1909. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

STRATHBOGIE  .   .  1 

GLENLIVET — I. 23 

GLENLIVET — II 44 

STRATHAVON  .      55 

GLENGAIRN 69 

BEAEMAR— I .88 

BRAEMAR— II 102 

BADENOCH      .  .122 

LOCHABER— I.       145 

LOCHABER— II.    ...  .  178 

STRATHGLASS  .      .   .   .   .   .   .191 

INDEX  221 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

THE  DEE  AT  ARDEARG,  BRAEMAR      .       .       .      Frontispiece. 

From  a  Photograph  by  the  Author. 

Tojace  page 

STRATHBOGIE  CASTLE 4 

/.  Thomson,  Esq.,  Fort  Augustus. 

MORTLACH  (Meeting-place  of  the  Vicars-Apostolic  and 

Administrators) 13 

Dom.  Lawrence  Mann,  O.S.B.,  Fort  Augustus. 

SHENVAL 15 

From  the  Photograph  by  the  Rev.  Gfeorge  Shaw,  Duftown. 

THE  COLLEGE  OF  SCALAN,  1717-1799 25 

From  a  Photograph  by  tht  Author. 

PLAN  OP  SCALAN 39 

TOMBAE,  GLENLIVET 43 

Author. 

TOMINTOUL  FROM  THE  SOUTH 55 

From  the  Photograph  of  Messrs  Wilson,  Aberdeen. 

THE  STRATH,  STRATHAVON 65 

By  permission  of  Messrs  MacMahon,  Inverness  and  Aberdeen. 

INTERIOR  OF  A  HIGHLAND  COTTAGE  FIFTY  YEARS  AGO    .      71 

By  permission  of  Ex- Provost  Ross,  LL.D.,  Inverness. 
xi 


xii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

To  face  page 
THE  MILL  OF  THE  LAGGAN,  GLENGAIRN,  IN  1868    .       .      74 

By  the  late  Sin  Percival  Radcli/e,  Bart. 

SAINT  MARY'S,  CANDACRAIG,  GLENGAIRN  ....      86 

By  Rodolphe  Christen,  Esq. 

INVERCAULD  HOUSE.      THE  HIGHLAND   GAMES  .          .          .91 
From,  the  print  in  the  possession  of  Very  Rev.  Canon  Paul, 
Braemar. 

MAR  LODGE  IN  1775 100 

From  the  Print  in  the  possession  of  Chas.  M' Hardy,  Esq., 
Helensburgh. 

HOLY  WELL  OF  SAINT  MARY,  INVEREY    .       .       .       .102 

Author. 

FATHER  FARQUIIARSON'S  HOUSE  AND  CHAPEL,  ARDEARG     116 

/.  Thomson,  Esq.,  Fort  Augustus. 

SAINT  ANDREW'S,  BRAEMAR 120 

Author. 

SAINT  MICHAEL'S,  LAGGAN 127 

James  Faed,  Esq.,  Coul,  Laggan. 

THE  PASS  OF  CORRYARRICK  IN  MAY 130 

Author. 

LOCH  LAGGAN 140 

From  the  Photo  by  W.  Inglis  Clark,  Esq.,  D.Sc.,  Pres.  Scottish 
Mountaineering  Club. 

KEPPOCH'S  CANDLESTICKS 150 

By  permission  of  Mr  Alex.  Gardner,  Publisher,  Paisley. 

CEMETERY  AND  ANCIENT  CHAPEL  OF  KILLECHYRILLE     .    160 

J.  Thomson,  Esq.,  Fort  Augustus. 

LOCH  EIL  IN  APRIL 170 

From  the  Photo  by  W.  Inglis  Clark,  Esq.,  D.Sc.t  Pres.  Scottish 
Mountaineering  Club. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  xiii 

To  face  page 
BISHOP  RANALD  MACDONALD 185 

From  the  Original  Portrait  in  the  possttsion  of  Mrs  Chisholm, 
The  Elms,  Inverness. 

SAINT  MARGARET'S,  MULROY,  LOCHABER   .       .       .       .190 

Author. 

CLACHAN  COMAR,  STRATHGLASS 194 

Author. 

THROUGH  GLEN  CANNICH 201 

By  permission  of  the  Misses  Chisholm  of  Chisholmt  Erehless 
Castle. 

FASNAKYLE  FALLS  AND  BRIDGE  .       .       .       .       .       .204 

By  permission  of  the  Misses  Chisholm  of  Chisholm,  Erehless 
Castle. 

SAINT  MARY'S,  ESKADALE— INTERIOR 209 

Author. 

CEMETERY  OF  SAINT  MARY,  ESKADALE      .       .       .       .210 

Author. 

GLEN  AFFARIC 215 

By  Permission  of  the  Misses  Chisholm  of  Chisholm,  Erehless 
Castle. 

MAP  OF  SCOTLAND,  SHOWING  THE  DISTRICTS  DEALT  WITH. 


Design  of  Cover,  Castleton  of  Braemar. 
Dom.  LAWRENCE  MANN,  O.S.B.,  FORT  AUGUSTUS. 


The  Chapters  were  revised  as  follows  : — 

Strathbogie The  MARQUIS  OF  HONTLY. 

Glenlivet Colonel  G.  SMITH  GRANT. 

Strathavon Rev.  PETER  FORBES. 

Glengairn JOHN  MACPHERSON,  Esq. 

Braemar CHAS.  M 'HARDY,  Esq. 

Badenoch Colonel  A.  W.  M 'DONALD,  D.S.O. 

Lochaber Miss  JOSEPHINE  MACDONELL. 

Strathglass The  late  THEODORE  CHISHOLM,  Esq. 


THE   CATHOLIC   HIGHLANDS 
OF   SCOTLAND 

STRATHBOGIE 

THE  Abb4  Macpherson,  than  whom  no  one  was  more 
conversant  with  the  history  of  the  Catholic  Church  in 
Scotland  since  the  Eeformation,  asserted  that  "the 
preservation  of  the  ancient  Faith  was  due,  under  God, 
to  the  House  of  Gordon."  And  indeed  this  fact  stands 
out  very  prominently  in  the  history  of  the  seventeenth 
and  of  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  centuries,  and 
receives  confirmation  from  the  fact  that  whether  we 
follow  the  titles  of  the  former  Dukes  of  Gordon,  or 
the  line  of  their  possessions,  we  shall  always  find 
that  the  Catholics  were  there  protected,  and  that  fair 
remains  of  the  old  Faith  still  exist.  Amongst  the 
titles  of  the  first  Dukes  of  Gordon  were  Earl  of  Enzie, 
Baron  Gordon  of  Badenoch,  Lochaber,  Strathavon,  and 
Glenlivet,  whilst  the  possessions  extended  from  Gordon 
Castle  on  the  north-east  coast  to  Fort  William  on 
the  west ;  and  throughout  this  large  extent  of  territory 
there  were  Catholic  settlements,  whilst  the  districts  of 
VOL.  I,  A 


2      CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Enzie  and  Glenlivet  were  the  very  centre  of  Catholic 
life  and  the  nurseries  of  its  priesthood. 

Besides  being  the  earliest  seat  of  the  Gordons  in 
the  north,  Strathbogie,  or  Huntly  Castle,1  as  it  was 
later  called,  was  long  their  chief  residence,  and  one 
historian  of  the  district  claims  with  considerable  truth 
that  "the  whole  of  the  North  of  Scotland  was  for 
centuries  ruled  from  this  parish."  At  the  change  of 
religion,  the  Earl  of  Huntly  became  at  once  the  head 
of  the  Catholic  party.  He  commanded  them  at  the 
battle  of  Glenlivet,  in  which  the  victory  was  chiefly 
due  to  his  exertions ;  but  King  James  was  so  enraged 
at  this  resistance  of  his  authority,  that  he  himself 
marched  against  the  Earl,  who  was  forced  to  flee  to 
France.  His  proud  Castle  of  Strathbogie  was  burnt 
and  dismantled,  and  the  beautiful  tapestry  and  costly 
hangings  —  the  like  of  which  existed  nowhere  else  in 
Scotland  —  were  carried  to  Edinburgh.  After  three 
years'  exile  the  Earl  of  Huntly  returned  to  Strath 
bogie,  was  received  into  favour  by  King  James,  who 
created  him  the  first  Marquis  of  Scotland.  The  Castle 
of  Strathbogie  was  rebuilt  with  even  greater  splendour 
than  before,  and  within  its  walls  was  a  chapel  which 
the  Catholics  of  the  district  long  attended. 

In  1607  George  Gladstones,  one  of  the  ministers  of 
St  Andrews,  was  sent  by  the  General  Assembly  to 
Strathbogie  Castle.  He  was  ordered  to  remain  there 
fifteen  months  to  instruct  the  Marquis  and  his  family 
in  religion.  But  at  the  next  Assembly  he  stated  that 

1  Although  this  district  is  not  now  recognised  as  belonging  to  the 
Highlands,  properly  so  called,  yet  the  mountainous  nature  of  a  large 
part  of  it,  and  its  close  connection  with  the  other  Catholic  Highlands, 
make  it  fitting  that  it  should  be  included  with  them. 


STRATHBOGIE  S 

he  had  gone  to  Strathbogie,  "but  had  only  remained 
there  three  days."  He  reported  that  the  Marquis  told 
him  that  he  did  not  attend  the  preaching  of  the  Word, 
partly  in  respect  of  the  mean  rank  of  such  as  were 
within  the  parish,  and  partly  because  his  predecessors 
had  a  chapel  within  their  own  castle,  which  he  had 
a  mind  to  prosecute  now,  seeing  he  was  rebuilding  his 
house  of  Strathbogie. 

In  1606  he  had  been  accused  of  giving  encourage 
ment  to  the  Roman  Catholics,  and  thereby  creating 
a  great  defection  from  the  reformed  doctrine.  Shortly 
after,  sentence  of  excommunication  was  pronounced 
against  him;  but  in  1616  he  promised  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  Kirk  that  he  would  continue  in  the 
profession  of  the  truth,  i.e.,  Protestantism,  and  would 
make  his  children  educated  in  the  same.  The  sincerity 
of  this  renunciation  was,  however,  doubted  even  at 
the  time. 

The  later  years  of  the  Marquis's  life  were  embittered 
by  the  feud  which  sprang  up  between  his  family  and 
the  Crichtons  of  Frendraught ;  the  Gordons  believing 
that  the  Marquis's  son  had  been  purposely  burnt  to 
death  at  the  Castle  of  Frendraught,  in  consequence  of 
which  they  burnt  and  plundered  the  lands  and  cattle 
of  the  Crichtons.  The  old  Marquis  was  summoned 
before  the  Council  as  abetting  these  outrages,  and  was 
imprisoned  in  Edinburgh  Castle  in  December  1635.  Of 
his  journey  to  the  south  the  late  Rev.  Mr  Macdonald 
writes:  "Like  a  loyal  subject  and  with  the  courage 
for  good  or  evil  that  had  marked  his  career,  he  set 
out  for  Edinburgh  to  put  himself  in  ward.  Here  the 
old  man  found  that  the  Crichton  influence  had  been 


4      CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

too  much  for  him.  Had  this  taken  place  in  his  younger 
days,  the  hero  of  Balrinnes  and  the  Spanish  bonds 
— the  man  who  dared  the  Kings  of  Scotland  to  their 
face,  and  held  a  sway  in  this  old  castle  (of  Strath- 
bogie)  second  only  to  that  of  the  Kings  of  Scotland, 
would  perhaps  have  braved  false  Charles  Stuart  to  his 
face,  as  he  had  braved  his  father.  But  the  old  Marquis 
was  done.  He  simply  wished  to  get  home  to  die — 
home  to  Strathbogie  Castle — home  to  the  noble  house 
he  had  built,  and  which  he  has  left  us  as  a  memorial 
behind  him." 

His  last  moments  are  thus  described  by  Spalding: 
— "The  Marquis,  finding  himself  become  weaker  and 
weaker,  desired  to  be  at  home,  and  upon  a  day  in  June 
was  carried  from  his  lodging  in  the  Canongate,  in  a 
wand  bed  within  his  chariot  (his  lady  still  with  him), 
to  Dundee,  and  is  lodged  in  Kobert  Murray's  house 
in  the  town.  But  now  his  hour  is  come ;  further  he 
might  not  go ;  his  sickness  increases  more  and  more ; 
he  declares  his  mind  to  his  lady  and  such  friends  as 
he  had ;  then  recommends  his  soul  to  God,  and  upon 
the  13th  of  June  departed  this  life  a  Koman  Catholic, 
being  about  the  age  of  three-score  and  fourteen  years, 
to  the  great  grief  of  his  friends  and  lady,  who  had 
lived  with  him  many  years,  both  in  prosperity  and 
adversity."  Father  Blackball  adds  that  he  was  attended 
at  his  most  edifying  death  by  Father  William  Christie. 

The  same  contemporary  authority  quoted  above 
waxes  wrath  at  the  unkindly  treatment  to  which  his 
widow,  now  an  old  lady  of  seventy,  was  subjected. 
A  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Lennox,  and  nearly  related 
to  the  King,  she  was,  like  all  professing  Catholics  of 


STRATHBOGIE  5 

that  day,  "straitly  put  at."  But  she  had  been  a 
Boman  Catholic  all  her  days,  and  now  was  advanced 
in  life.  So  she  would  not  alter  her  religion,  but  rather 
made  choice  to  leave  the  kingdom,  and  to  flee  to 
France.  Here  she  died  within  a  year  of  her  leaving 
Scotland. 

The  second  Marquis,  son  of  the  preceding,  was  most 
earnest  in  defence  of  King  Charles  against  the  Covenant, 
and  finally  met  his  death  on  the  scaffold  in  Edinburgh 
in  1649.  His  people  of  Strathbogie  are  described  at 
this  time  as  "the  most  part  malignants  or  Papists." 
It  was  this  Marquis  who  used  the  memorable  words : 
"You  may  take  my  head  from  my  shoulders,  but  not 
my  heart  from  my  sovereign."  When,  eventually,  he 
found  himself  upon  the  scaffold,  he  refused  the  assist 
ance  of  the  Presbyterian  ministers. 

His  grandson,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  "went  to 
France,  where  he  completed  his  education  in  a  Catholic 
seminary,"  and  throughout  his  life  proved  true  to  his 
religion.  After  his  marriage  to  a  daughter  of  the 
Duke  of  Norfolk,  being  precluded  by  his  religion  from 
holding  offices  of  State,  he  remained  at  Strathbogie. 
In  1684  he  was  created  Duke  of  Gordon  by  Charles  II., 
but  a  few  years  later  he  fell  into  disfavour  with 
James  II,,  whose  over-hasty  measures  for  the  reintro- 
duction  of  the  Catholic  Faith  he  disapproved.  Never 
theless,  he  was  one  of  the  last  in  Scotland  to  hold  out 
for  King  James,  not  giving  up  the  Castle  of  Edinburgh 
until  three  days  before  the  battle  of  Killiecrankie.  By 
Nathaniel  Hooke,  writing  in  1707,  the  Duke  is  described 
as  "  a  Catholic,  and  entirely  devoted  to  the  King  " ;  and 
again  the  same  writer  says :  "  The  territory  of  the 


6      CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Duke  of  Gordon  is  of  great  extent.  He  is  absolute 
master  of  it,  to  protect  the  Catholics.  He  has  given 
a  house  to  the  Bishop  three  miles  off  (and  ? )  from  Gordon 
Castle,  where  the  Prelate  lives  with  his  priests,  and 
the  Catholic  religion  is  exercised  pretty  openly  all 
over." * 

The  truth  of  the  first  portion  of  Hooke's  statement  is 
proved  by  an  incident  narrated  in  "  Chambers's  Annals." 2 
In  April  1699  the  Duke  allowed  Mass  to  be  said  in 
his  lodging  in  Edinburgh.  The  authorities  receiving 
information  of  this,  made  seizure  of  the  Duke,  and  a 
considerable  number  of  persons  of  all  ranks,  as  they 
were  met  together  in  his  house  for  Mass.  The  whole 
party  was  soon  cited  before  the  Privy  Council,  when 
His  Grace  and  seven  of  the  other  offenders  appeared. 
The  Duke  spoke  so  boldly  of  the  laws  against  his  faith 
and  worship,  that  he  was  immediately  sent  prisoner 
to  the  Castle :  three  others  were  put  in  the  Tolbooth. 
In  the  following  year  Bishop  Wallace  was  arrested, 
whilst  hearing  confessions  in  the  Duchess's  house  in 
Edinburgh. 

At  this  period  Gordon  Castle,  near  Fochabers,  came 
into  favour  as  the  headquarters  of  the  family,  and 
Strathbogie  was  allowed  to  fall  to  decay.  One  cause 
of  the  preference  for  Gordon  Castle  was  the  fact  of 
its  being  "more  sheltered  from  fussy  Presbyterian 
interference." 

Of  the  children  of  the  first  Duke,  the  Lady  Jean 
married  the  Earl,  later  titular  Duke,  of  Perth,  who 
figured  so  largely  in  the  Eising  of  1745.  The  Duchess 

1  J.  M.  Bullock,  "First  Duke  of  Gordon,"  p.  99. 

2  Vol.  iii.  p.  204. 


STRATHBOGIE  7 

herself  was  for  years  the  chief  support  of  the  Catholics 
of  Scotland,  dying  at  Stobhall  in  1773  at  a  very 
advanced  age.  Her  brother,  the  last  Catholic  Duke 
of  Gordon,  met  his  death  while  still  in  the  prime  of 
life  in  consequence  of  a  fatal  illness  brought  on  by 
a  rapid  journey  to  London,  undertaken  with  the  view 
to  protect  the  little  chapel  of  St  Ninian,  Enzie,  from 
desecration,  and  to  propitiate  Government  regarding  the 
violent  treatment  to  which  one,  Morrison,  a  preacher 
deputed  by  the  General  Assembly,  had  been  subjected 
by  the  Catholics.  Beside  the  sick  -  bed,  the  Eev. 
Eobert  Gordon,  for  many  years  his  chaplain,  was 
actually  preparing  an  altar  for  Mass,  when  the  Duke 
suddenly  grew  worse  and  the  last  rites  were  hastily 
administered. 

The  Duke,  who  had  ever  been  a  zealous  Catholic, 
teaching  the  little  Marquis,  his  son,  to  serve  Mass  in 
St  Ninian's  Chapel,  had,  however,  married  a  Protestant, 
the  Lady  Henrietta  Mordaunt.  The  Duchess  promised 
her  dying  husband  that  she  would  keep  their  relative, 
Father  Kobert  Gordon,  as  chaplain,  to  instruct  and 
bring  up  their  children.  However,  on  the  very  first 
Sunday  following  the  death  of  the  Duke,  this  promise 
was  broken,  and  the  children  were  taken  to  the 
Protestant  Church. 

The  death  of  the  Duke,  due  as  it  was  to  his  zeal 
for  the  old  Faith,  and  the  solemn  promise  so  hastily 
broken,  are  indeed  not  without  their  vein  of  tragedy, 
and  one  cannot  but  feel,  as  one  reads  this  account, 
that  it  was  a  noble  ending  to  a  long  series  of  efforts 
on  behalf  of  the  old  Faith.  Indeed,  the  time  when 
the  Catholics  of  Scotland  needed  a  powerful  defender 


8      CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

was  fast  passing  away,  and  toleration  was  spoken  of 
on  all  sides.  Having  for  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  been  the  outspoken  opponents  of  the  new 
religious  ideas,  whether  of  Presbytery,  Covenant,  or 
Episcopalianism,  there  is  little  doubt  but  that,  despite 
occasional  errors  of  judgment  such  as  are  inseparable 
from  the  history  of  any  great  family,  the  House  of 
Gordon  did  a  great  work  in  affording  at  least  some 
protection  to  Catholics,  and  did  indeed  preserve  the 
faith  in  many  a  distant  hamlet  and  in  many  a 
secluded  glen. 

Mention  is  often  made  in  histories  of  the  district 
of  the  chapel  in  the  castle,  with  reference  to  which 
the  minister  of  Strathbogie  complained  in  1660  that 
"if  the  church  of  the  Lady  Marchioness  increased 
as  much  in  the  next  three  months  as  it  had  done 
in  the  last,  he  would  give  up  preaching  in  Strathbogie 
altogether."  Whilst  in  1637  Father  Blackball  "used 
to  say  Mass  in  Eobert  Eines'  house  in  the  Eaws 
of  Strathbogie,  as  well  as  at  Cairnborrow,  four  miles 
distant."  There  is  evidence  that  upon  occasion  he 
also  celebrated  Mass  in  the  little  abandoned  church  of 
Drumgeldie,  i.e.  Peterkirk,  which  stood  some  three  miles 
westward  from  the  Eaws  of  Strathbogie,  on  Deveron- 
side,  a  mile  or  so  up  the  water  from  Dunbennan  Church. 
The  desolate  little  churchyard  at  Peterkirk  is  not 
yet  entirely  abandoned,  for  still  at  long  intervals  a 
Catholic  funeral  wends  its  way  thither.  But  in 
Father  Blackhall's  time  the  church  edifice  was  still 
capable  of  affording  shelter  to  the  worshippers,  although 
it  was  known  as  the  brunt  kirk.1  Here  indeed  are 

1  "Seventeenth-Century  Sketches,"  Miss  M.  Gray,  Huntly. 


STRATHBOGIE  9 

buried  many  of  the  priests  who  laboured  in  the  district, 
including  the  saintly  George  Adamson,  himself  a 
Strathbogie  man  by  birth,  who  was  so  greatly  praised 
by  Bishop  Geddes  and  others. 

In  1688  there  were  said  to  be  seven  hundred 
Catholics  in  Strathbogie  under  Mr  Christie.  In 
1724,  from  an  unexpected  source,  the  report  of  the 
Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  we  get 
the  interesting  information  that  "there  were  218 
Eornan  Catholics  in  Huntly,  with  a  chapel  at 
Eobieston,  where  Peter  Reid  and  John  Tyrie  preach 
and  say  Mass."  Mr  Tyrie  was  here  still  in  1733, 
when  he  appears  to  have  been  succeeded  by  Mr 
Paterson.  In  1736  the  S.P.C.K.  informs  us  that 
"  there  were  198  Roman  Catholics,  a  mass  -  house 
at  Robieston  (66  feet  by  18  feet !)  where  designed 
Bishop  Gordon  frequently,  and  Alex.  Paterson  statedly 
officiate." 

The  chapel  at  Robieston,  half  a  mile  from  Strath 
bogie  Castle,  was  still  in  use  in  1746,  when  it  was 
burnt  by  the  soldiery.  In  1787  Mr  C.  Maxwell, 
the  priest  of  that  date,  who  resided  at  Gibston,  was 
busy  superintending  the  building  of  a  new  chapel 
which  like  others  of  that  period  was  to  be  slated — 
"a  great  improvement,"  writes  Bishop  Geddes,  "and 
a  proof  that  the  persecuting  spirit  is  abated."  St 
John's,  as  the  new  chapel  was  called,  is  still  standing 
at  the  back  of  the  present  chapel,  and  about  fifty  yards 
distant  from  it.  This  little  chapel  has  had  a  strange 
history.  It  was  abandoned  in  1834  for  the  new  chapel, 
the  site  of  which  was  acquired  from  the  then  extinct 
Lodge  of  Freemasons.  After  lying  empty  for  some 


10    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

time,  the  old  chapel  was  used  as  a  carpenter's  shop, 
but  it  has  since  been  acquired  by  the  resuscitated 
Freemason's  Lodge,  who  still  retain  its  old  name  of 
St  John's. 

The  present  church  was  built  in  1834.  The  Directory 
of  that  date  says:  "During  last  winter  a  new  and 
splendid  chapel  was  erected  in  Huntly.  A  great  part 
of  the  funds  consisted  of  a  munificent  bequest  made  for 
that  purpose  by  a  late  member  of  the  family  of  Ward- 
house,  to  which  very  considerable  additions  were  made 
by  John  Gordon,  Esq.,  of  Xerez  and  Wardhouse.  .  .  . 
Nor  is  it  out  of  place  to  remark  that  this  is  the  first 
Catholic  chapel  in  Scotland  since  the  Eeformation 
that  has  had  a  spire  and  bell."  The  site,  it  has  been 
truly  said,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  town. 
Huntly  Castle  is  quite  in  view  —  great  in  its  ivy- 
mantled  ruins  and  affecting  reminiscences.  In  its 
garden,  marked  by  two  old  pear  trees  still  standing, 
the  immortal  Father  Blackball,  while  a  price  was  on 
his  head,  at  the  dead  of  night  had  a  meeting  with 
the  Marquis  of  Huntly,  to  get  permission  to  fulfil 
a  promise,  asked  by  and  plighted  to  the  Lady  Aboyne 
on  her  death-bed,  to  take  her  daughter  from  Scotland 
to  France  to  be  brought  up  in  the  Catholic  Faith. 

It  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  mention  here  that  besides 
the  chief  of  the  clan,  many  of  the  Gordon  lairds  long 
remained  true  to  the  faith  of  their  forefathers,  follow 
ing  the  example  of  the  Huntly  family  and  sharing 
their  persecution.  Amongst  numberless  examples  the 
following  may  be  quoted.  In  1601  Gordon  of  Gight, 
summoned  for  "  popery  "  before  the  Presbytery,  replied  : 
"If  it  shall  please  His  Majesty  and  your  wisdoms 


STRATHBOGIE  11 

of  the  Kirk  of  Scotland  sae  to  tak  my  blude  for  my 
profession,  whilk  is  Catholic  Roman,  I  will  maist 
willingly  offer  it ;  and  gif  sae  be,  God  grant  me 
constancy  to  abide  the  same." 

In  1624  Gordon  of  Craig  as  "an  excommunicat  and 
trafficking  papist,"  was  obliged  to  leave  the  Kingdom ; 
in  1637  Gordon  of  Cairnboro  and  in  1638  Gordon 
of  Cowdraine  were  cited  before  the  Synod  of  Strath- 
bogie,  as  was  William  Gordon,  in  Avochie,  in  1650. 
The  following  year  this  good  man  being  asked  by 
the  Presbytery  "why  he  frequented  not  God's  public 
worship  and  communicated  not,  answered,  he  was  not 
of  our  profession,  but  was  ane  Roman  Catholic,  who 
was  brought  up  in  the  House  of  Huntly  in  the  popish 
religion.  Being  desired  to  conform  himself  to  the 
reformed  religion  of  the  Kirk  of  Scotland,  answered, 
he  could  not  at  the  first  till  better  information,  etc.,  etc." 

Of  the  family  of  Beldornie,  now  of  Wardhouse, 
Jean  Gordon,  mother  of  the  laird,  and  Marie  his 
sister  are  in  1704  returned  as  Papists ;  whilst  in  1732 
it  was  reported  to  the  Presbytery  that  James  Gordon, 
of  Beldornie,  was  a  Papist,  and  that  priests  met  at 
his  house.  Indeed,  two  of  his  sons  were  educated 
at  the  Scots  Monastery  of  Eatisbon,  viz.,  Arthur,  who 
appears  in  the  list  of  arrivals  in  1739,  when  he  was 
eight  years  old,  and  Charles,  who  entered  in  1748, 
at  the  age  of  eleven.  The  younger  only  became  a 
priest,  and  died  in  Holland  in  1816.  An  uncle  of 
theirs,  Alexander,  had  entered  in  1718,  but  he  returned 
to  Scotland,  where  he  later  married.  He  was  a  son 
of  Alexander  Gordon  by  his  wife  Giles  MacDonell,  of 
Keppoch.  This  lady  has  left  a  great  name  as  a  poetess, 


12    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

of  whom  Mrs  Grant,  of  Laggan,  in  her  letters  says : 
"  The  enthusiasm  with  which  her  character  was  deeply 
tinged,  seems  to  have  been  not  only  poetical,  but 
heroic,  patriotic,  and  in  a  very  high  degree  devotional. 
She  was  a  Catholic  too,  and  took  every  advantage 
that  a  religion  so  pompous  and  picturesque  offered 
to  embellish  her  poetry  with  the  peculiar  imagery  it 
afforded.  The  hymns  and  sacred  rhapsodies  of  Sheelah 
(her  Gaelic  name)  are  still  the  consolation  and  delight 
of  all  pious  Highland  Catholics."  It  is  indeed  pleas 
ing  to  note  the  sterling  qualities  of  this  good  Catholic 
lady  of  two  hundred  years  ago,  and  to  remember  that 
her  descendants,  who  still  remain  true  to  the  faith 
which  was  hers,  had  been  so  closely  connected  with 
the  building  of  the  present  church. 

Of  the  priests  who  served  this  mission,  Mr  John 
Gordon  was  priest  in  Huntly  from  1742-1761,  and 
his  register  of  baptisms,  marriages,  and  deaths  is  still 
extant.  It  is  indeed  one  of  the  oldest  registers  which 
have  survived.  From  a  list  at  the  end  we  learn  that 
during  the  eighteen  years  he  was  in  Huntly  he  was 
able  to  make  fifty-six  entries  on  the  "list  of  those 
who  abjured  heresy  "  before  him.  Mr  William  Duthie 
continues  the  entries  till  1776,  when  Mr  C.  Maxwell 
succeeded.  At  this  date  we  are  told  there  were 
two  missions  in  Strathbogie.  Mr  William  Eeid  at 
Mortlach  —  a  man  of  great  merit,  though  in  feeble 
health — superintended  430  communicants  in  a  circuit 
of  eight  miles ;  whilst  Mr  Duthie  took  charge  of  other 
350  communicants  within  a  range  of  ten  miles  from 
his  residence  at  Huntly.  Other  priests  in  charge  of 
this  mission  were  Mr  Andrew  Scott — later  Bishop — 


STRATHBOGIE  13 

1801-1805;  Mr  James  Macdonald  till  1811;  Mr 
William  Eattray  till  1819 ;  Mr  James  M'Lachlan,  1820- 
1826;  and  in  later  years  Mr  Terence  M'Guire,  J. 
Macdonald,  and  John  Sutherland. 

Within  the  district  of  Strathbogle  two  spots  are 
especially  associated  with  the  history  of  the  Catholic 
Church  during  the  stormy  period  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  About  six  miles  north  from  Huntly  1  is  the 
hamlet  of  Mortlach ;  a  mere  hamlet  it  is  indeed,  and 
it  was  never  much  more,  being  situated  in  the  Binn 
district,  within  the  Parish  of  Cairnie.  Mr  John 
Gordon,  of  the  family  of  Cairnborrow,  seems  to  have 
settled  here  about  1718,  for  he  died  here  in  1720. 
It  was  he  who  had  been  the  first  to  settle  at  Scalan, 
moving  thither  from  the  lower  district  of  Glenlivet. 
In  1739  Mr  William  Eeid  was  priest  here,  and  here 
he  laboured  with  great  zeal  until  his  health  was 
quite  broken,  when  he  retired  in  1769.  He  had 
originally  been  sent  to  assist  his  uncle,  Mr  William 
Shand,  who  was  at  Mortlach  for  some  years  previous 
to  1740. 

Although  Mr  Eeid  was  made  prisoner  in  1746  and 
carried  to  Edinburgh,  yet  the  chapel  was  not  destroyed. 
There  is  thus  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  priest's 
house  was  also  spared,  and  that  the  building,  as  it  now 
stands,  was  the  residence  of  Mr  Eeid.  Here  the  three 
Vicars  Apostolic  met  for  their  yearly  meeting,  each 
arriving  by  different  routes  in  order  to  avoid  suspicion, 
and  observing  the  greatest  secrecy  lest  their  meeting 
be  thought  political,  instead  of  purely  ecclesiastical. 

1  The  town  of  Strathbogie  was  named  Huntly  as  early  as  1450,  but 
the  castle  retained  the  name  much  longer,  whilst  the  district  retains 
it  still. 


14    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Close  to  the  priest's  house  was  the  chapel,  but  of 
this  scarce  any  traces  are  left.  Services  had,  however, 
been  conducted  here  for  nearly  a  hundred  years,  when 
in  1805  Mr  James  Macdonald  received  the  joint 
mission  of  Mortlach  and  Huntly.  Although  the  ruins 
prove  that  there  must  have  been  many  houses  here 
at  that  time,  the  township  is  now  deserted.  Indeed 
a  more  desolate  spot  can  scarcely  be  imagined,  the 
poor  land  offering  very  little  inducement  to  the  farmer, 
whilst  the  exposed  situation  has  nothing  of  the  seclusion 
of  Scalan,  so  far,  at  least,  as  weather  conditions  are 
concerned. 

That  a  man  should  have  the  pluck  to  labour  for 
thirty  years,  as  Mr  Keid  did,  in  so  wild  a  district  is 
indeed  proof  of  his  sterling  qualities,  which  were  most 
highly  commended  by  the  venerable  Bishop  Geddes. 
This  good  missioner  was  also  in  favour  with  Bishop 
Smith  and  with  Mr,  later  Bishop,  Grant,  if  we 
may  judge  from  the  following  incident,  related  by 
Mr  Thomson  in  his  notes.  Upon  Mr  Grant's  appoint 
ment  to  be  bishop,  Bishop  Smith  sent  the  briefs  to 
Mr  Eeid,  as  he  feared  Mr  Grant's  humility  and  opposi 
tion.  Mr  Eeid,  who  was  a  relative  and  close  friend 
of  Mr  Grant,  set  off  immediately  for  Preshome,  where 
Mr  Grant  resided,  and  assuming  a  dejected  and  sorrow 
ful  countenance,  he  said  he  came  to  him  as  to  his 
best  friend  on  a  subject  that  highly  interested  him 
and  the  whole  mission,  and  showing  the  briefs  directed 
to  himself  by  Bishop  Smith.  "These,"  he  said,  "are 
come  from  Eome;  what  shall  I  do?  My  incapacity 
and  unworthiness  for  such  an  office  is  known  to  you 
and  to  everybody — this  cannot  be  the  work  of  the 


STRATHBOGIE  15 

Holy  Ghost,  and  I  am  resolved  not  to  accept  of  the 
dignity,  only  I  am  uneasy  at  the  thought  of  dis 
obedience,  not  only  to  my  bishop,  but  even  to  the 
Vicar  of  Jesus  Christ.  For  God's  sake  speak  your 
mind  without  disguise,  and  advise  me  in  what  manner 
I  have  to  refuse  the  charge,  for  I  feel  I  can  never 
think  of  being  bishop."  He  then  put  up  the  paper 
in  his  pocket,  and  Mr  Grant,  who  really  thought 
Mr  Eeid  had  been  named,  entered  fully  into  the 
subject  and  strongly  enforced  all  the  arguments  that 
could  occur  upon  such  an  occasion  to  do  away  with 
Mr  Eeid's  opposition  and  induce  him  to  submit.  This 
gentleman  again  did  not  miss  urging  in  the  strongest 
manner  the  objections  to  which  he  knew  Mr  Grant 
would  give  the  greatest  strength  in  his  own  case, 
all  of  which  were  answered  with  much  perspicuity 
and  force  of  reasoning.  Mr  Eeid  then  pretended  to 
be  convinced,  and  concluded :  "  And  can  you  promise 
me,  Mr  Grant,  that  this  course  which  you  advise  is 
that  which  you  would  yourself  follow  ? "  "  Indeed  it 
is,"  replied  his  friend ;  "  the  course  which  I  have  advised 
you  to  take  is  that  which  I  would  myself  adopt  in 
your  circumstances."  "Very  well,"  said  Mr  Eeid, 
"here  are  the  briefs;  they  are  for  you,  and  not  for 
me  at  all." 

The  other  station  within  the  Strathbogie  district 
which  ranks  amongst  the  earliest  in  the  Highlands 
is  that  of  Shenval  in  the  Cabrach.  The  Bogie  river, 
whence  Strathbogie  has  its  name,  rises  at  the  foot 
of  the  Buck  of  Cabrach,  a  hill  nearly  2,500  feet  high. 
The  whole  district,  which  is  .the  dividing  line  between 
Banffshire  and  Aberdeenshire,  has  a  most  unenviable 


16    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

reputation  for  storms  and  for  its  excessive  cold.  For 
over  a  century  it  was  known  to  the  missioners  as 
the  "Siberia  of  Scotland";  here  they  often  started 
their  career,  but  few  indeed  were  they  who  did  not 
soon  yearn  for  other  fields  of  labour,  as  the  well-known 
tale  related  by  Dr  Gordon  proves.  A  young  missioner, 
fresh  from  College,  when  told  by  Bishop  Hay  that 
the  Shenval  was  to  be  his  station,  remarked :  "  Very 
well ;  I  can  have  no  objection :  it  is  very  proper  that 
every  one  should  take  his  turn  at  that  place."  "  Stop ! " 
said  the  Bishop  ;  "  that  is  not  a  proper  way  of  speaking 
of  it;  you  should  be  willing,  if  necessary,  to  go  and 
labour  there  for  the  rest  of  your  life."  "  Of  course 
so,"  said  the  young  priest ;  "  but  if  that  should  happen, 
may  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  me." 

The  truth  seems  to  be  that  this  mission  was  started 
at  a  time  when  persecution  was  most  severe,  and 
when  priest  and  people  had  to  retire  to  the  most 
inaccessible  districts  in  order  to  avoid  pursuit.  In 
accessible  it  certainly  is,  whilst  the  incident  related 
by  Abbe'  Macpherson  proves  its  title  of  Siberia  to 
have  been  but  little  exaggerated.  During  the  only 
winter  Mr  Macpherson  was  there  a  deep  snow  fell 
on  All-Souls'  Day,  and  lay  on  the  ground  till  the  end 
of  the  following  March,  and  for  the  most  part  of  that 
time  it  was  four  feet  deep  all  over.  In  many  places 
where  it  had  driven,  it  was  on  a  level  with  the  tops 
of  the  houses.  While  the  country  was  thus  covered 
he  was  on  one  occasion  called  to  assist  a  dying  person, 
and  night  coming  on  before  they  reached  the  place, 
his  guide  put  him  on  his  guard  against  falling  down 
a  chimney,  as  the  path  along  which  they  were  walking 


CATHOLIC  HIGHLAN 

OF 

SCOTLAND 

English  Miles 


The  red  tint  shows  the  Districts  to  be  dealt  with. 


STRATHBOGIE  17 

led  them  over  the  top  of  a  dwelling  house — the  chimney 
of  which  would,  according  to  the  custom  of  that  time, 
have  been  a  hole  in  the  roof  of  the  cottage. 

The  following  list  of  the  heights  at  which  some 
of  the  Highland  chapels,  present  and  past,  are  situated 
may  here  prove  interesting : — 

TEET 

Scalan,  Glenlivet         .        .        1265        1715-1799 
Shenval,  Cabrach        .        .        1200        1731-1821 

.->...     fThe  fine  new  chapel 
Chapeltown,  Glenlivet        .        1175   j  wag  built  in  1897> 

f  An    old     and     still 
Tomintoul,  Strathavon        .         1150   |  flourishing  mission. 

Braemar     ....        1111   ftj&ftj* 

{The  chapel  was  re 
moved  to  Ballater, 
1905. 

{The  congregation  is 
much  reduced  in 
numbers. 

f  An     old    and    still 
Tombae,  Glenlivet      .        .          900    |  flourishing  mission. 

Of  these  Shenval  is  certainly  the  most  exposed, 
being  placed  at  the  top  of  a  small  hill,  open  to  the 
winds  from  every  direction.  Indeed  on  the  occasion 
of  the  visit  paid  by  the  present  writer  in  the  middle 
of  July,  the  wind  was  so  cold  and  piercing,  "  so  coorse," 
that  he  was  glad  to  hasten  away.  "  If  Shenval  were 
so  bleak  in  midsummer,  what  must  it  have  been  to 
the  devoted  missioners  who  lived  there  in  midwinter  ? " 
was  the  thought  that  forced  itself  upon  him. 

The  first  of  those  to  settle  here  was  Mr  Burnet,  who 
is  said  to  have  had  700  Catholics  to  attend  to.  In 
1731  Mr  Brockie — then  newly  arrived  on  the  mission 

VOL.  I.  B 


18    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

— "  got  a  croft  in  tack  "  from  Dr  Gordon  of  Keithmore, 
at  Shenval  itself,  and  removed  thither.  He  had  under 
his  charge  the  Catholics  of  Cabrach,  Glass,  Mortlach,1 
and  Aberlour. 

During  the  incumbency  of  Mr  Brockie,  the  chapel 
at  Shenval  was  burnt  by  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's 
soldiers,  after  which  Mass  was  said  in  a  barn  till  1780. 
Mr  Brockie  was  succeeded  by  Mr,  later  Bishop,  Geddes. 
He  found  this  mission  laborious  indeed,  yet  he  greatly 
liked  it.  He  served  by  turns  five  stations — Shenval, 
where  he  had  a  house  of  his  own  and  for  most  part 
had  the  venerable  Bishop  Hugh  Macdonald  for  a  lodger, 
it  being  unsafe  for  the  good  bishop  to  appear  in  the 
Highlands,  on  account  of  the  part  he  had  taken  in 
the  Eising  of  1745 ;  Keithmore,  where  Dr  Gordon, 
brother  of  Bishop  Gordon,  dwelt ;  Beldorny,  Aberlour, 
and  Auchanachy. 

Mr  Geddes  was  succeeded  in  1762  by  Mr  Menzies, 
who  took  up  his  residence  at  Keithmore.  He  served 
this  district  till  1783,  though  it  appears  to  have  been 
divided  about  this  time,  Mr  William  Eeid,  who  had 
had  charge  of  it  for  a  few  years,  taking  the  Strathisla 
mission,  whilst  Mr  Dawson  received  Shenval  as  his 
first  charge. 

Of  Mr  Eeid,  Dr  Gordon  relates  that,  like  so  many 
of  the  priests  of  that  date,  he  was  on  most  friendly 
terms  with  his  Protestant  neighbours,  and  was  greatly 
esteemed  by  them.  At  a  time  when  there  was  very 
high  feeling  between  different  Protestant  sections — 
Burghers,  An ti- Burghers,  etc.  —  Mr  Eeid  attended  a 

1  This  Mortlach,  for  which  in  early  times  a  Bishop's  See  is  claimed, 
is  situated  a  mile  or  so  from  Dufftown,  some  fifteen  miles  by  road  from 
the  Mortlach  of  which  above. 


STRATHBOGIE  19 

large  dinner  party.  He  could  not  restrain  his  emotion 
in  bemoaning  the  loss  of  his  fine  mare.  Old  Tom 
Johnstone,  a  strong  leader  amongst  the  Anti-Burghers, 
thought  that  he  had  got  a  fine  hit  at  Mr  Eeid  at  the 
expense  of  the  ceremonies  of  his  Church,  when  he  put 
forth  this  profane  query :  "  Did  you  give  your  mare 
Extreme  Unction,  Mr  Keid,  before  she  died  ? "  "  Deed 
no,  Mr  Johnstone,"  was  Mr  Eeid's  quick  reply,  "the 
poor  beast  died  a  Burgher." 

As  already  stated,  the  chapel  at  Shenval  was  burnt 
in  1746,  but  in  1780  Mr  Macpherson,  who  had  arrived 
in  the  previous  year,  got  a  new  chapel  built.  Protest 
ants,  as  well  as  Catholics,  we  are  told,  even  the  minister 
himself,  helped  to  provide  the  materials  for  the  build 
ing.  At  this  period  the  stations  were  Shenval,  Braelach, 
Tullochallum,  and  Aberlour.  At  Tullochallum — long 
the  residence  of  a  branch  of  the  Gordons  of  Glastirum 
— there  was  no  room  large  enough,  so  Mass  was  said  in 
the  kiln,  or  granary.  A  complete  set  of  altar  hangings 
was  kept  here,  and  Alexander,  one  of  the  sons,  used  to 
carry  the  altar  stone  and  chalice,  with  other  requisites 
for  Mass,  from  Shenval. 

It  addition  to  those  visits,  Bishop  Hay,  when  on  his 
journeys  between  Aberdeen  and  Scalan,  invariably 
spent  some  time  at  Tullochallum,  resting  there  occa 
sionally  for  a  week  or  more.  When  on  his  journeys, 
always  performed  in  his  later  years  on  horseback, 
the  bishop  was  accompanied  by  his  man-servant.  This 
was  necessary  as  well  for  assistance  as  protection,  as 
they  carried  all  the  baggage,  including  the  bishop's 
vestments  and  everything  necessary  for  celebrating 
Mass,  in  two  immense  saddle-bags,  which  were  often 


20    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

so  full  as  to  hang  down  as  far  as  the  rider's  feet  on 
either  side,  and  to  require  a  very  wide  stable  door  to 
admit  both  horse  and  valise  at  the  same  time. 

It  is  said  that  the  name  of  Tullochallum  was  so 
well  known  in  Kome  that  some  of  the  students,  on 
their  return  to  Scotland  as  priests,  having  heard  so 
much  of  it  and  the  family,  were  astonished  to  find  it 
only  a  modest  farmhouse. 

One  saying  of  old  Tullochallum  is  well  remembered 
to  this  day.  It  pained  him  to  think  how  he  and  a 
favourite  companion,  though  such  good  friends  during 
the  week,  attended  different  churches  on  the  Sunday. 
Says  Tullochallum:  "Man,  Sandy,  it's  a  strange 
thing  that  we  twa  who  are  sic  faist  friends  and  ai 
togither  through  the  week,  should  pairt  company  on 
the  Sabboth.  There  must  be  something  of  the  de'el 

in  it." 

When  times  became  less  intolerant,  and  it  was  con 
sidered  more  convenient  for  priest  and  people,  the 
headquarters  of  the  Cabrach  Mission  were  removed 
from  Shenval  to  the  farm  of  Upper  Keithock  in 
Auchindoune,  possibly  about  1790.  To  help  the  priest 
to  live,  the  Duke  of  Gordon  rented  him  the  small  farm, 
and  a 'little  church  was  built,  one  story  and  thatched 
roof.  Mr  John  Gordon,  Tullochallum,  took  upon 
himself  the  cost  of  cultivating  the  priest's  farm,  seed 
and  labour— never  doing  anything  of  his  own  till  the 
priest's  crop  was  laid  down.  A  practice,  by  the  way, 
which  is  still  of  frequent  occurrence  in  the  Highlands. 

Some  years  later,  Mr  George  Gordon,  not  satisfied 
with  the  thatched  chapel,  set  to  work  and  erected  a 
comfortable  two-story  stone  building  with  slated  roof. 


STRATHBOGIE  21 

The  lower  story  served  as  the  presbytery,  and  the 
upper  flat,  having  a  vaulted  roof,  made  a  very  respect 
able  chapel — a  great  improvement  on  the  other,  with 
its  mud  floor. 

In  1817  the  village  of  Dufftown,  on  the  property  of 
the  Earl  of  Fife,  a  very  liberal  nobleman,  was  begun. 
It  is  situated  two  and  half  miles  north-west  of  the  farm 
of  Keithock,  and  besides  being  more  central,  was  on 
the  highway  to  Glenlivet  and  the  upper  missions. 
Mr  Gordon  got  a  grant  of  a  few  acres  of  land  from 
the  Earl  of  Fife,  and  in  1825  he  built  thereon  a  very 
neat  stone  church,  with  Gothic  facade,  as  well  as  a 
compact  and  comfortable  presbytery,  and  enclosed  the 
whole  property  with  a  stone  and  lime  wall,  all  of  which 
remain  to  this  day,  a  standing  memorial  of  his  zeal  and 
energy. 

Of  the  other  stations  of  the  old  Cabrach  mission, 
Shenval  is  almost  completely  depopulated,  and  scarce 
a  stone  remains  to  show  where  the  chapel  once  stood, 
though  it  were  to  be  desired  that  a  cairn,  so  often  seen 
in  the  Highlands,  were  erected  to  perpetuate  the  site. 
Aberlour  has  always  been  visited  occasionally  from 
Dufftown,  and  at  the  present  moment  a  small  chapel 
is  in  course  of  erection  there. 

At  the  risk  of  a  slight  digression,  it  may  be 
interesting  to  note  that  the  Strathisla  mission  was  in 
1785  fixed  at  Kempcairn,  where  the  two  daughters  of 
Dr  Gordon,  of  Keithmore,  had  resided  since  the  death 
of  their  father  in  1765.  Kempcairn,  of  which  an 
illustration  is  given  in  Gordon's  "  Book  of  the  Chronicles 
of  Keith,"  is  a  small  farm  about  half  a  mile  from  Keith. 
The  farmhouse  is  "  a  but  and  a  ben  "  of  one  story,  and 


22    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

the  small  chapel  was  at  the  south  end,  straw-thatched, 
and  possibly  still  standing,  In  1831  Mr  Lovie  trans 
ferred  the  church  to  Keith,  where  the  present  chapel 
and  priest's  house  were  erected  by  his  exertions. 

Dr  Gordon,  of  whom  mention  has  been  made  more 
than  once  in  the  foregoing  pages,  had  at  one  time 
owned  the  estate  of  Balnacraig,  on  Deeside.  This  he 
gave,  in  default  of  male  heirs,  during  his  lifetime  to 
the  eldest  of  his  three  daughters,  who  had  married 
James  Innes,  of  Drumgask,  near  Aboyne.  Dr  Gordon 
then  went  to  live  at  Keithmore,  where  Mass  was  said 
in  his  house  by  the  priest  of  Cabrach,  and  this  was  the 
beginning  of  the  Dufftown  mission.  It  would  thus 
appear  that  this  good  man  and  his  daughters  were 
largely  instrumental  in  the  foundation  of  the  three 
missions  of  Balnacraig,  the  predecessor  of  Aboyne, 
Keithmore,  the  predecessor  of  Dufftown,  and  Kemp- 
cairn,  that  of  Keith. 

It  is  also  worthy  of  note  that  as  toleration  became 
the  order  of  the  day,  the  remote  chapels  were  disused 
and  churches  arose  in  their  place  in  the  neighbouring, 
towns,  so  that  at  the  present  date  the  earlier  stations  of 
the  Strathbogie  district,  where  Mass  was  almost  con 
tinuously  said  between  1650  and  1800,  and  which  are 
accordingly  well  worthy  of  our  veneration,  are,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  almost  lost  to  memory. 


GLENLIVET 


IN  the  history  of  the  last  three  hundred  years  the  quiet 
little  valley  of  the  river  Livet  has  figured  very  promi 
nently.  In  1594  there  was  fought  at  Alltacoileachan 
the  battle  which  has  become  known  as  the  battle  of 
Glenlivet,  and  which  was  little  else  than  a  combat 
between  the  Catholic  Lords  with  their  followers  on  the 
one  side,  and  the  Protestant  Lords  on  the  other.  The 
facts  are  as  follows.  James  VI.,  being  undecided  which 
party  to  support,  that  of  the  Catholics  who  were  still 
numerous,  especially  amongst  the  nobility  of  the  north, 
or  the  Protestants,  sent  in  1593  a  secret  mission  to  the 
Pope  to  treat  of  the  return  of  Scotland  to  the  allegiance 
of  Eome  ;  but  in  1594,  finding  that  popular  agitation 
was  increasing,  he  once  more  changed  his  mind,  and 
resolved  that  the  laws  against  Catholics  should  be 
enforced.  With  this  view  he  determined  to  send  an 
army  to  the  Gordon  country,  ever  the  stronghold  of  the 
Catholic  side. 

The  Earl  of  Argyle,  having  been  appointed  his 
Lieutenant  in  the  north,  marched  at  the  head  of  over 
10,000  men  against  his  old  enemy  the  Earl  of  Huntly. 
The  Catholic  Earls  of  Huntly  and  Errol  "  thought  it 
would  be  more  to  their  honour  in  so  just  a  cause  to  die 
sword  in  hand  than  to  be  murdered  in  their  own  houses. 

23 


24    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

They  quickly  collected  1,500  horsemen  from  amongst 
their  friends  and  retainers,  with  a  few  foot-soldiers,  and 
invoked  the  Divine  assistance  with  confession  and 
communion."1  Both  sides  fought  with  great  valour, 
but  six  pieces  of  artillery  with  which  Huntly  was 
provided  seem  to  have  had  a  large  share  in  securing 
him  the  victory.  At  their  first  discharge,  Campbell 
of  Lochnell,  Argyle's  cousin,  and  Macneill  of  Barra, 
were  shot  dead,  and  the  whole  following  of  Lochnell 
left  the  field.  A  large  part  of  Argyle's  men,  who  had 
never  seen  artillery  before,  were  thrown  into  confusion 
by  the  cannonade.  Huntly,  perceiving  this,  charged  the 
enemy,  and  rushing  in  amongst  them  with  his  horse 
men,  increased  the  confusion.  At  length  the  victory 
was  complete  and  Huntly  and  his  men  returned  thanks 
to  God  on  the  field  for  the  success  they  had  achieved. 

A  quaint  story  survives  of  a  wounded  soldier — 
Captain  M'Lean,  of  Mull — who,  as  he  lay  dying  on  the 
field  of  battle,  prayed  that  he  might  be  buried  in  the 
quiet  little  cemetery  of  Downan,  "  where  the  tongue 
of  the  Sassenach  might  never  be  heard."  The  good 
man's  grave  is  still  pointed  out,  but  along  the  whole 
length  of  Glenlivet  not  a  word  of  Gaelic  has  been 
spoken  for  over  one  hundred  years :  the  tongue  of  the 
Sassenach,  unfortunately,  is  all  that  is  heard. 

But  another  cause  of  the  celebrity  which  Glenlivet 
has  acquired  in  the  Catholic  Annals  of  the  past  is  that  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  that  is,  from 
1717-1799,  the  little  college  or  seminary  of  Scalan  was 
the  centre  of  Catholic  activity.  Over  a  hundred  mission 
aries  were  educated  wholly  or  partially  within  its  walls, 

1  "Narrative  of  Scottish  Catholics/'  Forbes  Leith,  p.  224. 


GLENLIVET  25 

and  against  it  the  hostility  of  the  enemies  of  the  Catholic 
Faith  were  time  after  time  directed. 

"Every  Scots  Catholic,  who  has  any  zeal  for  the 
advancement  of  the  true  religion  in  his  country,  and 
still  more  particularly  persons  in  our  circumstances, 
must  naturally  have  an  affectionate  regard  for  the 
little  College,  as  I  may  call  it,  of  Scalan."  These 
words,  written  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  ago,  are 
surely  truer  still  to-day.  Their  author,  in  his  "  Brief 
Historical  Account  of  the  Seminary  of  Scalan,  read  in 
an  Academical  Meeting  in  the  Scots  College  at  Valla- 
dolid,  18th  June  1777,"  assures  us  his  information  is 
derived  from  those  who  like  himself  had  spent  many 
years  in  the  College,  especially  Bishop  Hugh  Macdonald, 
Bishop  Smith,  and  Mr  George  Gordon,  long  time  its 
Superior. 

It  adds  greatly  to  the  interest  of  the  following  narra 
tive  to  know  that  it  is  in  the  handwriting  of  the 
venerable  Bishop  Geddes,  the  foremost  authority  on 
the  history  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Scotland.  On 
this  account  the  narrative  is  followed  as  closely  as 
possible. 

It  was  in  1713  that  Bishop  Nicolson  and  Bishop 
Gordon  first  started  the  idea  of  a  seminary,  which 
would  not  only  prepare  boys  for  the  colleges  abroad, 
but  also  educate  them  for  the  priesthood,  without  their 
leaving  this  country.  The  latter  object  was  at  first  the 
chief  one  aimed  at,  though  later  the  former  superseded 
it.  A  few  gentlemen's  sons  also,  destined  for  a  secular 
life,  were  received,  but  this  was  always  considered 
accidental,  and  was  avoided  as  much  as  possible. 

The  place   chosen  for  the  establishment  was  the 


26    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

island  on  Loch  Morar.  Mr  George  Innes,  afterwards 
Principal  of  the  Scots  College,  Paris,  was  sent  to  be 
the  first  master,  and  Mr  Hugh  Macdonald,  son  of  the 
Laird  of  Morar,  afterwards  first  Vicar  Apostolic  of  the 
Highlands,  was  one  of  the  first  scholars.  But  before 
the  school  had  long  existed  the  Civil  War  of  1715 
and  the  ensuing  calamities  occasioned  a  dissolution  of 
it ;  nor  was  the  re-establishment  of  it  attempted  till 
a  year  or  two  after,  and  then  Scalan  was  judged  a 
proper  place  in  which  the  execution  of  the  former 
plan  might  be  prudently  resumed. 

Scalan  is  situated  in  the  furthermost  part  of  the 
Lordship  of  Glenlivet  in  Banffshire.  It  is  a  most 
isolated  spot,  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  hills  2,000 
to  2,700  feet  high,  which  extend  for  many  miles  to 
the  west,  south,  and  east.  Did  the  present  writer  not 
fear  to  interrupt  the  narrative  he  could  give  some 
details  of  a  veritable  pilgrimage  up  Glengairn,  over  the 
Lecht  road  which  itself  rises  to  a  height  of  2,000  feet, 
and  which,  as  our  author  puts  it,  "  forms  the  nearest 
part  of  the  desert  that  divides  Glenlivet  from  Strathdon." 
The  first  priest  stationed  in  Glenlivet  after  the  Reforma 
tion  seems  to  have  been  Eev.  James  Devoir,  who  came 
from  Ireland  in  August  1681  and  remained  till  about 
1698.  He  was  followed  by  Mr  James  Kennedy,  who 
came  from  Paris  in  June  1699,  and  later  by  Mr  John 
Gordon,  who  came  in  1708. 

This  Mr  John  Gordon,  of  the  family  of  Cairnbarrow, 
was  missionary  in  Glenlivet  in  1715,  and  had  his 
residence  somewhere  about  Minmore  or  Castleton ;  but 
in  the  next  summer,  when  General  Cadogan  and  other 
officers  of  the  Hanoverian  party  came  north  with  their 


GLENLIVET  27 

troops,  he  thought  it  safest  for  him  to  make  his 
ordinary  abode  in  the  most  retired  part  of  the  country, 
and  stayed  commonly  in  a  barn  which  was  on  the 
south-west  corner  of  the  "  town  of  "  Scalan.  It  was  about 
this  time  that  he  resolved  to  make  himself  a  habitation 
on  the  banks  of  the  Crombie,  near  to  an  excellent 
fountain  which  he  saw  there,  and  in  fact  before  winter, 
with  the  permission  of  Mr  Grant  of  Tomnavoulin,  he 
had  all  that  place  in  tack  from  the  Duke  of  Gordon, 
the  juniper  bushes — with  which  hitherto  the  ground 
had  been  covered — cleared  away  and  somewhat  of  a 
yard  formed.  This  was  the  very  beginning  of  Scalan 
being  a  dwelling-place  of  our  clergymen. 

This  spot  was  looked  upon  by  Bishop  Gordon  as  very 
proper  for  the  purpose  of  reviving  the  Catholic  School. 
Scalan  was  not  only  on  the  Duke  of  Gordon's  estate, 
who  was  then  a  Catholic,  but  it  was  also  retired,  and 
there  were  many  Catholics  in  the  district.  It  is  un 
certain  whether  Mr  Gordon  had  charge  of  the  college ; 
in  any  case  he  left  it  very  soon,  and  Mr  George  Innes 
was  appointed.  Mr  John  Tyrie  succeeded  him ;  but 
he  had  the  school  only  for  a  short  time,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Mr  Alex.  Grant,  brother  of  Bishop  Grant. 
Mr  Grant  continued  Superior  from  1720-1726.  In 
1726  the  Seminary  was  closed  for  some  months 
because  of  the  storm  raised  against  it,  for  Glenlivet 
and  Strathavon  were  full  of  parties  of-  soldiers,  but 
in  the  course  of  the  following  year,  the  influence  of 
the  Duke  of  Gordon  was  sufficient  to  enable  the  bishop 
to  reopen  the  Seminary.  In  1728  its  occupants  were 
again  twice  dispersed  in  the  short  space  of  two  months, 
but  with  little  permanent  damage  to  the  establishment, 


28    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

which  was  soon  again  occupied  by  its  owners  in  their 
ordinary  routine  of  peaceful  study! 

The  house  was  built  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  the 
very  brink  of  the  Crombie  Burn,  and  for  about  twenty 
years  it  was  almost  entirely  of  turf.  For  the  mainten 
ance  of  some  milch  cows  Mr  Grant  of  Tomnavoulin 
gave  them  in  subtack  a  piece  of  land  extending  up  the 
hill  from  the  house ;  and  another  Mr  Grant,  who  was 
the  Duke's  factor  in  some  of  those  parts,  granted  a 
piece  of  ground  on  the  east  side  of  Crombie,  which  put 
it  in  the  power  of  the  college  Superior  to  form  an 
enclosure,  through  which  Crombie  runs  ;  and  this  con 
tributes  to  the  agreeableness  of  the  place  and  much 
more  to  its  usefulness.  It  is  on  a  part  of  this  ground 
thus  added  'to  Scalan  that  the  house  built  in  1767 
was  situated. 

Mr  Hugh  Macdonald,  who  had  been  at  the  school 
at  Morar,  was  also  one  of  the  first  pupils  at  Scalan. 
He  was  joined  by  Mr  George  Gordon,  born  at  Drumin, 
in  Glenlivet,  later  Superior  of  Scalan  and  long  while 
missioner  in  Aberdeen.  Mr  James  Grant,  bishop  in 
1774,  was  two  years  at  Scalan  about  the  year  1720. 

Bishop  Gordon  took  a  pleasure  in  staying  some 
months  in  each  year  in  the  summer  at  Scalan,  and 
was  very  desirous  that  learning  and  virtue  should 
nourish  there.  For  the  obtaining  of  this  end  he  drew 
up  short  rules  in  the  year  1722,  of  which  a  copy  in 
his  own  handwriting  was  still  in  the  house  in  1777. 
These  rules  resemble  very  much  the  rules  of  the 
Pontifical  College,  with  which  Bishop  Gordon  had 
become  familiar  during  his  long  residence  in  Eome. 

The  good  bishop   began   to  reap  the  fruits  of  his 


GLENLIVET  29 

endeavours  in  the  year  1725,  for  he  then  had  the 
satisfaction  on  the  Ember  Saturday  of  September  to 
confer  the  order  of  priesthood  on  Mr  Hugh  Macdonald 
and  Mr  George  Gordon.  The  first  of  these  gentlemen 
was  not  long  after  sent  to  the  Highlands,  and  he 
exercised  his  missionary  functions  for  some  years  with 
extraordinary  success  in  the  country  of  Morar,  until 
he  went  to  Paris,  where  he  stayed  in  the  Scots  College 
a  year  or  two,  and  then  returned  to  Scotland  and  was 
consecrated  Bishop  of  Diana  at  Edinburgh  by  Bishop 
Gordon  in  1731,  and  was  appointed  by  the  Pope  first 
Vicar  Apostolic  of  the  Western  (Highland)  part  of 
the  Kingdom.  Such  was  the  first  alumnus  of  the 
little  college  of  Scalan. 

The  other  young  priest,  Mr  George  Gordon,  had 
charge  of  the  Glenlivet  mission  for  a  year,  and  then 
succeeded  Mr  Grant  as  Superior  at  Scalan.  There 
were  now  many  scholars  at  the  College,  amongst  them 
being  Mr  Will.  Reid,  who  after  several  years  at 
Scalan  was  sent  to  Eome  in  1733  and  returned  in 
1739.  He  laboured  with  great  zeal  in  the  mission 
of  Mortlach,  until  his  health  being  quite  broken  he 
retired  to  Aberdeen.  Two  less  promising  alumni  were 
Mr  Will.  Gordon,  who  after  long  residence  at  Scalan 
was  ordained  in  Home  but  never  returned  to  the 
mission ;  and  Mr  Francis  M'Donell,  who  was  educated 
and  ordained  at  Scalan,  behaved  ill  in  the  Highlands, 
apostalised  in  Edinburgh  about  1742,  and  then  lived  in 
retirement  on  the  West  Coast. 

Amongst  the  sons  of  gentlemen  not  intended  for 
the  priesthood,  yet  educated  at  Scalan,  appear  the 
names  of  Mr  Gordon  of  Aberlour,  the  sons  of  Gordon 


30    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

of  Letterfourie  and  Birkenbosh,  as  well  as  of  Glastirum. 
Mention  is  also  made  of  a  boarding  school  for  young 
gentlemen  which  existed  about  this  time  in  Strathavon 
under  Mr  Gregory  Farquharson.  He  had  been  preceptor 
to  Cosmo,  Duke  of  Gordon,  took  arms  in  1745,  was  made 
prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Culloden,  and  died  soon  after. 

In  1736  Mr  George  Gordon  went  to  the  Aberdeen 
mission  and  was  succeeded  at  Scalan  by  Mr  Alex. 
Gordon  of  Curroch.  In  1738  he  built  a  new  house 
of  stone  and  lime  for  the  greatest  part,  and  therefore 
much  better  than  the  former  one.  At  this  time  there 
was  at  Scalan  Mr  Dougall  Macdonald  from  the  Isle 
of  Uist,  who  afterwards  completed  his  studies  in  Kome, 
and  became  a  zealous  missionary  in  his  own  country, 
but  died  young,  to  the  great  regret  of  all  who  had 
known  him ;  Mr  Alex.  Gordon,  who  was  himself 
another  of  the  Scalan  youths  of  this  date,  being  both 
educated  and  ordained  there,  was  Superior  from  1736- 
1741.  He  was  then  made  procurator  of  the  mission, 
and  as  such  resided  in  Edinburgh  for  the  next  twenty- 
two  years.  In  1763  he  went  to  be  chaplain  to  the 
Duchess  of  Perth  at  Stobhall,  with  whom  he  continued 
till  her  death  in  1772. 

Mr  William  Duthie  was  the  next  Superior  at  Scalan. 
This  gentleman,  while  studying  at  Aberdeen  in  order 
to  be  an  Episcopalian  clergyman — indeed  he  was 
already  Deacon  in  that  Communion — was  converted  to 
the  Catholic  Faith,  together  with  several  others,  by  Mr 
Will.  Shand,  one  of  the  most  zealous  and  successful 
missionaries  we  had.  Mr  Duthie  studied  Divinity  at 
Paris,  was  ordained  priest,  and  in  1742  got  direction  of 
the  Seminary. 


GLENLIVET  31 

In  this  year  there  met  at  Scalan  Bishop  Gordon,  its 
founder,  Bishop  Macdonald,  Mr  James  Grant,  later 
Bishop,  and  the  other  administrators.  Indeed  at  this 
period  Scalan  was  frequently  the  meeting-place  of  the 
bishops  and  administrators.  It  was  here  that  the 
meeting  of  1733,  which  had  such  important  results,  was 
held. 

In  the  summer  of  1745  Bishop  Gordon  paid  his  dear 
Scalan  the  last  visit.  He  died  on  17th  January,  O.S.,  of 
the  year  following  at  Thornhill,  near  Drummond  Castle. 
Bishop  Gordon  was  the  founder  of  Scalan ;  for  nearly 
thirty  years  he  had  cherished  it  with  the  greatest  care, 
and  in  the  end  he  made  it  his  heir. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  the  good  bishop,  Scalan  was 
laid  in  ashes,  for  as  soon  as  the  Duke  of  Cumberland 
saw  that  his  victory  at  Culloden  was  entirely  decisive, 
he  sent  out  parties  on  all  hands  to  extinguish  (as  was  the 
language  then)  the  remains  of  the  Eebellion.  One  of 
these  parties  entered  Glenlivet  and  soon  directed  their 
course  to  Scalan.  This  visit  had  been  expected.  Mr 
Duthie  had  dismissed  all  the  students — another  old 
account  has  it,  "  he  changed  their  dress,  to  put  them  out 
of  the  kennin."  He  had  got  all  the  sacred  vestments 
and  chalices,  the  books  and  even  the  movables  carried  to 
the  most  secret  and  safe  place,  and  this  was  done  with  so 
much  care  that  of  these  things  very  little  was  lost.  On 
10th  May  the  detachment  of  troops  surrounded  Scalan, 
and  orders  were  immediately  given  for  setting  the  house 
on  fire  ;  nor  was  it  long  before  these  orders  were  executed. 
Mr  Duthie,  with  a  sorrowful  heart,  from  one  of  the 
neighbouring  hills,  was  looking  down  on  the  affecting 
scene.  He  saw  his  habitation  surrounded  by  armed 


32    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

men,  whom  he  knew  to  be  full  of  barbarous  fury.  In 
a  short  time  the  smoking  flames  began  to  ascend,  he 
could  soon  perceive  the  roof  to  fall  in,  and  after  a  little 
there  was  nothing  left  but  the  ruins.  This  was  to  him 
and  to  many  another  a  dismal  sight,  but  the  worst  was 
that  it  seemed  to  be  only  the  beginning  of  evils :  they 
knew  not  what  was  to  follow,  nor  where,  nor  when, 
these  barbarities  were  to  end.  The  entire  extirpation 
of  the  Catholics  of  Scotland  was  loudly  threatened, 
and  was  justly  to  have  been  feared,  without  the  inter 
position  of  Divine  Providence  in  their  favour. 

When  the  soldiers  had  completed  their  work,  and 
done  all  the  harm  they  could  at  Scalan,  they  departed 
thence  in  order  to  carry  terror  and  mischief  to  other 
places,  and  then  Mr  Duthie  ventured  to  come  down 
to  take  a  nearer  view  of  the  ruin  they  had  left.  To  see 
the  very  spot  where  he  had  lived  for  years,  where  he 
had  taught,  preached,  and  prayed,  and  even  offered  the 
Holy  Sacrifice,  reduced  to  ashes,  must  have  been  very 
afflicting  to  the  good  man.  But  he  retained  his  courage, 
and  during  the  next  year  and  a  half  he  resided  close 
by,  and  attended  to  the  small  crop  at  Scalan.  In  the 
summer  of  1747  some  of  the  houses  were  made  fit  for 
something  of  a  dwelling,  and  then  another  house  was 
built,  but  much  inferior  to  the  former,  for  it  occupied 
only  the  ground  on  which  the  kitchen  had  stood  before, 
and  a  little  more. 

Before  the  summer  of  1749  Mr  Duthie  had  again 
some  scholars,  and  in  particular  Mr  John  Gordon,  who 
completed  his  studies  in  this  country  and  was  ordained 
by  Bishop  Smith.  He  was  missionary  in  Glenlivet 
after  the  death  of  Mr  John  Tyrie  (1755),  for  two 


GLENLIVET  3B 

or  three  years,  and  died  of  a  fever  in  1757  at  Dunan, 
near  Drumin. 

But  though  Mr  Duthie  was  thus  endeavouring  to 
bring  the  Seminary  of  Scalan  by  degrees  back  to  its 
former  state,  yet  much  prudence  was  necessary.  For 
until  the  beginning  of  the  war  of  1756  there  were 
almost  always  two  parties  of  soldiers  stationed  in 
Glenlivet,  who  had  express  orders  to  seize  the  priests 
wherever  they  could  find  them ;  and  they  expected  a 
reward  for  finding  them.  Hence  it  was  that,  even  in 
the  year  1752,  there  was  a  strict  search  made  at  Scalan 
for  Mr  Duthie  in  the  night ;  but  he  had  been  forewarned 
of  his  danger  by  the  sergeant  or  his  wife,  who  were 
quartered  in  Deniemore.  And  it  chanced,  not  only  on 
this,  but  on  many  other  occasions,  that  the  soldiers,  in 
hopes  of  some  reward,  which  was  always  liberally  given 
them,  let  fall  some  hint,  or  dropped  some  letter,  as  if  it 
had  been  by  accident,  that  so  the  persons  aimed  at 
might  be  put  on  their  guard.  It  may  be  here  observed 
that  those  who  have  seen  only  the  present  times  of 
peace  and  safety  in  our  country,  cannot  easily  form 
to  themselves  a  just  idea  of  those  past  troubles,  nor 
have  a  strong  enough  sense  of  the  reasons  we  have  to  be 
thankful  for  the  calm  which  the  Catholics  now  enjoy. 

Mr  Duthie  continued  at  Scalan  until  the  summer  of 
1758,  when  he  became  Prefect  of  Studies  at  the  Scots 
College,  Paris.  He  had  under  his  care  after  the  battle 
of  Culloden,  Mr  John  Gordon,  above  mentioned,  Mr 
Alex.  Geddes,  Mr  Alex.  Kennedy,  and  many  others. 

Mr  William  Gray  was  the  next  Superior.  He  was 
born  in  Strathbogie  and  had  been  converted  to  the 
Catholic  Faith.  He  had  taught  in  various  gentlemen's 

VOL.  I.  c 


S4    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

families,  and  was  ordained  Deacon  by  Bishop  Smith, 
bub  I  do  not  find  that  he  was  ever  advanced  to  the 
priesthood.  Whilst  Mr  Gray  was  Superior  at  Scalan, 
an  extraordinary  visit  was  made  to  it  by  two  Protest 
ant  parsons,  who  were  sent  in  1760  by  the  General 
Assembly  to  observe  and  bring  them  an  account  of 
the  state  of  religion  in  the  Highlands  and  Islands 
of  Scotland.  They  did  not  indeed  so  much  as  alight 
from  their  horses  at  Scalan,  but  after  having  spoken 
for  a  little  while  with  Mr  Gray,  who  had  expected 
their  coming  and  had  invited  them  into  the  house,  they 
rode  off  expressing  their  surprise  that  so  great  a  noise 
should  have  been  made  about  a  place  that  made  so  poor 
an  appearance  and  seemed  of  so  little  consequence.1 

Besides  some  others  Mr  Gray  had  for  scholars  at 
Scalan  John,  Alex,  and  William  Gordon,  of  the  families 
of  Clashmoir,  Minmore,  and  Lettoch  in  Glenlivet,  and 
Alex.  Cameron  from  Braemar,  a  grandnephew  of  Mr 
Thomas  Brockie,  who  had  been  a  very  active  and 
successful  missionary  in  the  parishes  of  Cabrach,  Glass, 
Mortlach,  and  Aberlour  (or  Skirdeston).  These  four 
Mr  John  Geddes  found  in  the  house  when  he  removed 
from  Shenval  in  1762,  and  others  he  received  in  the 
following  year,  especially  John  Paterson,  who  in  1777 
had  charge  of  the  Seminary. 

In  the  same  year,  1763,  a  renewal  of  the  subtack 
of  the  small  farm  was  obtained  from  Mr  Grant  of 
Kothmaes,  and  indeed  this  gentleman  and  his  father, 
Mr  Grant  of  Tomvullin,  had  been  all  along  friendly 
to  Scalan,  and  though  they  were  often  solicited, 

1  A  copy  of  this  report  may  be  seen  in  the  Register  House,  Edinburgh, 
where  facilities  for  perusing  it  were  kindly  afforded  by  Rev.  John 
Anderson,  the  Curator. 


GLENLIVET  35 

especially  by  the  Presbyterian  parsons,  not  to  allow 
such  a  popish  school  to  be  on  their  property,  yet  they 
never  yielded  in  the  least  to  threats  or  importunities, 
but  always  continued  to  give  what  assistance  and  pro 
tection  they  could  to  the  Seminary,  and  even  gloried  in 
doing  so.  The  father  had  the  happiness  to  be  converted 
to  the  Catholic  Faith  in  his  last  illness,  and  was  assisted 
at  his  death  by  Mr  George  Gordon,  of  Scalan,  as  he  was 
wont  to  be  called. 

About  the  same  time  Scalan  got  an  addition  to  its 
small  revenues  by  there  being  applied  to  it  about  £12 
a  year,  whereof  the  one  half  was  a  benefaction  granted 
by  Pope  Clement  XII.  for  the  education  of  Scots 
Catholic  boys  designed  to  be  sent  to  the  colleges 
abroad,  and  the  other  half  is  the  interest  on  a  part 
of  10,000  crowns  given  by  King  James  VIII.  to  be 
employed  by  Cardinal  Spinelli  in  the  way  he  should 
judge  most  expedient  for  the  advancement  of  the 
Catholic  religion  in  Scotland.  An  equal  sum  was 
granted  to  the  Western  Vicariate  at  the  same  time 
for  the  same  end. 

Whilst  on  the  subject  of  financial  matters  it  may  be 
remarked  that  at  this  period  the  cost  of  each  pupil  at 
Scalan  was  £6  a  year,  as  stated  by  the  Bishops  to 
Cardinal  Spinelli,  of  whom  they  were  begging  still 
further  alms.1 

On  4th  August  1764  Alex.  Cameron  and  John 
Gordon  set  out  from  Scalan  for  Some,  and  Alex.  Innes, 
of  the  Balnacraig  family,  departed  with  them  in  order 
to  go  to  the  Scots  College,  Paris.  Their  places  were 
filled  by  John  Farquharson  and  James  Cameron. 

1  Bishop  Geddes's  MS.  Notes. 


36    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Here,  however,  Bishop  Geddes's  account  stops,  so  that 
the  remainder  has  to  be  supplied  from  other  sources. 
We  learn  indeed  that  Scalan  was  a  charge  singularly 
congenial  to  the  gifts  of  the  future  bishop,  although 
its  hardships  and  privations  severely  tried  his  constitu 
tion.  He  found  the  students  living  in  a  hovel,  where 
we  may  be  sure  the  interests  of  education  could  not 
thrive.  Mr  Geddes  applied  his  energies  to  remedy 
discipline;  study  and  economy  went  hand  in  hand, 
and  a  brighter  day  seemed  opening  for  Scalan.  He 
had  a  number  of  youths  in  readiness  for  the  demands 
of  the  Foreign  Colleges  greater  than  was  required.  He 
by  and  by  transferred  his  community  from  the  hut 
where  he  had  found  it  to  a  convenient  house  on  the 
opposite  or  right  bank  of  the  Crombie,  and  about 
seventy  yards  from  the  river.  Additions  were  made  to 
the  house  by  subsequent  superiors,  till  at  the  period 
of  Bishop  Hay's  arrival  the  last  improvements  were  in 
progress. 

In  1767  the  lease  of  the  little  farm  was  renewed  for 
seventeen  years  and  a  new  house  was  built ;  but  Mr, 
later  Bishop,  Geddes  did  not  stay  long  to  enjoy  the 
new  premises.  On  7th  December  of  that  year  he  was 
succeeded  by  Mr  John  Thomson,  who  remained  as 
Superior  till  1770,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr  John 
Paterson.  In  1784  the  charge  of  Superior  was  taken 
over  by  Mr  Alex.  Farquharson,  who  was  succeeded  in 
1794  by  Mr  James  Sharp,  who  still  was  Superior, 
under  Bishop  Hay,  when  the  Seminary  in  1799  was 
removed  to  Aquhorties. 

But  to  go  back  a  short  time,  19th  May  1769,  being 
Trinity  Sunday,  was  an  eventful  day  in  the  history  of 


GLENLIVET  37 

Scalan.  In  this  remote  little  spot  Bishop  Hay,  who 
was  to  do  so  much  for  the  Catholic  Church  of  Scotland, 
was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Grant,  the  two  Bishops 
Macdonalcl  being  his  assistants.  The  consecrating 
bishop  had  spent  his  boyhood  within  its  walls  and 
could  recall  the  original  building  —  almost  entirely 
of  turf — as  it  was  in  1720,  whilst  one  at  least  of  the 
assistant  bishops,  viz.  Bishop  Hugh  Macdonald,  had 
been  the  very  first  of  its  scholars. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  administrators  at  Scalan  in 
1779  a  matter  of  peculiar  interest  was  treated  of.  It 
was  the  proposal  made  by  Bishop  Hay  of  praying  by 
name  for  King  George  III,  Ever  since  the  Eevolution 
of  1688  the  Catholics  of  Scotland  prayed  indeed  for 
the  "  King,"  but  it  was  well  understood  that  this  King 
was  the  lineal  representative  of  the  Stuart  family; 
and  until  within  a  few  years  of  the  present  period  it 
would,  by  the  great  majority  of  the  Scottish  Catholics, 
be  considered  wrong  to  pray  for  any  other.  Now 
people's  sentiments  had  changed;  they  argued  on  the 
subject,  and  concluded  that  it  was  neither  prudent  nor 
reasonable  that  they,  who  were  comparatively  a  mere 
handful,  should  oppose  the  general  voice  of  a  whole 
nation  in  choosing  the  first  magistrate.  What  gave 
more  force  to  this  consideration  was,  that  the  line  of 
the  Stuarts  might  be  looked  upon  as  extinct.  It  is 
true  Prince  Charles  and  his  brother  Henry  were  still 
in  life ;  but  both  of  them  were  far  gone  in  years  and 
had  no  successors.  The  younger  brother,  Henry,  was 
not  only  a  Cardinal,  but  also  a  Bishop.  The  elder 
brother,  Charles,  who  had  been  married  for  several 
years,  had  no  children.  It  was  universally  allowed 


38    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

that,  after  the  death  of  the  two  brothers,  who  might 
then  be  considered  as  politically  dead,  the  reigning 
family  ought  to  be  acknowledged  as  lawful  heirs  to  the 
crown. 

The  proposal  met  with  little  opposition,  even  from 
the  Highland  clergy,  who  were  supposed  to  be  the  most 
attached  to  the  Stuarts,  and  a  mandate  was  issued  to 
all  the  Scottish  missionaries  to  mention  King  George 
and  his  Koyal  family,  and  recommend  them  to  the 
prayers  of  their  respective  congregations. 

The  "  Brief  Historical  Account  of  Scalan  "  thus  con 
cludes  : — "  The  time  by  the  goodness  of  God  will 
come,  when  the  Catholic  religion  will  again  flourish 
in  Scotand;  and  then,  when  posterity  shall  enquire, 
with  a  laudable  curiosity,  by  what  means  any  sparks 
of  the  true  faith  were  preserved  in  those  dismal  times 
of  darkness  and  error,  Scalan  and  the  other  colleges 
will  be  mentioned  with  veneration,  and  all  that  can  be 
known  concerning  them  will  be  recorded  with  care,  and 
even  this  very  account  which  I  give  you,  however 
insignificant  it  may  now  (1777)  appear,  may  one  day 
serve  as  something  of  a  monument  of  our  Church 
history,  transmitting  down  to  future  ages  the  names 
of  some  of  those  champions  who  stood  up  for  the  cause 
of  the  Church  of  God." 

But  if  the  "  Historical  Account "  can  claim  to  be  of 
interest,  the  building  itself  cannot  fail  to  excite  the 
veneration  of  all  who  visit  it.  The  plans  here  given 
were  made  from  measurements  on  the  spot,  but  there 
is  no  doubt  that  the  various  rooms  were  at  different 
times  put  to  different  uses.  The  buildings,  as  shown 
on  the  plan,  were  no  doubt  completed  by  degrees,  and 


of  ground  //o 


PLAN    OF    SCALAN. 


[To 


30. 


GLENLIVET  39 

ultimately  formed  a  compact  little  establishment,  well 
suited  to  its  purpose,  and  to  the  times.  The  whole 
property  of  about  twenty  acres  was  enclosed  with  a 
good  dyke,  while  the  buildings  formed  a  square.  On 
each  side  of  the  entrance  gate — the  stone  foundation 
of  which,  with  hole  for  the  bolt,  may  still  be  seen — was 
a  stout  wall  with  sheds  on  the  inside.  On  the  north 
and  south  sides  of  the  square  were  two  long,  narrow 
wings,  whilst  the  main  building  stood  at  the  far  or 
east  side.  The  walls  at  each  side  of  the  entrance  gate, 
and  the  south  wing  have  been  removed,  but  their  traces 
are  still  plainly  to  be  seen.  The  main  walls  throughout 
are  very  thick,  so  that  it  was  found  impracticable  to 
pierce  them  to  make  a  door,  when  some  recent  altera 
tions  were  contemplated.  Indeed  it  is  wonderful  how 
little  alteration  has  taken  place,  which  doubtless  is 
largely  due  to  the  fact  that  the  old  house  has  for  the 
past  hundred  years  been  in  the  possession  of  the  same 
family,  who  have  ever  regarded  it  with  veneration. 

Some  years  after  the  removal  to  Aquhorties  Mr 
James  Michie  took  the  farm  of  Scalan  from  Mr 
Paterson.  He  had  no  children,  but  adopted  the  two 
orphan  girls  of  his  sister,  and  brought  them  up  most 
carefully.  They  married,  and  in  their  turn  brought 
up  their  children  with  the  greatest  care.  The  late 
Mr  M'Gregor,  son  of  the  elder  sister,  was  well  known 
for  the  veneration  in  which  he  held  "The  Scalan," 
and  for  the  pleasure  he  took  in  preserving  it ;  whilst 
his  sister  has  carried  on  the  family  tradition  to  the 
present  day. 

Bishop  Hay  ever  had  a  great  liking  for  Scalan, 
and  the  Bishop's  Well  is  still  pointed  out,  as  also  his 


40    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

"  Walk,"  shaded  with  trees,  where  he  wrote  the  greater 
part  of  his  works.  There,  too,  "doun  yon  burn,  ye 
ken,"  as  my  informant  expressed  it,  is  the  students' 
play-green  and  the  pool  in  which  their  morning  ablu 
tions  were  performed. 

As  the  venerable  bishop  wrote  in  1799 : — "I  confess 
it  causes  me  great  regret  to  leave  Scalan,  where  we 
have  been  so  long,  and  where  so  many  worthy 
missionaries  have  received  at  least  part  of  their 
education";  so  too  the  present  writer  leaves  this 
subject  with  regret,  for  there  are  few  spots  which 
recall  so  many  memories  of  the  great  difficulties  which 
our  forefathers  had  to  face,  and  of  the  courage  and 
perseverence  by  which  they  overcame  them. 

But  besides  the  chapel  at  Scalan,  the  Catholics  of 
Glenlivet  had  often  two  other  chapels,  and  almost 
always  one. 

The  earliest  chapel  of  which  I  find  mention  is  that 
used  by  Mr  John  Grant  prior  to  the  Eising  of  1715. 
This  was  situated  near  Minmore  or  Castleton,  at  the 
junction  of  the  rivers  Avon  and  Li  vet,  but  it  is  not 
heard  of  after  that  Eising.  It  may  be  that  he  used 
one  or  other  of  the  old  pre-Eeformation  churches  at 
Downan  or  at  Nevie,  as  was  done  in  the  case  of  the 
neighbouring  Strathavon,  and  also  at  Peterkirk, 
Strathbogie.  The  old  chapel  of  Nevie  was  in  the 
angle  of  the  Nevie  burn  and  the  Livet,  where  faint 
remains  of  it  can  still  be  seen.  Much  of  the  building, 
however,  was  swept  away  in  the  flood  of  1829,  when 
numerous  coffins  were  exposed  to  view.  In  1794  the 
remains  were  very  distinct,  and  it  then  bore  the  name 
of  Chapel  Christ. 


GLENLIVET  41 

Already  in  1745,  at  the  time  of  the  second  Eising, 
there  was  a  chapel  near  Tombae  which  was  spared  from 
destruction  "  on  account  of  the  neighbouring  houses,  but 
all  that  was  within  it  was  taken  out  and  committed  to 
the  flames."  At  that  time  Mr  John  Tyrie  was  priest 
here,  having  been  appointed  to  Glenlivet  in  1739.  He 
had  joined  Prince  Charlie  as  Chaplain  to  the  Glenlivet 
and  Strathavon  contingent  under  Gordon  of  Glen- 
bucket.  He  followed  the  Prince  into  England  and 
left  him  only  after  the  battle  of  Culloden,  where  he 
received  two  wounds  on  the  head  from  a  horseman's 
sword  and  got  off  with  great  difficulty.  By  lying 
concealed  for  many  months  he  avoided  being  appre 
hended,  though  his  house,  books,  etc.,  at  the  Bochle 
were  burnt  by  a  party  of  soldiers — the  same  party, 
no  doubt,  who  burnt  the  chapel  furniture.  Mr  Tyrie 
died  at  Shenval,  in  Cabrach,  in  1755. 

The  next  priest  in  Glenlivet  was  another  prominent 
figure  in  the  Catholic  History  of  the  '45.  Mr  George 
Duncan,  who  had  charge  of  this  district  from  1758- 
1761,  was  imprisoned  in  1746.  He  soon  gained  his 
liberty,  however,  and  was  sent  by  Bishop  Smith  to 
Carlisle  to  offer  spiritual  assistance  to  Macdonald  of 
Kinloch  Moidart,  Macdonell  of  Tiendrish,  and  others, 
who  lay  under  sentence  of  death.  At  the  bishop's  desire 
Mr  Duncan  went  cheerfully  upon  this  delicate  and 
dangerous  expedition  of  charity.  He  got  admittance 
to  the  prisoners  as  a  friend  of  theirs,  heard  their  con 
fessions,  as  well  as  those  of  some  English  gentlemen 
who  were  in  the  same  situation,  communicated  them 
to  their  great  comfort,  having  carried  with  him  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  for  that  purpose,  and  got  safely 


42    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

out  of  the  town  and  back  to  Scotland  without  any 
interruption;  but  an  information  had  been  lodged 
against  him  by  the  magistrates,  and  a  search  was 
made  for  him  a  few  hours  after  his  departure. 

At  his  first  arrival  to  take  charge  of  the  Glenlivet 
mission  Mr  Duncan  stayed  at  the  Scalan,  but  in 
the  autumn  of  1759  he  built  a  room  for  himself  at 
Tornnavoulan.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr  Guthrie, 
who  "  first  took  up  his  habitation  at  Upper  Auchenraw, 
where  Miss  Margaret  Tyrie  dwells,"  and  had  charge 
of  Glenlivet,  Morings,  and  Glenrinnes.  In  1768  he 
received  as  assistant  Father  Dominic  Braggan,  whose 
health,  however,  soon  gave  way,  so  that  in  1772  he 
left  the  Scotch  mission  and  returned  to  Ireland. 
From  then  till  1778  Mr  Thomson  had  charge  of 
Glenlivet,  where  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr  James 
Macgillivray  (1778-1785),  Mr  Carruthers  (1786-1793), 
and  Mr,  later  Bishop,  Paterson  (1793-1812). 

Meantime  the  chapel  of  1746  had  been  replaced 
towards  the  end  of  the  century  by  another,  for  the 
old  Statistical  Account  (1794)  states  that  "from  the 
entrance  to  Crombie  eastward  and  up  Livet  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  is  Caanakyle,  where  the 
popish  priest  resides,  and  where,  on  the  bank  of 
Livet,  about  200  yards  from  the  priest's  house,  is 
lately  built l  a  new  Mass-house,  with  stone  and  lime 
and  slated."  This  chapel  met  with  a  violent  end,  for 
in  1829  the  stream  on  the  bank  of  which  it  was 
built  rose  most  suddenly,  and  the  greater  part  of 
the  building  was  swept  away ;  the  apse,  however, 
still  remains  to  show  the  former  site. 

1  The  exact  date  of  the  building  was  1786. 


GLENLIVET  43 

Mr  Paterson  was  succeeded  by  Mr  James  Gordon, 
who  built  the  present  most  picturesque  chapel.  His 
efforts,  as  he  himself  writes,  "at  collecting  in  the 
sister  kingdom  were  not  unsuccessful,  and  the  building, 
of  which  the  foundation  stone  was  laid  in  182*7,  was 
so  far  advanced  as  to  enable  him  to  open  the  chapel 
for  the  celebration  of  divine  service  on  Candlemas 
Day,  1829."  The  new  chapel  was  built  on  very 
handsome  lines  for  that  period,  as  Mr  Gordon  expected 
that  the  Catholics  from  the  whole  glen,  numbering 
at  that  time  well  over  one  thousand,  would  make  this 
their  parish  church.  When,  however,  Abbs'  Macpherson 
decided  to  build  another  church  four  miles  further  up 
the  glen,  and  so  save  his  countrymen  the  long  walk 
in  that  inclement  district,  a  third  part  of  the  Tombae 
chapel  was  used  as  a  school,  and  continued  to  serve 
this  purpose  until  new  schools  were  built  by  the 
present  incumbent. 

Mr  James  Gordon,  who  had  built  the  Tombae  chapel, 
died  in  1842  and  was  buried  within  its  walls.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Mr  Kobert  Stuart,  who  continued 
in  charge  of  this  mission  for  twenty  years,  and  dying 
in  1861  was  also  interred  within  its  sarced  precincts, 
in  which  tablets  have  been  placed  to  the  memory  of 
both  these  priests. 


GLENLIVET 

II 

"  An  honest  man  here  lies  to  rest, 
As  e'er  God  with  his  image  blest ; 
The  friend  of  man,  the  friend  of  truth, 
The  friend  of  age,  and  guide  of  youth. 
Few  hearts  like  his — with  virtue  warm'd, 
Few  heads  with  knowledge  so  informed." 

—BURNS. 

THB  other  church  at  present  existing  in  Glenlivet 
owes  its  origin  to  the  venerable  Abbe  Macpherson. 
To  few  men  indeed  has  it  fallen  to  be  of  greater 
service  to  the  Catholic  Church  in  Scotland,  as  the 
following  notes,  taken  from  the  Scots  Directory  of 
1849,  will  show. 

Paul  Macpherson  was  born  of  Catholic  parents,  at 
Scalan.  His  mother  dying  when  he  was  but  six  years 
old,  he  was  sent  to  a  Catholic  school  at  Clashmore,  in 
Glenlivet.  From  it  he  was  removed  the  year  follow 
ing  to  a  school  kept  by  an  old  woman,  who  taught  him 
to  read,  but  whose  own  attainments  did  not  extend  to 
the  art  of  writing.  This  he  acquired  from  Mr,  later 
Bishop,  Geddes,  who  then  presided  over  the  seminary 
of  Scalan.  Indeed  young  Macpherson  would  willingly 
have  entered  there  at  once,  but  he  had  to  wait  until  a 
vacancy  occurred,  as  happened  in  June  1767. 

After  two  years  at  Scalan  he  was  sent  to  Rome,  but 
44 


GLENLIVET  45 

in  1777,  before  his  studies  were  completed,  his  state  of 
health  was  so  precarious  that  he  had  to  leave  Eome 
and  passed  to  the  Scots  College  at  Yalladolid,  where 
his  former  patron,  Mr  Geddes,  was  Superior.  Here  he 
was  soon  restored  to  good  health,  and  continuing  his 
studies  was  ordained  priest  on  Easter  Monday,  1779. 
Very  shortly  after  he  left  Valladolid  for  London,  where 
he  met  Bishop  Hay,  with  whom  he  travelled  to 
Edinburgh.  His  first  mission  was  that  of  Shenval,  in 
the  Cabrach,  probably  the  wildest  of  the  missions  on 
the  mainland  of  Scotland.  There  were  four  stations, 
Shenval,  Braelach,  Tullochallum,  and  Aberlour,  in  each 
of  which  Mass  was  said  on  successive  Sundays.  At 
the  time  of  Mr  Macpherson's  arrival  the  number  of 
Catholics  did  not  exceed  eighty,  though  some  years 
before  they  had  been  ten  times  that  number.  At 
Shenval  itself,  where  the  largest  number  assembled, 
Mass  was  said  in  a  barn,  the  chapel  having  been 
destroyed  in  1746 ;  in  the  other  cases  it  was  said  in 
the  largest  farm  -  house  available,  as,  indeed,  was 
the  custom  all  through  the  Highlands  at  this 
period. 

The  very  first  summer  after  his  arrival  Mr 
Macpherson  got  a  new  chapel  erected.  Protestants, 
as  well  as  Catholics,  even  the  minister  himself  helped 
to  provide  the  materials  for  the  building.  It  was  a 
decent  place  of  worship  considering  the  times,  but 
there  is  now  scarce  a  trace  left  of  it,  and  the  congrega 
tion  is  dispersed.  Under  Strathbogie  an  account  is 
given  of  how  Mr  Macpherson,  being  called  to  assist  a 
dying  person  in  the  middle  of  winter  when  the  snow 
was  very  deep,  was  warned  by  his  guide  against  falling 


46    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

down  a  chimney,  as  the  path  along  which  they  were 
walking  led  them  over  the  top  of  the  dwelling. 

Despite  the  rough  climate  Mr  Macpherson  was  sorry 
to  be  called  in  the  following  year  to  Aberdeen,  and 
indeed  the  keenness  of  the  easterly  sea  air  was  too 
much  for  his  constitution,  enfeebled  as  it  had  been  by 
his  dangerous  fever  in  Kome.  He  accordingly  removed 
to  Stobhall  in  1783  and  remained  there  till  1791,  when  on 
his  appointment  as  Procurator  for  the  Mission  he  went 
to  reside  in  Edinburgh.  In  1793  Mr  Macpherson  was 
nominated  by  the  Bishops,  Agent  of  the  Scottish 
Mission  in  Eome,  and  in  August  of  that  year  he  left 
Scotland  to  assume  the  duties  of  his  office,  and  con 
tinued  for  many  years  to  transact  with  the  Holy  See 
all  the  ecclesiastical  business  of  the  mission. 

But  the  quiet  missioner  from  the  Braes  of  Glenlivet 
was  also  to  take  his  part  in  some  of  the  incidents  of  the 
stormy  period  which  followed  the  French  Kevolution. 
Soon  after  General  Berthier,  by  order  of  the  French 
Directory,  had  taken  possession  of  Rome  in  February 
1798,  and  had  carried  off  Pope  Pius  VI.,  it  was  deemed 
advisable  that  the  Scotch  students  should  return  home, 
and  Abbe*  Macpherson  accompanied  them  to  England. 
It  was  then  that  occurred  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
circumstances  in  his  varied  career.  His  long  residence 
in  Italy  and  his  personal  acquaintance  with  His 
Holiness  induced  the  British  Government  to  select 
him  as  their  Agent  in  an  enterprise  no  less  bold  than 
it  was  perilous,  and  which  even  as  yet  (1849)  is  scarcely 
known  to  the  historians  of  the  period. 

In  that  year  the  British  Cabinet  received  a  suggestion 
as  to  the  practicability  of  rescuing  from  the  despotism 


GLENLIVET  47 

of  France,  and  placing  under  the  protection  of  England, 
the  person  of  the  Pope,  then  a  prisoner  in  the  maritime 
town  of  Savona,  on  the  Genoese  coast.  An  English 
frigate  was  ordered  to  cruise  off  the  land,  and  Abbe* 
Macpherson  was  despatched  from  London  with  ample 
powers  and  funds  to  accomplish  the  object.  He  was 
to  contrive  some  method  of  communicating  with  the 
Pope,  in  order  to  apprise  him  of  the  plan  laid  for  his 
liberation.  The  town  was  to  be  bombarded;  a  signal 
was  to  be  hoisted  on  his  residence  that  no  guns  might 
be  pointed  in  that  direction.  Amidst  the  confusion 
and  alarm  which  the  firing  would  inevitably  cause,  the 
Pope  was  to  be  hurried  in  disguise  to  the  shore,  where 
boats,  well-manned,  were  to  be  in  readiness  to  convey 
him  on  board  the  frigate.  The  plan  would  have  been 
successful  in  all  its  arrangements,  had  not  information 
disclosing  the  whole  been  sent  to  Paris,  by  parties  in 
the  pay  of  the  Directory,  from  the  neighbourhood  of 
Downing  Street.  Abbe  Macpherson  was  arrested, 
plundered,  and  cast  into  prison ;  and  Pius  VI.  died 
the  next  year  at  Valence,  in  the  interior  of  France, 
whither  he  was  instantly  removed. 

About  this  time  (1798)  Abbe*  Macpherson  was 
mainly  instrumental  in  securing  the  most  valuable 
of  the  Stuart  papers  for  the  Prince  of  Wales,  after 
wards  George  IV.  By  order  of  the  Prince  they  were 
purchased  by  Sir  John  Hippesley  and  then  consigned 
to  the  British  Vice-Consulate  at  Civita  Vecchia;  but 
that  town  having  meantime  fallen  into  the  hands  of 
the  French,  their  removal  became  impracticable.  Signer 
Bonelli,  an  Italian  gentleman  resident  in  London,  was 
sent  out  to  attempt  their  recovery;  and  on  reaching 


48    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Rome,  he  applied  to  the  Abbe*  Paul  Macpherson,  of  the 
Scots  College.  This  was  a  matter  of  much  delicacy, 
no  British  subject  being  then  permitted  by  the  French 
authorities  to  approach  the  coast.  The  Abbe*,  however, 
contrived  to  obtain  a  passport  to  Civita  Vecchia,  and 
having  ascertained  from  the  Consul  where  the  papers 
lay,  he  applied  to  the  Commandant  of  the  place  for 
leave  to  search  among  them  for  certain  documents 
required  in  a  litigation  in  Scotland.  The  Commandant 
desired  to  see  them,  and  happening  to  take  up  a 
transcript  of  King  James  II.'s  Memoirs,  exclaimed, 
that  as  the  papers  seemed  of  no  consequence,  having 
been  already  published,  the  Abbe  might  dispose  of 
them  as  he  thought  fit.  Under  this  permission  they 
were  sent  to  Leghorn,  and  thence  shipped  to  Algiers, 
whence  they  reached  England.1 

After  his  liberation  from  the  imprisonment  mentioned 
above,  Abbe*  Macpherson  came  to  Scotland  and  remained 
in  charge  of  the  Huntly  Mission  till  1800,  when  it  was 
determined  that  he  should  resume  his  post  at  Borne 
and  endeavour  to  save  what  he  could  of  the  property 
of  the  College  and  take  care  of  it.  He  arrived  in  Kome 
in  June  1800.  After  the  second  occupation  of  the  city 
and  the  seizure  and  exile  of  Pius  VII.  by  the  French 
General,  Kadet,  the  good  Abbd  undertook  another 
journey  to  this  country  in  1811. 

On  the  restoration  of  Pius  VII.  to  his  dominions, 
the  Abbe*  returned  again  to  Rome.  Besides  being 
Agent  to  the  Scotch  Vicars  Apostolic,  he  was  for 
some  years  employed  in  the  same  capacity  by  those  of 
England.  He  exerted  himself  to  effect  the  re-establish- 

1  Quarterly  Review,  1846— Stuart  Papers. 


GLENLIVET  49 

ment  of  the  Scots  College,  and  having  saved  what  he 
could  of  its  former  property,  managed  its  vineyards  and 
everything  else  with  much  prudence.  Previous  to  the 
inroads  of  the  French,  and  after  the  suppression  of  the 
Jesuits,  the  College  had  been  under  the  direction  of 
Italian  ecclesiastics ;  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  from 
the  Holy  See  that  it  should  in  future  be  governed  by 
superiors  from  Scotland,  and  he  was  himself  appointed 
the  first  Scottish  Rector ;  however,  it  was  only  in  1820 
that  the  first  students  were  sent  to  it. 

In  1822  the  Abbe'  came  to  Scotland  intending  to 
remain  for  some  time,  but  before  he  had  reached  this 
country,  Mr  James  Macdonald,  under  whose  charge 
he  had  left  the  College,  died  suddenly,  and  then  Mr 
Macpherson  had  to  retrace  his  steps.  Five  years  later, 
in  182*7,  the  Abb^  again  set  out  for  Scotland  and  put 
in  execution  a  plan  he  had  long  had  at  heart.  Since 
the  removal  of  Eev.  James  Sharp  from  Scalan  to 
Aquhorties  in  1808  there  had  been  but  one  chapel  and 
one  clergyman  in  Glenlivet.  As  this  district  is  of  con 
siderable  extent,  being  about  fourteen  miles  in  length,  the 
population  of  the  higher  and  more  remote  part,  which 
is  almost  exclusively  Catholic,  was  subjected  to  great 
inconvenience  for  receiving  instruction,  and  attending 
the  duties  of  their  religion.  How  considerable,  to  say 
the  least,  these  inconveniences  were,  may  be  judged 
from  the  fact  that  as  there  was  no  bridge  over  the 
Livet,  all  the  good  folks  from  the  Braes — the  woman 
kind,  at  least — walked  barefoot  till  they  crossed  the 
river,  doing  similarly  on  the  return  journey.  To 
remedy  this  evil  Abbe*  Macpherson  set  about  erecting 
a  new  chapel  and  schools  for  the  benefit  of  his  country- 

VOL,  I,  D 


50    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

men.1  Accordingly,  having  obtained  from  the  Duke 
of  Gordon,  to  whom  he  had  been  of  service  in  Eome,  a 
central  though  barren  spot  of  ground  of  about  10  acres, 
he  raised  upon  it  a  neat  and  commodious  chapel,  seated 
for  about  three  hundred  persons,  and  a  dwelling-house 
for  the  clergyman,  together  with  good  farm  buildings. 
He  not  only  erected  these,  but  supplied  them  with  all 
the  necessary  vestments  and  furniture,  and  the  whole 
at  his  sole  expense,  receiving  no  assistance  from  any 
quarter  but  what  the  people  of  the  country  gave  him 
in  the  carriage  of  materials  for  the  building.  He  also 
improved  the  piece  of  ground  attached  to  the  chapel, 
a  part  of  which  he  laid  out  as  a  cemetery  for  the  use 
of  the  congregation.  In  1832  he  built  schools  which 
have  ever  since  been  in  operation.  These  having  been 
accidentally  burned  in  1835,  he  provided  the  means 
of  rebuilding  them.  Many  other  instances  might  be 
cited  of  his  love  of  country — of  his  anxiety  for  pre 
serving  in  it  the  lamp  of  religion. 

But  previous  to  this  date,  viz.,  in  1834,  the  good 
Abbe",  now  in  his  seventy-eighth  year,  was  again  sent 
out  to  Eome  in  consequence  of  the  sudden  death  of 
Mr  Angus  Macdonald,  Kector  of  the  Scots  College 
there.  The  aged  Abbe'  could  give  the  College  little 
more  than  a  nominal  supervision.  He  was,  however, 
spared  to  see  yet  twelve  more  years,  and  then  he 
gradually  grew  more  and  more  feeble,  till  at  length  the 
whole  system  gave  way  and  he  expired,  in  sentiments 
of  the  most  fervent  piety  and  hope,  on  24th  November 

1  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  long  before  this,  Mass  had  been  said 
at  intervals  at  Lettoch,  a  farm  about  half  a  mile  from  the  new  chapel. 
At  this  early  period  the  Gordons  of  Minmore  occupied  Lettoch,  a  fact 
which  easily  accounts  for  its  being  selected  for  the  station. 


GLENLIVET  51 

1846,  in  the  ninety-first  year  of  his  age,  and  the  sixty- 
eighth  of  his  priesthood.  To  few  is  it  given  to  reach 
so  advanced  an  age ;  few  also  can  look  back  upon  years 
so  well  spent  as  his  were.  Having  amassed  some 
money  as  the  well-earned  reward  of  the  ability  he  dis 
played  in  the  various  affairs  which  he  was  employed  to 
transact,  he  spent  the  whole  of  it  for  the  benefit  of 
religion  in  the  manner  already  described,  and  it  may 
be  said  of  him  that  he  died  in  apostolic  poverty. 

Mr  Macpherson,  even  when  he  was  living  in  G-lenlivet, 
was  unable  from  infirmity  to  take  any  active  part  in 
the  mission  work.  "He  rode  a  bit  sheltie  and  lookit 
after  the  work,"  being  from  all  accounts  most  active 
in  his  supervision  of  the  smallest  details.  He  is  still 
remembered  as  having  brought  the  first  rosary  beads 
seen  in  Glenlivet,  and  my  informant  has  not  forgotten 
how  as  a  wee  lassie  her  first  idea  was  to  put  them 
round  her  neck  as  a  new  ornament ;  but  the  pious  old 
man  soon  put  this  right.  "  Don't  wear  them  over  your 
clothes,  my  dear,  but  under  them,  and  when  tending  the 
cattle,  just  tell  yer  beads,  and  all  sorts  of  good  will 
come  to  you."  These  words  remind  me  of  the  quaint 
lines : — 

"Be  of  gud  prayer,  quhen  scho  may, 
And  heir  Mess  on  the  haly  day  ; 
For  mekill  grace  comes  of  praying 
And  bringeth  men  ay  to  gud  ending. 

"And  in  the  kirke  kepe  o'er  all  things 
Fra  smyrking,  keking,  and  bakluking, 
And  after  noyne  on  the  haly  day 
Owthir  pray  or  sport  at  honest  play." 


52    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

The  first  priest  who  had  charge  of  the  mission  thus 
established  by  Abb4  Macpherson  was  Mr  M'Naughton, 
who  remained  till  1834.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr 
William  Dundas,  who  at  Chapeltown  died  of  fever 
in  1838.  Next  followed  Mr  Charles  Gordon,  himself 
a  Glenlivet  man,  being  born  at  Clash  more,  half  a  mile 
from  the  chapel.  But  the  priest  who  has  left  his 
name  most  markedly  in  the  glen  is  Mr  James  Glennie, 
who  was  priest  there  for  three-and-thirty  years.  He 
was  a  most  exemplary  man,  greatly  beloved  by  rich 
and  poor.  It  was  at  his  request  that  the  Duke  of 
Eichmond  and  Gordon  made  the  road  from  the  Pole 
Inn  three  miles  up  the  glen — a  work  which  has  been 
an  untold  blessing  to  the  inhabitants.  At  the  time 
this  road  was  made  the  Braes  resounded  with  the 
praise  of  Mr  Glennie,  in  the  following  parody: — 

"  If  you'd  seen  these  roads  before  there  were  any, 
You'd  hold  up  your  hands  and  bless  Mr  Glennie." 

At  his  suggestion  also  the  Duke  planted  large  tracts 
of  ground  which  had  hitherto  been  useless  waste. 
Nevertheless,  he  has  left  behind  him  the  name  of 
being  a  severe  scolder.  The  son  of  a  soldier,  he  was 
doubtless  a  strict  disciplinarian.  Other  priests  who 
are  known  to  have  laboured  in  this  mission  are  Mr 
Peter  Frazer  (1718),  Mr  George  Duncan  (1746-1757), 
and  Mr  James  Carruthers  (1785-1794). 

An  interesting  paragraph  occurs  in  the  Statistical 
Account  of  Scotland,  Edinburgh,  1794.  "Besides  the 
churchyard  of  the  parish,  there  are  two  other  burying- 
places,  one  upon  the  east  side  of  Livet,  near  four  miles 
from  the  parish  church,  near  the  walls  of  the  old 


GLENLIVET  53 

chapel  of  Downan ;  and  another,  almost  five  miles  higher 
up  the  glen,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Cromby  and 
opposite  the  Bochel.  It  is  called  'The  Buiternach/ 
and  was  consecrated  more  than  forty  years  ago,  by 
two  popish  bishops,  to  be  a  burying  -  ground  for  the 
Catholics;  but  few  are  as  yet  buried  in  it." 

The  church,  built  by  the  venerable  Abbs',  had  been 
used  for  seventy-five  years  when  the  present  incumbent 
of  the  mission  found  means  to  replace  the  old  chapel 
by  a  larger  and  more  substantial  building,  of  which 
the  decoration  and  fittings  show  great  taste,  and  form 
an  interesting  comparison  with  the  simplicity  of  "  The 
Scalan." 

The  little  seminary  of  Scalan  and  the  brave  missioners 
who  issued  from  it  have  seldom  received  their  well- 
merited  praise  in  more  touching  terms  than  those  used 
by  the  Eight  Eev.  Bishop  Chisholm,  on  the  memorable 
occasion  of  the  opening  of  New  Blairs,  23rd  October 
1901.  The  description,  cited  by  him,  of  the  old  house, 
and  the  lesson  to  be  learned  from  it,  were  as  follows. 
Scalan  was  a  house  of  two  stories  and  an  attic — 
thatched,  as  was  then  the  custom — about  fifty  feet  in 
length  and  sixteen  in  width.  .  .  .  We  entered  it  from 
the  court  by  the  only  door  in  the  middle  of  the  west 
side  of  the  house.  A  narrow  passage  connects  both 
ends  of  the  house  with  the  entrance  door.  To  the  left 
at  the  end  of  this  passage  was  Bishop  Hay's  room, 
with  a  small  closet  attached  where  he  kept  his  books. 
In  this  room  he  consecrated  Bishop  Macdonald  in 
1780.  Next  door  to  the  Bishop's  room  was  Mr  Geddes's 
room.  On  the  right  of  the  entrance  was  another 
chamber,  which  served  as  the  boys'  chapel  in  the 


54    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

morning,  their  refectory  at  noon,  and  their  study  room 
during  the  rest  of  the  day.  None  of  the  rooms  in  the 
house  had  any  ceiling  but  the  flooring  of  the  room 
above,  with  the  rafters  exposed,  Nearly  opposite  the 
entrance  was  a  steep  narrow  staircase,  little  better  than 
a  ladder,  leading  to  the  boys'  dormitory  immediately 
over  the  school,  and  thence  by  a  shorter  ladder  to  the 
attic  above.  At  the  other  end,  over  the  Bishop's  room, 
was  the  private  chapel,  sixteen  feet  by  ten,  where  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  was  reserved.  On  the  right  hand 
was  another  small  room  and  bedroom  combined — for 
a  master.  The  lavatory  was  the  running  stream  of 
the  Crombie.  The  college  routine  was  the  same  as  in 
other  colleges,  except  that  the  boys'  time  for  study  was 
frequently  broken  into  by  their  being  called  upon  to 
take  part  in  the  operations  of  the  farm  attached. 

This  work  on  the  farm,  which  is  elsewhere  often 
referred  to  as  a  necessary  evil  in  the  life  of  Scalan,  was 
doubtless  one  of  those  to  which  the  Bishop  referred 
when  in  a  later  part  of  his  speech  he  said :  "  No  doubt 
the  obstacles  which  the  old  students  had  to  encounter, 
and  the  hardships  they  had  to  bear,  brought  out  the 
best  traits  in  their  characters,  and  made  them  the 
men  they  were,  and  the  men  they  are,  a  priesthood  of 
which  any  country  might  be  proud." 


STRATHAVON 

"The  waters  of  Avon  so  fair  and  clear 
Would  deceive  a  man  of  a  hundred  year." 

THE  river  Avon,  to  which  this  quality  of  extraordinary 
transparency  is  ascribed,  issues   from   the  north-east 
end  of  a  small  loch  of  the  same  name,  which  lies  at 
an   elevation   of   2,250   feet   above   sea -level,  and  is 
immediately  overhung  by  the  steep  and  almost  mural 
masses  of  Cairngorm  (4,084  feet),  Ben  Macdhui  (4,296 
feet),   and   Ben    Mheadoin    (3,883   feet).      The   river 
flows  nearly  thirty  miles  before  it  falls  into  the  Spey  at 
Ballindalloch,  the  greater  part  of  this  distance  being 
within   the   Parish   of   Kirkmichael,  though   the   last 
two  miles  are  in  the  Parish  of  Inveravon.     About  half 
way  along  its  course  the  Avon  passes  the  village  of 
Tomintoul,  now  a  flourishing  little  town,  although  it  is 
not  much  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago  since  the 
site  of  the  village  was  a  bleak  and  barren  moor.    From 
its  exposed   situation,  and  having  no  woods  near  it, 
it  still  often  looks  bleak  enough.     This  is,  however, 
scarcely  to  be  wondered  at  when  we  remember  that 
it  is  at  the  highest  elevation  above  the  sea,  and  at  the 
furthest  distance  from  the  sea  of  any  village  in  Scotland 
of  the  same  extent  and   population  (New  Statistical 
Account). 

The  whole  of  Strathavon  was   long  known  for  its 
55 


56    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

fidelity  to  the  ancient  Faith,  the  Laird  of  Ballin- 
dalloch  in  1671  being  prosecuted,  along  with  Gordon 
of  Carmellie  and  Gordon  of  Littlemill,  for  harbouring 
priests,  and  being  present  at  Mass.  By  degrees,  how 
ever,  the  lower  portions  of  the  glen  gave  way  and 
conformed  to  the  new  religion,  but  the  more  remote 
have  ever  remained  true  to  their  former  tenets,  and 
have,  along  with  the  sister  glen,  Glenlivet,  been  a 
secure  shelter  for  the  persecuted  clergy  and  a  constant 
source  of  supply  from  which  to  refill  its  ranks,  as  will 
indeed  be  seen  from  the  following  pages. 

Although  it  was  not  till  the  year  1610  that  the  new 
religious  ideas  obtained  much  of  a  footing  in  Inveravon, 
yet  the  period  between  1638  and  1660  was  the  most 
trying  time  throughout  Scotland  for  both  priests  and 
people.  This  was  the  time  when  the  Covenanters  were 
in  the  ascendant.  Several  of  the  nobles  were  frightened 
into  the  new  religion,  and  many  of  the  landed  gentry 
had  to  seek  an  asylum  in  foreign  countries  until  the 
storm  had  blown  over.  Towards  the  end  of  this  period, 
however,  that  is,  between  1653  and  1660,  we  learn  that 
"the  number  of  conversions  amongst  the  people  was 
so  great,  especially  in  Strathavon,  the  district  nearest 
to  the  Highlands,  and  in  Strathbogie,  that  in  the  former 
place  more  persons,  and  these  of  better  condition, 
assist  at  the  venerable  Catholic  mysteries  than  at 
the  profane  worship  of  the  heretics."1  Whilst  the 
same  author  gives  part  of  the  report  to  Propaganda 
of  the  Prefect  Eev.  Mr  Dunbar  who  in  1668  writes : 
"The  Catholics  hold  their  services  in  private  houses, 
where  sermons  are  preached,  and  the  sacraments  are 

1  Bellesheim  IV.  348. 


STRATHAVON  57 

administered ;  in  the  Highlands,  however,  this  is  done 
with  much  greater  freedom.  Not  a  single  church  is 
at  the  disposal  of  the  Catholics,  but  Mass  is  said  and 
sermons  are  preached  either  in  private  dwellings,  or 
in  some  cases,  as  in  the  Highlands  and  in  the  Hebrides, 
in  the  open  fields." 

At  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century  we  have  the 
authority  of  two  Protestant  writers  that  Strathavon 
and  Glenlivet  were  generally  or  almost  wholly  Catholic. 
Sir  Eobert  Sibbald,  of  Kippis,  describing  Speyside  in 
1680  says :  "  The  people  here  (Strathavon)  are  more 
rude  than  in  any  other  place  or  waterside  that  runneth 
into  the  Spey ;  generally  both  in  this  country  and  in 
Glenlivet  they  have  fallen  to  Popery."  A  little  later 
(1689)  Major-General  Mackay  states  that  he  had  three 
ways  of  retreat,  either  towards  Inverness,  or  down 
Speyside,  or  through  Strathdown  and  Glenlivet.  The 
latter  he  would  have  preferred  to  the  other  two,  but 
says  "  he  durst  not  resolve  to  march  through  an  enemy's 
country,  all  Papists,  with  an  enemy  four  times  his 
number  in  his  rear." 

For  many  years  Strathavon  and  Glenlivet  were  under 
the  charge  of  the  same  missionaries,  of  whom  the  first 
to  be  known  by  name  is  a  Mr  Trayner,  who  came  to 
this  mission  from  Ireland  and  who  probably  remained 
here  until  1694.  From  1699  to  1704  Mr  James 
Kennedy  was  in  charge  of  the  Strathavon  and  Glen 
livet  mission,  where  he  died  most  deeply  regretted 
after  he  had  spent  but  five  years,  during  which  he 
laboured  with  great  zeal  and  fruit.  During  these  years 
Inveravon  was  attended  to  by  Mr  Thomas  Innes,  who 
in  1701  was  sent  to  the  Scots  College,  Paris,  in  the 


58    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

capacity  of  Prefect  of  Studies.  The  next  priest  in 
these  districts  is  Mr  John  Gordon,  who  in  1716 
removed  from  the  lower  parts  of  Glenlivet  to  the 
higher,  where  he  would  be  more  secure  in  the  troublous 
times  which  followed  the  Jacobite  Eising  of  1715. 
He  was  followed  by  Mr  Peter  Fraser  (1718-1720), 
who  had  been  a  Dragoon,  but  had  been  converted 
whilst  lying  in  hospital  on  the  Continent.  Here  the 
conduct  of  those  who  attended  him  caused  him  to 
examine  the  Catholic  religion,  and  later  to  become  a 
Catholic.  After  two  years  he  went  to  the  West 
Highlands.  He  was  followed  by  Mr  Alexander  Grant 
(1725-1737),  one  of  the  Grants  of  Auchlichry,  who 
took  up  his  residence  at  Clashmore  in  Glenlivet. 
Although  Mr  Grant  remained  in  the  district  until 
1743,  he  was  incapacitated  for  work  about  the  year 
1737.  Ten  years  previous  to  this  time  Strathavon 
and  Glenlivet  became  separate  missions,  each  with 
a  priest  of  its  own.  Father  Donald  Brockie  (1727- 

1730)  appears  to  have  been  the  first  priest  with  the 
sole  charge  of  Strathavon,  or  Strathdown  as  it  was  then 
called.    He  was  followed  by  Father  Eobert  Grant  (1730- 

1731)  and  Mr  James   Duffus  (1731-1735).     Father 
Kobert  Grant  was  a  Benedictine  monk  from  the  Scots 
Monastery   of    Eatisbon.      So   also   was    Mr    Donald 
Brockie,  aforementioned,  whilst  amongst  other  names 
from  Strathavon  are  those  of  Father  (Kilian)  Grant,  who 
came  on  the  mission  in  1731 ;  Father  William  (Erhard) 
Grant,  from  Tombreak  ;  Father  Lewis  (Maurus)  Grant, 
from  Auchlichry,  besides  those  in  later  years.     At  this 
early  date  there  seems  to  have  been  a  specially  close 
connection  between  Eatisbon  and  Strathavon. 


STRATHAVON  59 

The  statement  that  Mr  Alexander  Grant  was  in 
capacitated  for  work  affords  a  favourable  opportunity 
for  inserting  the  following,  hitherto  unpublished, 
account  of  the  life  of  the  missionaries  in  the  High 
lands  at  this  time.  In  1732  Bishop  Gordon  thus 
writes  to  Propaganda: — "There  is  not  one  of  the 
missionaries  but  does  more  than  three  could  do  with 
any  degree  of  convenience.  Of  this,  however,  they 
do  not  complain ;  their  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  salvation  of  souls  make  such  fatigues  easy  to 
them.  But  to  be  in  real  want  of  the  most  pressing 
necessaries  of  life  is  too  much  for  human  nature  to 
bear.  How  often,  since  I  had  the  charge  of  this 
mission,  with  the  heart  pierced  with  the  deepest  grief, 
have  I  known  these  truly  Apostolic  men,  after  travel 
ling  the  whole  day  through  snow  and  rain  from  one 
village  to  another,  assisting  the  sick,  instructing  the 
converts,  and  comforting  the  distressed,  retire  at  night 
to  their  miserable  habitations,  where  they  had  neither 
fire  nor  meat  to  relieve  oppressed  nature.  Many  have 
the  heroic  charity  to  lose  their  lives  under  these  miseries 
rather  than  abandon  their  charge.  But  this  cannot 
be  expected  of  all." 

The  next  priest  in  succession  was  Mr  William  Grant, 
who  would  seem  to  have  been  made  of  very  tough 
material.  In  1736  Mr  John  Gordon,  the  Curator  of 
Gordon,  writes  from  Fochabers,  10th  April,  to  Eobert 
Farquharson,  Auchriachan  at  the  Duchess  of  Gordon's 
sight  and  desire,  informing  him  that  his  friend  Mr 
William  Grant  was  complained  of  for  having  said  Mass, 
where  the  minister  was  wont  to  perform  worship,  and 
had  performed  the  Office  of  the  Dead  in  the  Kirk  and 


60    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Kirkyard.  Auchriachan  was  desired  to  use  his  influence 
with  Mr  William  to  avoid  such  practices,  as  might 
make  it  thought  that  those  who  had  the  management 
of  His  Grace's  concerns  give  countenance  to  such 
things. 

In  October  of  that  year  the  Curator  of  Gordon1 
again  writes  from  Fochabers  to  Mr  William  Grant 
himself  that  he  supposes  Mr  William  is  before  this 
apprised  of  more  particulars  by  Dr  Gordon  than 
Aberlour  could  inform  him  of ;  that  he  thinks  it 
prudent  Mr  William  should  leave  that  part  of  the 
country  he  is  complained  of  staying  in,  that  Dr  Gordon, 
or  some  one  of  esteem  with  the  Duchess  of  Gordon, 
should  let  her  know  that  he  was  actually  gone  out 
of  it,  or  that  some  of  Mr  William's  friends  might 
be  put  upon  to  write  to  the  minister  to  know  from 
him  if  Mr  William  was  gone  out  of  the  country  or 
not ;  upon  which  the  minister  would  acknowledge  a 
plain  fact,  and  this  acknowledgment  from  the  minister 
of  Mr  William's  absence  might  be  transcribed  to  Her 
Grace.  He  adds  that  it  was  his  positive  opinion  that 
Mr  William  ought  not  to  return,  nor  even  be  seen 
in  that  country,  until  he  should  concert  with  Dr 
James,  who  would  not  surely  advise  him  to  expose 
his  own  person,  or  give  trouble  to  his  friends.  He 
concludes  by  telling  him  that  he  could  do  Mr  William 
no  further  service  than  acquaint  him  of  his  danger, 
with  his  wife's  humble  respects.  (The  person  here 
mentioned  as  Dr  Gordon  and  as  Dr  James  was  the 
venerable  bishop.) 

Another  side  of  this  matter  is  presented  by  the 
letter   of   Bishop   Gordon  (27th  October  1736),  who 


STRATHAVON  61 

writes  to  Mr  William  Grant,  in  Glenlivet,  that  he — 
the  Bishop — had  been  doing,  and  would  do  all  in 
his  power  in  this  affair,  and  that  they  who  had  been 
hottest,  were  become  cool,  and  would  soon  be  easy, 
and  that  probably  Mr  William  would  be  at  liberty 
^o  act  according  to  his  own  zeal  and  prudence  before 
Candlemas.  The  Bishop  exhorts  Mr  William  to  comfort 
himself  with  the  thought  of  being  so  happy  as  to 
suffer  in  such  a  cause,  asserting  that  it  was  his  exert 
ing  so  zealously  his  talents  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  that  was  the  real  cause  of  his  being  persecuted. 
He  recommends  to  his  care  and  zeal  the  poor  destitute 
people  of  Glenlivet,  who  were  in  such  a  lamentable 
condition  as  to  move  the  compassion  of  the  hardest 
heart;  he  wishes  that  when  he  could,  he  would 
give  some  assistance  to  his  own  sorrowful  people 
(in  Strathavon),  and  to  the  people  of  Corgarff,  who 
were  so  desirous  of  the  spiritual  food  he  offered 
them. 

Again  in  January  1737  the  good  Bishop  writes  to 
Mr  Grant  commending  him  for  the  good  he  was  doing, 
and  congratulating  him  on  his  having  so  well  adjusted 
the  intricate  case  of  the  people  of  Clashmore ;  wishing 
also  that  Mr  William  might  have  some  settled  place 
in  Strathavon,  but  scarcely  thinking  that  the  Duchess 
could  be  depended  on  ;  he  requires  that  he  make  some 
excursions  into  Glenlivet. 

Probably  Bishop  Gordon's  forecast  was  correct,  and 
the  affair  was  hushed  up.  There  was  a  great  desire 
on  the  part  of  those  in  authority  to  leave  the  Catholics 
in  the  peaceful  practice  of  their  religion.  But  after 
the  '45,  matters  altered  completely,  and  the  fear 


62    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

occasioned  by  the  successes  of  Prince  Charlie,  together 
with  the  well-known  preference  of  the  large  body 
of  Catholics  for  a  Stuart  sovereign,  made  the  very 
name  of  Catholic  distasteful  to  those  in  high  places. 
Accordingly  Mr  William  Grant  found  himself  in  greater 
difficulties  than  ever.  Here  is  the  last  chapter  in 
his  history  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  trace  it. 

From  a  copy  of  a  memorial  presented  in  the  name 
of  Mr  William  Grant  to  the  Lord  Justice  Clerk  and 
Lord  Minto,  Commissioners  of  Justiciary  at  Aberdeen, 
17th  September  1750,  it  appears  that  the  said  Mr 
William  Grant  was  apprehended  in  June  of  that  year 
by  a  sergeant  and  two  soldiers,  in  consequence  of  a 
misrepresentation  made  of  him  to  an  officer ;  that 
he  had  been  brought  before  Mr  Alexander  Grant,  of 
Ballindalloch,  and  bailed  for  by  Mr  Will,  and  Mr  John 
Gordon,  of  Minmore;  that  within  a  limited  time  he 
would  be  presented  to  stand  trial  under  a  Tailzie  of 
£50  sterling ;  that  he  went  into  Aberdeen  upon  Citation, 
in  order  to  save  the  Tailzie  and  in  hopes  of  mildness ; 
that  he  confessed  himself  a  priest "  habite  and  requited  " 
after  having  made  an  objection  to  the  execution  against 
him — which  was  not  signed  by  the  officer ;  and  against 
the  Court  as  not  competent — as  the  Statute  commits 
the  execution  of  the  Act,  on  which  the  Indictment 
was  grounded,  to  the  Privy  Council  of  Scotland,  not 
now  in  being ;  that  verdict  came  in  against  the  pannel 
guilty  of  the  Indictment,  and  sentence  was  pronounced 
against  him  (17th  September)  to  depart  this  kingdom 
before  18th  October  of  that  year,  never  to  return 
under  Pain  of  Death. 

This  Mr  Grant  very  nearly  went  out  as  chaplain 


STRATHAVON  65 

in  1745.  The  circumstances,  in  the  words  of  Bishop 
Geddes,  were  as  follows  : — "  Mr  Gordon,  of  Glenbucket, 
raised  all  the  men  he  could  in  Glenlivet  and  Strath- 
avon ;  and  as  these  were  mostly  Catholics,  it  was 
judged  proper  that  they  should  have  with  them  a 
priest  for  their  chaplain ;  wherefore  Mr  John  Tyrie, 
who  was  the  missionary  in  Glenlivet,  and  Mr  William 
Grant,  who  was  missionary  in  Strathavon,  cast  lots 
to  determine  which  of  them  should  go  with  the  men, 
and  which  remain  to  have  the  charge  of  the  two 
countries.  The  lot  for  going  fell  on  Mr  Tyrie,  to 
the  regret  of  Mr  Grant.  .  .  ." 

The  chapel  which  Mr  Grant  used  was  between 
Findron  and  Auchriachan,  where  a  "  bonnie  bit  green  " 
—  as  my  informant  assured  me — can  still  be  seen. 
There  too  is  the  priest's  well,  the  water  of  which  runs 
down  the  hillside  to  the  Conglass  just  below.  The 
position  of  this  chapel  is  thus  described :  it  was  at 
the  north  side  of  the  service  road,  where  the  service 
road  is  crossed  by  the  road  leading  from  the  village 
over  the  bridge  of  Conglass,  and  on  the  east  side  of 
this  latter  road. 

When  Mr  William  Grant  left  the  district,  Strathavon 
was  under  the  care  of  Mr  Geddes,  afterwards  Bishop 
Geddes,  who  was  then  at  the  Scalan.  This  arrange 
ment  went  on  for  a  few  years.  Mr  Geddes  gives 
the  number  of  Easter  Communicants  for  the  year 
1763  as  800  in  Strathavon.  At  this  period  there 
were  1,100  Communicants  in  Glenlivet. 

In  1788  Eev.  Donald  Stuart  erected  the  first  chapel 
in  the  then  rising  village  of  Tomintoul.  It  was  close 
to  the  present  chapel,  though  a  little  nearer  the  street. 


64    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Father  Stuart  was  a  native  of  Strathavon,  where  he 
laboured  for  over  twenty  years. 

That  there  really  was  a  chapel  at  Auchriachan  in 
recent  times  seems  to  be  proved  not  only  by  the 
tradition  of  the  district,  but  also  by  the  following  facts. 
We  have  indeed  already  heard  a  good  deal  of  Mr 
William  Grant,  still,  the  account  is  very  typical  and 
therefore  well  worth  recording.  Amongst  the  letters 
of  Mr  Grant,  who  died  in  1763  and  had  long  been 
missionary  in  Strathavon,  was  one  of  Mr  George 
Grant,  of  Clourie,  dated  10th  August  1736  and  addressed 
to  Donald  Farquharson  of  Auchriachan,  to  the  effect 
that  some  days  before  he  had  waited  on  both  lairds 
of  Grant,  and  spoken  to  them  of  the  usage  given  to 
Mr  William  Grant  by  Mr  George  Grant,  minister. 
Sir  James  Grant  had  promised  to  call  Mr  James 
Chapman,  minister  of  Alves,  and  endeavour  to  put  a 
stop  to  the  trouble  privately,  by  making  Mr  Chapman 
signify  his  (Sir  James's)  mind  to  Mr  George  Grant, 
the  minister;  Clourie  had  mentioned  Mr  William's 
services  done  to  the  Laird  of  Grant  when  in  Glengarry, 
and  what  risks  Mr  William's  father  would  have  run 
for  him.  The  laird  said  he  was  inclined  to  do  all 
the  service  in  his  power  to  Mr  William,  but  could 
not  show  himself  in  such  a  thing  against  the  Duke 
of  Gordon,  in  any  public  manner. 

Of  the  same  date  is  an  order  to  John  Grant,  factor 
of  Strathavon  and  Glenlivet,  signed  by  the  Duke  of 
Gordon,  commanding  those  who  were  building  a 
Mass-house  near  Auchriachan  to  desist,  and  requir 
ing  that  they  pull  down  what  they  had  built,  the 
refusal  of  which  should  be  at  their  peril,  and  the 


STRATHAVON  65 

popish  priest,  William  Grant,  will  do  well  (it  is  said) 
to  take  care  of  himself. 

The  sympathy  of  the  district  seems  to  have  been 
strongly  in  the  good  priest's  favour,  to  judge  from 
the  words  of  the  minister  himself,  who  writes  from 
Kirkmichael  to  the  Curator  of  Gordon  that  the  said 
Curator  and  Mr  John  Hamilton,  when  at  Laggan, 
of  Blairfindie,  had  not  allowed  him  to  "condescend 
on  proofs"  of  the  insolence  of  Mr  William  because 
the  thing  was  notorious,  and  had  promised  that  said 
priest  should  be  removed  never  to  return  to  his 
parish  during  his  incumbency  ;  but  that  said  priest, 
encouraged  by  his  popish  relatives,  continued  to  exer 
cise  his  office,  and  therefore  he,  the  minister,  would 
be  obliged  to  acquaint  the  proper  authorities. 

Other  priests  of  this  period  in  this  district  were 
Mr  John  Keid  (1764-1770),  Mr  John  Thomson  (1770- 
1772),  Mr  Alexander  Cameron,  later  coadjutor  to 
Bishop  Hay  (1772-1780),  Mr  John  Farquharson,  a 
native  of  the  district  (1781-1783),  and  Mr  Donald 
Stuart  (1783-1804).  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr  Alex. 
Badenoch  (1804-1808),  after  which  we  come  to  the 
long  incumbency  of  Mr  Donald  Carmichael  (1808- 
1838). 

It  was  no  doubt  he  who  was  responsible  for  the 
following  entry  in  the  Scotch  Directory  of  1831 : — 
"The  chapel  of  Tomintoul,  which  was  built  forty- 
two  years  ago,  having  been  found  too  small  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  Catholic  population  of  Strath- 
avon,  amounting  to  about  600  souls,  it  was  found 
necessary  to  erect  a  gallery,  an  undertaking  which 
was  executed  with  some  difficulty  by  reason  of  the 

VOL.  I.  E 


66    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

lowness  of  the  side  walls."  Indeed  those  who  know 
the  style  of  building  of  the  Highland  chapels  a 
hundred  years  ago,  will  not  doubt  of  the  difficulty 
of  getting  a  gallery  to  fit  within  its  long  low  walls. 
The  wonder  is  that  such  a  task  should  ever  have 
been  attempted.  At  best  it  could  have  been  but 
a  temporary  expedient,  as  in  1839  "was  opened  the 
new  chapel,  the  erection  of  which  was  rendered, 
necessary  by  the  threatened  ruin  of  the  former  one." 
This  chapel  owes  its  existence  to  the  exertions  of 
the  Bev.  Donald  Carmichael,  its  former  rector,  who 
with  much  labour  realised  the  sum  necessary  to 
complete  the  structure. 

How  great  this  labour  was  may  be  judged  from 
the  tradition,  still  existing  in  Strathavon,  that  it 
was  sad  to  see  the  poor  priest's  hands,  so  worn  and 
marked  were  they  with  carrying  the  bag  of  copper 
and  of  silver  which  he  had  gathered  during  the 
fifteen  months  he  was  absent  collecting  for  the  build 
ing.  This  is  doubtless  in  great  part  true,  as  com 
munication  was  most  difficult  in  these  parts  eighty 
years  ago,  and  banking  facilities  were  unheard  of. 

A  "terrible  nice  man"  was  Mr  Carmichael,  who 
besides  the  chapel  which  he  left  as  a  monument  to 
his  energy,  is  still  remembered  as  a  "particular  fine 
farmer."  When  he  was  summoned  to  take  the  adminis 
tration  of  the  temporalities  of  Blairs,  a  neighbour 
expressed  his  regret  at  Mr  Carmichaers  departure, 
and  wished  to  know  what  sort  of  a  farmer  his 
successor  was  likely  to  be.  "  I  nae  doubt,"  said  the 
good  priest,  "but  that  Mr  Cameron  will  let  out  the 
mole  and  let  in  the  dockin." 


STRATHAVON  67 

It  must,  I  think,  have  been  during  the  building  of 
the  present  chapel,  that  a  room  at  Cults  at  the  lower 
end  of  the  village — still  called  the  priest's  room — 
was  used  for  Mass.  It  was  here  that  Mr  Carmichael 
before  his  sudden  call  to  Blairs  last  officiated  in 
Tomintoul,  for  he  said  very  regretfully,  as  is  still 
remembered:  "Yes,  indeed  I  had  a  great  work  in 
building  yon  chapel,  yet  I  never  had  the  pleasure 
of  saying  Mass  in  it." 

Mr  William  Mackintosh  (1838-1842)  succeeded  Mr 
Carmichael,  and  was  in  his  turn  succeeded  by  Mr 
James  Eussell  (1842-1852)  and  Mr  Henry  Gall  (1852- 
1863),  who  built  the  first  Catholic  school  in  Strath- 
avon.  When  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  came  to  reside 
in  Tomintoul,  this  school  was  assigned  them  as  a 
Convent,  and  two  cottages  on  the  mission  property 
were  fitted  as  a  school  and  continued  to  be  used  as 
such  until  the  present  up  -  to  -  date  buildings  were 
opened. 

There  had,  of  course,  been  schools  of  a  sort  in 
Strathavon  previous  to  Mr  Gall's  time.  For  instance, 
Mr  Charles  Gordon,  St  Bridget,  Strathavon,  son  of 
John  Gordon,  of  Glenbucket,  became  a  Catholic,  and 
taught  the  Catholic  children  during  Mr  Carmichael's 
time  in  a  school  near  the  Bridge  of  Conglass.  The 
school  was  either  the  old  chapel  or  a  building  near 
it.  But  this  Mr  Gordon  was  dead  a  number  of  years 
before  Mr  Gall  started  the  regular  public  school  in 
Tomintoul. 

Mr  Gall  is  still  spoken  of  with  the  greatest  affection 
by  the  old  people  who  in  their  childhood  had  hearkened 
to  his  lessons.  Indeed  the  good  priest  was  school- 


68    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

master  as  well  as  clergyman.  It  is  said  of  him 
that  "  his  heart  was  with  the  young,"  and  that  on 
leaving  Tomintoul  his  parting  wish  was,  that  he 
might  some  day  return  and  be  buried  with  his 
children  of  Strathavon. 


GLENGAIRN 

"  Oh,  leeze  me  on  the  rock  and  reel 
Frae  top  to  tae  that  deeds  me  bien, 
And  haps  me  fiel  and  warm  at  e'en, 
I'll  sit  me  down  and  spin  and  sing, 
While  laigh  descends  the  summer  sun, 
Blest  wi'  content  and  milk  and  meal, 
Oh,  leeze  me  on  my  spinning-wheel." 

SUCH  is  the  delightful  picture  afforded  us  by  Burns  of 
the  happiness  and  contentment  of  the  country  lass  a 
century  ago.  Now  surely  in  these  days  when  there  is 
so  much  talk  of  affording  amusement  to  young  people 
in  the  country  districts  in  order  to  keep  them  at  home, 
and  to  counteract  the  so-called  attractions  of  the  towns, 
it  is  well  to  take  a  look  at  the  life  in  these  country 
districts  at  the  time  when  Burns  wrote.  That  young 
people  at  that  date  were  happy  in  their  simple  sur 
roundings  is  clear  from  the  very  vivid  impression 
still  left  in  the  minds  of  the  old  people,  who  look 
back  with  the  greatest  pleasure  on  the  happiness  of 
those  early  days — far  more,  it  is  to  be  feared,  than 
the  present  generation  will  look  back  on  the  happi 
ness  of  their  present  surroundings. 

The  truth  is  that  the  people  of  those  days,  young 
and  old  alike,  were  ever  busy,  ever  usefully  employed 

69 


70    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

in  providing  for  themselves  some  of  the  many  neces 
saries  of  life,  which  they  then  produced  by  their  own 
industry,  but  which  are  now  bought  at  the  shops. 
These  industrious  habits  undoubtedly  made  the  time 
pass  swiftly  and  pleasantly.  Moreover,  the  competition 
between  members  of  a  family,  and  between  different 
families  in  a  hamlet,  led  to  the  greatest  interest  being 
taken  in  these  home  products.  Mrs  Agnes  Muirhead, 
whose  apt  quotations  are  inserted  here,  has  well  said  i1 
"  To  be  able  to  spin  well  was  an  important  accomplish 
ment,  and  there  was  often  a  keen  rivalry  amongst  young 
women  as  to  who  could  spin  the  finest  yarn  and  make 
the  best  linen  at  a  'rocking.'  When  lads  and  lasses 
came  together  in  social  glee,  each  of  the  latter  brought 
to  the  merry  meeting  her  spinning-wheel  or  'rock.' 
Yule,  or  Christmas,  seems  to  have  been  a  time  for 
holidaying  and  feasting  amongst  the  spinners,  but  all 
were  supposed  to  begin  again  at  their  accustomed  work 
on  7th  January,  which  was  called  St  Distaff's  Day,  or 
Kock  Day. 

" '  Yule  has  come  and  Yule  has  gane, 
And  we  have  feasted  weel ; 
Jockie's  at  his  flail  again, 
And  Jeannie  at  her  wheel.' 

"Indeed  nothing  could  exceed  the  industry  of  the 
women,  both  old  and  young,  who  lived  in  an  age 
when  carding,  spinning,  and  bleaching  were  in  fashion, 
and  when  the  gudewife,  to  use  the  words  of  an  early 

poet, 

" '  Keepit  close  the  hoose,  and  birrilit  at  the  wheel.' " 

1  "  Scottish  Home  Industries,"  Lewis  Munro,  Dingwall. 


GLENGAIRN  71 

In  few  districts  of  the  Highlands  did  the  old  customs 
survive  longer  than  in  Glengairn,  but  as  many  and 
very  charming  descriptions  of  them  have  appeared  in 
numerous  volumes  it  is  needless  to  repeat  them  here. 
A  few  additional  ones,  however,  are  inserted  in  the  hope 
that  they  will  prove  of  interest. 

On  Candlemas  Day  the  people  all  brought  to  church 
candles  dipped  by  themselves.  Each  house  had  a 
mould,  but  the  candles  made  in  it  were  not  considered 
of  such  good  quality  as  those  made  with  the  hand. 
Besides,  there  was  at  one  time  a  tax  on  candles,  with 
the  result  that  these  moulds  had  to  be  kept  out  of 
the  gauger's  way.  The  better  way  of  making  the 
candles  was  to  fasten  the  wicks,  five  or  six  at  a  time, 
round  a  stick.  The  tallow  was  then  melted  and 
placed  in  water — neither  too  hot  nor  too  cold.  The 
wicks  suspended  from  the  stick  were  dipped  into  the 
liquid  tallow  and  then  taken  out,  the  process  being 
repeated  until  the  candles  were  the  right  thickness, 
when  the  thumb  and  forefinger  were  passed  over  them 
to  give  them  a  neat  finish. 

At  this  time  the  crusie — the  old  form  of  iron  lamp — 
was  in  common  use,  and  a  "grand  light  it  did  give." 
The  best  wick  was  the  dry  pith  of  the  common  rush, 
and  three  or  four  of  these  would  often  be  plaited 
together.  Train  oil  was  most  commonly  used. 

The  "casting"  of  the  priest's  peats  was  a  day  of 
great  importance  and  no  little  fun.  The  people  all 
gathered  on  the  day  appointed  and  went  to  the  priest's 
moss,  whilst  the  gudewives  of  the  glen  sent  of  their 
best  for  the  dinner — chickens  and  scones  and  abund 
ance  of  milk.  The  peats  were  cut  and  stacked — the 


72    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

lads  and  lassies  not  scrupling  at  times  to  cast  a  turf  at 
one  another.  At  the  end  of  the  day  the  company  re 
paired  to  the  house,  the  barn  was  cleared,  and  the  party 
ended  the  day  with  a  festive  dance,  His  Eeverence 
himself  being  there,  well  pleased  to  see  the  company 
full  of  mirth. 

When  the  peats  were  dry,  the  clerk  announced  the 
fact  and  begged  the  congregation  to  help  to  bring  them 
home.  In  Glengairn  Willie  Kitchie,  the  clerk,  is  well 
remembered.  He  was  almost  as  venerable-looking  as 
the  old  priest  himself.  He  would  let  all  the  people 
out  of  church,  and  then  hastening  outside  himself 
would  call  out  with  an  air  of  the  greatest  solemnity : 
"Eisdibh!  Eisdibh!  Tha  moine  'n  t-sagairt  tioram  an 
diugh ! "  "  Hearken  ye !  Hearken  ye  !  The  priest's 
peats  are  dry  to-day " ;  which  meant  that  the  good 
people  were  to  come  on  the  morrow  to  help  to  bring 
the  peats  to  the  house.  Towards  evening,  as  the 
loads  of  peat  were  known  to  be  coming  to  an  end, 
the  company  would  assemble  once  again  round  the 
house.  The  last  load  was  always  brought  in  to  the 
sound  of  the  pipes,  refreshments  were  served,  and 
again  there  was  a  "wee  bit  dance."  On  a  good  day 
as  many  as  fifty  loads  of  peats  would  be  brought  in. 

Such  meetings,  however,  had  their  due  season,  outside 
of  which  they  dared  not  be  held.  The  story  is  told 
how  at  a  meeting  in  Lent  the  company  greatly  wished 
that  "  a  wee  dance  "  would  end  the  proceedings.  James 
Mackenzie  was  willing  to  pipe,  but  he  had  not  his 
pipes  with  him.  A  lad  was  sent  down  to  his  house 
for  them  and  requested  them,  of  Mrs  Mackenzie.  The 
good  woman  was  sore  perplexed.  She  dared  not  refuse 


GLENGAIRN  73 

her  husband  the  pipes,  and  she  foresaw  the  wrath 
of  Mr  Mackintosh  the  priest  if  she  co-operated  in  the 
breaking  of  Lent.  She  decided  on  a  middle  course, 
and  handed  the  lad  the  pipes  after  removing  the  reeds. 
The  company  rejoiced  as  they  saw  their  messenger 
return  with  the  music,  but  their  spirits  fell  when  the 
chief  parts  were  found  to  be  missing.  On  the  following 
Sunday  Mr  Mackintosh  severely  scolded  the  company 
at  the  meeting.  "  And  you,  James  Mackenzie,"  said  he, 
"who  tried  to  play  the  pipes,  kneel  you  out  here  in 
the  middle." 

It  was  the  duty  of  the  clerk — William  Eitchie  afore 
mentioned — to  light  the  candles.  One  of  the  resi- 
denters  in  the  glen,  herself  a  very  old  woman  now, 
describes  how  she  used  to  love  to  see  the  two  venerable 
old  men  at  the  altar.  She  would,  however,  sometimes 
indulge  in  a  little  hypocrisy  at  William's  expense.  As 
he  came  in  to  prepare  the  altar  for  the  priest,  she 
would  pretend  to  be  praying  so  fervently  as  not  to  see 
him.  Whilst  the  priest  was  vesting,  William  would 
need  to  light  the  candles.  He  would  look  round 
occasionally  to  see  whether  she  would  not  go  and  fetch 
the  coal — in  the  days  before  matches.  When  she  did 
not  move,  though  indeed  it  was  seldom  that  she  did  not, 
the  old  man  was  forced  to  fetch  the  coal  himself.  He 
would  shortly  after  return  and  ascend  the  altar  steps, 
when  he  commenced  "to  bla'  and  bla'  and  bla',"  the 
sparks  and  ashes  flying  in  all  directions,  until  at  last 
there  was  flame  enough  to  light  the  candles. 

At  this  time  the  roof  of  the  chapel  was  open,  and 
showed  the  rude  beams,  whilst  the  altar  was  just  a 
rough  table.  Some  "  of  the  folks  had  kneeling  boards, 


74    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

but  the  maist  of  them  prayed,  kneeling  on  the  clay 
floor." 

Previous  to  1828  there  had  been  a  teacher  of  music 
for  the  choir,  but  he  had  taught  only  hymns.  At  this 
date  James  Gumming,  from  Tomintoul,  took  the  Glen- 
gairn  choir  in  hand  and  taught  them  Masses  by  Eev. 
Mr  Gordon,  of  Dufftown.  Gumming  had  "  a  wand  and 
a  tuning  fork,  and  I  mind  we  used  to  sing  the  Dies 
Irce.  There  were  good  singers  in  Glengairn  then,  but 
there  was  no  instrument."  At  this  time  the  chapel 
in  Aberdeen  had  a  great  name  for  music,  the  like  was 
not  to  be  heard  in  the  whole  country. 

Of  the  congregation  it  must  be  said  that  their  simple 
piety  cannot  be  too  highly  extolled.  The  life  of  many 
was  very  austere.  Charles  Durward  used  to  fast  very 
rigorously,  and  led  the  life  of  a  hermit,  leaving  his 
dwelling  only  to  do  a  neighbourly  turn  for  some  one, 
or  to  go  to  church.  He  was  found  dying  in  his  lonely 
room,  with  a  stone  for  his  pillow.  Several  of  the  con 
gregation  had  the  habit  of  fasting  every  Sunday  till 
after  Mass  out  of  reverence  for  the  Holy  Sacrifice. 

But  the  person  whose  name  was  the  most  respected 
for  sanctity  was  Margaret  M'Gregor — Margaret  of  the 
Laggan,  as  she  was  called.  She  lived  at  the  beginning 
of  last  century,  and  occupied  a  small  hut  near  the 
Laggan  burn.  She  employed  her  time  spinning  and 
carding,  whilst  on  a  small  loom  she  made  "  gartans " 
which  were  thought  to  be  so  strong  that  no  wear 
and  tear  would  use  them  up.  She  also  made  ropes  of 
rough  wool,  sent  in  by  the  neighbours,  the  ropes  being 
used  at  clipping  time  to  tie  the  sheep.  Her  shoes  were 
made  by  herself  of  the  same  rough  wool,  and  were  some- 


GLENGAIRN  75 

thing  akin  to  carpet  slippers.  The  soles  were  of  old 
cloths  laid  fourfold  beneath  the  foot  and  sewn  together 
with  strong  twine.  Her  gown  was  of  blue  homespun, 
and  over  it  she  habitually  wore  a  grey  cloak  with  a 
hood.  Thus  clad  she  was  often  seen  walking  over  the 
hill  the  nine  miles  to  the  Corgarff  chapel,  for  she  seldom 
left  her  cottage  save  to  go  to  Mass.  Her  food  was  of 
the  simplest — a  boiled  turnip  over  which  she  sometimes 
cast  a  handful  of  meal  for  her  dinner. 

Margaret  was  well  educated  and  had  many  books, 
whilst  her  piety  was  the  admiration  of  the  countryside  ; 
all  day  long  she  worked  and  prayed  at  intervals.  She 
had  an  hour-glass  which  told  her  the  time  for  prayer 
and  the  time  for  labour,  and  she  passed  from  her 
knitting  to  her  prayers  and  from  her  prayers  to  her 
knitting  as  methodically  as  possible.  "  She  composed 
and  repeated  constantly  Gaelic  prayers.  I  sometimes 
brought  her  meal  or  other  food  and  learned  these 
prayers  from  her  own  lips."  She  wasted  away  without 
any  struggle,  and  was  attended  on  her  deathbed  by 
Father  Forbes.  She  had  been  for  a  long  time  helpless, 
crippled,  and  deformed  by  rheumatism.  She  is  buried 
in  the  old  churchyard  of  Dalfad,  the  family  burying- 
ground  of  the  M'Gregors,  from  whom  she  was  sprung. 

Of  the  schools  and  scholars  of  early  days,  some 
quaint  memories  survive.  In  1820  one  James 
Mackenzie  was  schoolmaster.  He  was  a  native  of 
Delnabo,  in  Strathavon,  and  was  the  principal  actor 
in  the  following  little  comedy  which  is  given  in  the 
language  in  which  it  was  described.  "  Mackenzie  was 
tall,  well-looking,  and  fresh,  and  though  he  had  lost 
his  right  arm,  could  be  very  severe,  I  insure  ye.  One 


76    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

day  Alex.  Catanach  went  up  wi'  a  coont,  and  Mackenzie, 
enraged  at  a  mistake  in  the  coont,  broke  the  slate  over 
Sandy's  heed  and  left  the  slate  like  a  horse's  collar 
round  the  laddie's  neck.  There  were  sixty  or  seventy 
bairns  in  the  school  at  that  time.  Mr  Mackenzie  were  a 
clever  man  though,  if  it  were  na'  that  he  wanted  the 
arm." 

Festern  E'en — Shrove  Tuesday — was  the  day  of  the 
annual  cock  fight.  As  many  as  thirty  birds  would  be 
brought  in  in  one  day.  The  best  fighter  was  called  the 
King,  the  second  the  Queen,  the  third  the  Knave.  They 
that  would  not  fight  were  called  "  fougie."  There  were 
no  lessons  that  day,  it  was  a  day  by  itself.  "What 
waps" — continued  the  party  above-mentioned — "What 
waps  the  birds  did  gie.  People  came  from  far  and 
near  and  stood  in  the  school  to  see  the  fight.  Each 
boy  brought  a  bird  and  held  it  under  his  oxter,  wait 
ing  his  turn  to  fight." 

The  children  all  brought  a  peat  each  to  the  school, 
and  they  always  tried  to  find  a  hard  one,  as  on  the 
way  to  the  school  there  was  often  a  "  battle  of  peats." 
Probably  this  accounted  for  the  peats  being  none  too 
dry  when  at  last  they  got  to  their  proper  destination, 
as  the  following  would  seem  to  show.  "  John  Michie 
— him  that's  noo  a  monk  at  Fort  Augustus,  ye  mind— had 
a  school  at  Ardoch.  He  threesh  in  the  morning,  got 
his  breakfast  and  went  to  the  school.  He  wrought  in 
the  school  a'  the  morning  on  to  three  o'clock.  The 
school  was  always  fu'  of  reek — jist  a  reeky  hole.  I 
never  thought  much  of  reek  after  that,  we  were  a'  well 
learned  to  the  reek ;  it  never  fashed  me  after  that." 
We  shall  have  more  to  say  about  John  Michie  later, 


GLENGAIRN  77 

but  must  pass  now  to  the  priests  who  in  succession 
had  charge  of  the  mission  of  Glengairn. 

"  JRemember  me  to  the  people  of  Glengairn, 
Beginning  with  the  fiddler," 

are  lines  which  occur  in  the  farewell  poem  which 
Mr  John  Macpherson1  asserts  was  written  by  Mr 
John  Owenson,  the  last  priest  in  Braemar,  whilst  lying 
in  prison  in  Aberdeen  about  the  year  1606.  The  same 
author  remarks  that  the  local  tradition  is  that  the 
fiddler  referred  to  was  the  priest  of  Glengairn,  who 
went  about  as  a  strolling  musician.  This  device  was 
certainly  practised  in  other  parts,  as  it  is  well  known 
in  the  Dumfries  district  that  the  priest — Mr  Francis 
Maxwell — went  about  the  streets  of  that  town  in  the 
year  1706  playing  the  fiddle  in  order  to  have  an  oppor 
tunity  of  informing  Catholics  where  Mass  would  be 
celebrated. 

In  1704  a  list  of  "  Papists,  Apostates  (to  Popery !), 
Popish  priests,  etc.,  was  drawn  up  by  the  minister 
of  the  united  parishes  of  Glenmuick,  Tullich,  and 
Glengarden,"  from  which  we  learn  that  "  Calam 
Griersone,  alias  M'Gregor,  of  Baladar  (Ballater),  Papist, 
frequently  receives  popish  priests  such  as  Mr  Kobert 
Seaton,  .  .  .  ;  Mr  John  Innes,  Jesuite ;  Mr  Eamsay, 

alias  Strachane  .  .  .  ; Gordon,  seminary   priest, 

and  Walter  Innes,  brother  to  Charles  Innes,  of 
Drumgask,  Jesuite.  The  said  Calam  was  leatly 
building  a  chapel  for  them,  and  erected  a  very  high 
crucifix  on  a  little  hill  near  his  house,  to  be  adored  by 
all  the  neighbourhood.  He  always  keeps  publick  Mass 
and  popish  conventicles  in  his  house  and  is  such 
1  <(  Catholicity  in  Glengaim,"  St  Andrew's  Cross. 


78    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

trafecter  that  flow  or  no  Protestants  that  become  his 
tenants,  or  servants,  escape  without  being  preverted 
by  him."  This  good  worthy  was  also  accused  of 
mimicking  the  Protestant  minister  at  his  preaching 
— an  offence  which  seems  to  have  been  taken  more 
seriously  than  was  probably  justifiable.  It  was  Mr 
Forsythe,  the  priest  of  Braemar,  who  seems  to  have 
reconciled  Calam  to  the  Church. 

In  this  year  (1704),  according  to  the  Directory  of 
1853,  the  above-mentioned  Mr  Innes  was  in  charge  of 
the  mission  of  Glengairn.  He  was  a  cadet  of  the 
Balnacraig  family,  and  his  reception  into  the  Church 
is  thus  described  by  Father  Charles  Farquharson: — 
"  Mr  John  Innes,  missionary  in  Glengairn,  whom  I 
knew  well,  was  a  schoolmaster  in  the  south,  beyond 
Edinburgh.  He  was  moved  with  great  indignation, 
hearing  that  a  great  man  there  sent  for  a  priest  out 
of  Edinburgh,  and  came  to  the  great  man's  house  to 
expostulate  with  the  priest,  since  he  durst  not  scold  the 
sick.  '  I  wonder/  said  he,  ' how  you  priests  come  and 
delude  people  when  they  lose  their  judgment.'  'Go 
immediately  to  his  room/  replied  the  priest,  '  and  ex 
amine  well  whether  he  be  in  his  sound  judgment,  and 
see  convert  him  back  again.'  This  the  other  did  not 
think  proper  to  do,  seeing  he  was  told  the  gentleman 
was  as  sound  in  judgment  as  ever  he  was.  They 
spoke  a  great  deal  together.  Mr  Innes  asked  the  loan 
of  a  book ;  was  sent  afterwards  to  the  province  of 
Champagne,  became  a  Jesuit,  and  afterwards  missionary 
in  Glengairn,  where  he  helped  and  converted  many." 
After  five  years  in  Glengairn,  he  retired  to  the  Scots 
College,  Paris,  where  he  became  Superior. 


GLENGAIRN  79 

Mr  Inneswas  succeeded  by  Mr  Gregor  M'Gregor, 
of  the  family  of  Ardoch  and  Dalfad  in  Glengairn,  and 
son  of  the  afore-mentioned  Calam.  Being  not  only  a 
native  of  the  glen,  but  also  a  brother  of  the  proprietor, 
he  acquired  a  greater  influence  in  the  country  than 
any  of  his  predecessors.  He  erected  a  chapel  in  the 
wood  of  Dalfad  and  also  a  dwelling-house  for  himself 
at  a  convenient  distance.  He.  however,  did  not  remain 
long  in  Glengairn,  having  returned  to  his  monastery 
shortly  after  the  unsuccessful  Kising  of  1715,  though 
he  was  again  on  the  mission  in  1724  to  1728,  when  he 
was  in  Glengarry.  In  June  1730  he  again  returned  to 
his  monastery. 

To  him  succeeded  Father  Dunbar,  S.J.,  who  continued 
as  missionary  in  Glengairn  till  1734,  when  he  was 
recalled  by  his  superiors  to  the  Continent,  on  account 
of  his  having  shown  "  some  premonitory  symptoms  of 
aberration  of  intellect." 

His  place  was  supplied  by  Eev.  Alexander  Gordon 
of  the  Glencat  family,  near  Aboyne,  who  continued 
to  discharge  his  duties  with  great  zeal  and  activity 
till  the  rising  of  the  Jacobite  party  in  1745,  when  he 
attached  himself,  along  with  many  of  his  flock,  to  the 
fortunes  of  Prince  Charles  Stuart.  He  was  present 
at  the  disastrous  defeat  of  Culloden,  and  was  taken 
prisoner  and  lodged  in  the  jail  of  Inverness,  where 
he  died  about  three  weeks  after — a  martyr,  without 
doubt,  to  the  misery  and  squalor  which  were  the 
inseparable  attendants  of  the  dungeons  used  in  those 
times  as  jails  in  Scotland. 

In  consequence  of  the  fierce  persecution  which 
occurred  in  Braemar  after  1745,  Mr  Charles  Farquharson 


80    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

came  to  reside  in  Glengairn  and  had  both  these  parishes 
under  his  charge.  He  continued  to  serve  these  missions 
with  great  energy  and  success  till  1781,  when  he  retired 
to  Braemar,  where  he  died  in  1799. 

The  last  two  priests  with  whom  we  have  to  deal 
are  Rev.  Ranald  Macdonell,  who  had  spent  but  two 
years  in  the  district  when  he  was  transferred  to 
Glengarry,  and  Kev.  Lachlan  Mackintosh — the  Apostle 
of  Glengairn — who  here  spent  no  less  than  sixty-four 
years.  This  remarkable  priest  was  born  in  Braemar 
in  1753.  He  was  admitted  to  the  seminary  of  Scalan 
18th  July  1770,  and  in  the  November  of  that  year  he 
was  sent  to  the  Scots  College,  Yalladolid.  He  there 
completed  his  studies  and  was  ordained  priest  at  Segovia 
by  the  bishop  of  that  city  in  February  1782. 

One  incident  of  note  distinguished  his  scholastic 
career.  He  was  at  college  when  the  Duke  of  Wellington 
passed  through  Valladolid  and  slept  a  night  at  Boecillo, 
the  country  house  of  the  college.  The  Duke  offered 
a  commission  to  any  of  the  students  if  they  would 
join  the  British  Army.  This  temptation  proved  too 
strong  for  young  Lachlan,  who  changed  the  college 
uniform  for  that  of  His  Majesty  George  III.  Not 
long  after,  however,  he  was  attacked  by  fever,  and 
as  he  lay  at  death's  door,  the  life  which  he  had 
forsaken  at  college  recurred  to  him.  He  vowed  that 
if  he  recovered,  he  would  return  to  college;  he  did 
recover,  and  in  fulfilment  of  his  vow  returned  immedi 
ately  to  Valladolid,  where  his  soldier's  uniform  was  long 
preserved. 

After  his  ordination  he  returned  to  Scotland  and  took 
charge  of  the  united  missions  of  Glengairn,  Corgarff,  and 


GLENGAIRN  8] 

Balmoral.  He  erected  at  Clashendrich  a  commodious 
chapel,  not  sparing  even  his  own  hands  in  the  building 
of  it.  This  chapel  was  still  used  by  the  congregation 
in  1853.  He  also  raised  funds  sufficient  to  enable  him 
to  build  a  neat  and  comfortable  house  for  the  clergy 
man.  For  sixty-four  years  this  indefatigable  missionary 
laboured  with  the  greatest  zeal,  and  died  in  1846  at 
the  patriarchal  age  of  ninety-three.  He  is  interred  in 
the  ancient  burying-ground  at  Foot  of  Gairn,  and  over 
his  grave  his  congregation  have  raised  a  tombstone 
with  an  elegant  Latin  inscription  to  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  a  devoted  clergyman,  who  spent  more  than 
half  a  century  in  administering  the  consolations  of 
religion  to  a  flock  thinly  scattered  over  one  of  the 
wildest  and  most  inaccessible  districts  of  Scotland. 
Such  an  instance  of  devotedness  to  the  sacred  duties 
of  his  calling,  for  such  a  length  of  time,  in  circum 
stances  of  much  poverty,  labour,  and  fatigue,  is  seldom 
met  with. 

The  truth  of  the  above  remark  regarding  the  inclem 
ency  of  the  district  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that 
at  a  somewhat  later  period  it  happened  on  two  occa 
sions  that  at  the  Mass  on  Christmas  Day,  when  every 
possible  effort  would  have  been  made  by  the  really 
earnest  parishioners,  only  the  server  was  able  to  be 
present  with  the  priest  at  Mass.  The  snow  was  indeed 
waist  high,  and  the  nearest  of  the  congregation  would 
have  a  mile  at  least  to  walk. 

Like  many  another,  Father  Lachlan  was  unaware 
when  old  age  had  fairly  incapacitated  him  for  work, 
and  resented  not  a  little  that  Father  Lamont  should 
endeavour  to  assist  him.  One  day  the  Sunday  Mass 

VOL.  i.  F 


82    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

was  at  Corgarff,  some  nine  miles  across  a  steep  hill,  and 
Mr  Lamont,  then  only  home  for  a  while  from  College, 
accompanied  Father  Lachlan.  The  aged  priest  rode 
his  trusted  "  sheltie,"  and  urged  his  companion  to  take 
a  turn  on  the  beast  and  so  rest  himself.  The  latter, 
however,  preferred  to  walk  rather  than  trust  his  limbs 
to  the  ancient  roadster.  Arrived  at  the  chapel  they 
found  that  the  congregation  had  not  yet  assembled 
and  that  they  must  needs  wait.  Mr  Lamont  took  the 
opportunity  to  make  his  confession :  "  And  for  your 
penance,"  said  Father  Lachlan,  "  you  may  ride  back  the 
whole  way  on  my  bit  sheltie." 

All  his  life  through  Father  Lachlan  was  "  the  life  of 
company,"  and  no  doubt  fully  appreciated  the  follow 
ing.  He  used  often  to  catechise  his  people,  the  elder 
and  the  younger  alike.  One  day  he  asked  an  elderly 
young  lady,  whom  people  misjudged  to  be  wanting  in 
brains,  "May  Cameron,  what  is  matrimony?"  No 
answer;  but  the  party  to  whom  the  question  was 
addressed  hung  down  her  head  and  seemed  to  feel 
the  question  "  awful  sair  " — she  had  never  had  an  offer 
of  matrimony.  "Come,  come,  May,"  said  the  priest, 
"  what  is  matrimony  ? "  Again  no  answer.  Then  the 
priest  became  annoyed,  and  feared  that  others  might 
also  refuse  to  answer,  so  he  repeated  :  "  Come  now,  May, 
what  is  matrimony  ? "  The  head  was  not  raised,  but 
from  under  the  large  straw  hat  came  the  unexpected 
answer :  "  Pheu,  phen,  you  and  your  matrimony  ;  many 
a  twa  you've  putten  together,  and  t'were  better  they'd 
never  seen  other." 

Once  in  each  month  Father  Lachlan  used  to  say 
the  Sunday  Mass  at  Corgarff,  where  he  had  himself 


GLENGAIRN  83 

built  the  chapel.  Great  was  often  his  difficulty  in 
crossing  the  Glasghoil,  the  long  wild  hill  which  separated 
it  from  Glengairn.  In  better  weather  it  was  the  custom 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  Glengairn  folk  to  walk 
across  with  him,  and  on  these  occasions  they  would 
recite  the  rosary  as  they  went.  An  old  parishioner, 
Luis  Mackenzie,  was  telling  this  one  day  to  one  less 
acquainted  with  the  district,  who  remarked  what  a 
beautiful  custom  that  was.  "Ah  weel,  sir,"  said  old 
Luis,  "  wij  a'  the  lads  and  lassies,  it  was  often  a  gey 
roch  rosary." 

The  Catholics  of  Corgarff,  who  in  1794  numbered  over 
one  hundred,  had  long  formed  a  numerous  congregation 
by  themselves,  and  had  resident  priests  amongst  them, 
of  whom  the  best  remembered  is  Father  M'Leod,  alias 
M'Hardy.  He  proved  himself  a  great  support  to  the 
Catholics  in  Corgarff  during  very  trying  times,  and  the 
people  were  greatly  aggrieved  when  he  was  removed 
from  their  midst.  He  was  a  native  of  Corgarff,  having 
been  born  at  Ordachoy,  a  farm  still  in  the  possession 
of  M'Hardies,  descendants  of  his  brother's  family. 
Father  M'Leod  was  held  in  great  veneration  by  the 
Corgarff  and  Strathdon  people,  and  being  one  of  them 
selves  he  was  protected  and  shielded  by  both  Catholics 
and  Protestants  alike,  and  his  hiding-places  were  never 
divulged.  It  was,  unfortunately,  otherwise  with  his 
successor,  who  was  a  stranger  to  the  people  and  to 
the  district,  and  was  therefore  unable  to  withstand 
in  safety  the  frequent  military  searches  made  for  him. 

Near  Corgarff  is  another  ancient  graveyard  with 
the  remains  of  a  church;  it  was  dedicated  to  St 
Machar.  Close  by  is  also  a  holy  well.  Eound  the 


84    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

above-mentioned  chapel  at  Dalfad  there  is  also  a  burial- 
ground,  in  which  at  least  one  priest  is  interred,  but 
who  he  was  is  not  known.  Other  tombstones  bear 
the  name  Grierson — M'Gregor  being  at  that  time  a 
proscribed  name — whilst  others  have  only  an  initial. 
The  favourite  burial-place,  however,  has  always  been 
St  Mungo's,  at  Foot  of  Gairn,  where  the  walls  of  the 
old  pre-Keformation  church  are  still  standing. 

My  informant  on  many  of  the  above  incidents  was 
our  old  friend  John  Michie,  who,  though  he  protested 
that  "he  never  had  a  memory  to  carry  a  tale,"  yet 
was  able  to  give  most  interesting  details  of  the  life  in 
Glengairn  of  old.  Born  in  1816,  John  Michie  had 
lived  seventy-four  years  in  the  glen,  and  even  at 
that  age  he  was  able  to  start  a  new  life  as  a  lay  brother 
at  Fort  Augustus,  where  he  yet  lives.1  In  childhood 
he  met  with  an  accident,  which  deprived  him  of  the 
use  of  one  arm,  but  his  great  ingenuity  made  the 
other  do  service  for  two.  Indeed,  despite  the  assertion 
that  his  school  of  old  was  "  fu'  of  reek,"  he  was  known 
in  his  lay-brother  days  to  have  eighteen  fires  lit  and 
brightly  burning  before  six  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

In  his  earlier  days  he  had  been  a  shepherd,  and 
would  speak  with  pride  of  the  fine  wedders  which 
Braemar  then  produced.  At  one  time  there  were  two 
markets  in  September,  to  which  sheep  would  be  brought 
even  from  Badenoch,  whilst  one  grazing  alone  in  Braemar 
yielded  nine  hundred  of  the  finest  wedders.  Sometimes 
he  would  take  his  flock  to  Edinburgh — all  the  way 

J0n  14th  March  1909  he  celebrated  his  ninety-third  birthday. 
Though  totally  blind,  he  is  still  in  good  health,  and  with  the  use  of 
a  stick  finds  his  way  to  church  at  5.80  each  morning  for  Masi 
and  Holy  Communion, 


GLENGAIRN  85 

by  road — and  would  be  two  weeks  on  the  journey, 
sleeping  each  night  in  the  open  with  his  plaid  wrapped 
about  him  alongside  of  his  flock.  "  That  was  the  time," 
he  would  say,  "before  there  was  much  word  about 
deer — and  I  dinna  think  the  deer  have  done  much 
good."  To  the  remark  "  At  that  time  there  must  have 
been  many  an  honest  man  travelling  home  by  road, 
but  I  fear  those  whom  one  meets  to-day  are  not  of 
that  sort,"  he  replied :  "  Nah,  nah !  ye  will  not  often 
get  an  honest  man  walking  the  road  nowadays — the 
honest  man  cannot  afford  it" — words  which  suggest 
many  philosophic  deductions. 

Besides  being  shepherd,  he  was  the  best  scholar  in 
the  glen,  and  for  some  time  acted  schoolmaster,  as 
already  mentioned.  Even  when  old  age  had  made 
him  blind,  he  would  delight  to  work  out  problems  in 
his  head,  problems,  too,  which  were  hard  enough  even 
for  one  who  had  taken  high  honours  in  mathematics 
at  Cambridge.  Having  been  all  his  life  of  most 
temperate  habits,  it  seemed  strange  that  he  had  not 
put  together  a  little  money;  but  this  was  easily 
explained  by  the  fact  that  all  his  life  through  he 
had  been  charitable  far  beyond  his  means.  His  little 
cottage  was  open  to  every  passing  wayfarer,  to  whom 
he  never  refused  a  meal  and  a  night's  lodging,  so  that 
the  slender  means  which  barely  sufficed  for  himself 
were  spun  out  to  afford  a  hospitality  which  many  a 
large  farmer  would  not  dare  to  undertake.  When  at 
last  he  was  advised  to  find  a  home  where  he  would 
be  cared  for  in  his  old  age  he  decided  to  enter  at 
Fort  Augustus  as  a  lay  brother.  Having  lived  so 
long  in  the  glen  where  he  was  born,  he  left  it  in  the 


86    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

old  pastoral  fashion,  and  with  his  plaid  over  his 
shoulder  started  to  walk  across  the  hills  he  knew  so 
well,  into  a  district  not  less  than  sixty  miles  away,  and 
reached  Fort  Augustus  safely  in  three  days. 

His  friends  in  Glengairn  had  expected  that  he 
would  say  good-bye  to  each  one,  but  the  old  man 
feared,  no  doubt,  that  this  would  be  too  much  for  his 
kind  old  heart,  so  he  left  very  early  one  morning 
without  bidding  adieu  to  any  one.  He  was,  however, 
seen  mounting  the  hill  which  the  road  ascends,  and 
on  reaching  the  summit  turned  round  to  have  a  last 
look  at  the  Glengairn  of  his  childhood,  then  kneel 
ing  awhile  he  prayed  a  blessing  on  his  old  home. 
When  word  passed  through  the  district  that  John 
Michie  was  away,  and  that  he  had  thus  bi'J  them 
adieu,  there  was  many  a  tear  seen  rolling  iown 
the  faces  of  those  who  had  so  long  knov  him. 
How  closely  his  interests  were  interwoven  v  th  the 
Catholic  life  of  Glengairn  is  clear  from  the  fact  that 
while  his  maternal  grandmot,  *  was  sister  to  Father 
Lachlan,  his  grandmother  on  his  father's  side  was 
long  housekeeper  to  Father  Charles  Farquharson.  He 
had,  moreover,  himself  fulfilled  the  duties  of  clerk 
and  sacristan  for  well-nigh  fifty  years. 

He  would  speak  of  the  Glengairn  of  his  day  as  of 
a  thing  of  the  past ;  and  so  indeed  it  is.  The  pretty 
little  chapel  built  as  recently  as  1868  is  now  without 
a  Catholic  congregation,  and  has  been  sold  on  the 
understanding  that  it  will  be  taken  down.  How 
great  the  tide  of  emigration  from  this  glen  has  been, 
is  seen  from  the  fact  that  at  a  recent  meeting  in 


GLENGAIRN  87 

Australia  one  of  the  company,  seeing  such  a  number 
of  Gairnside  folk  on  their  way  to  the  meeting,  asked 
in  sport :  "  Why,  lads,  where  is  it  that  we  are  going ; 
is  it  to  Feille  Macha  ? "  For  many,  many  generations 
Feille  Macha  has  been  celebrated  round  St  Mungo's 
cemetery  at  Foot  of  Gairn,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
it  may  yet  be  celebrated  for  many  generations  in 
distant  lands,  whose  sons  and  daughters  may  remember 
with  pleasure  the  Glengairn  from  which  they  are  sprung. 


BRAEMAR 


"  Land  of  the  mountain  and  the  flood, 
Where  the  pine  of  the  forest  for  ages  hath  stood  ; 
Where  the  eagle  comes  forth  on  the  wings  of  the  storm, 
And  her  young  ones  are  rocked  on  the  high  Cairngorm." 

"!T  is  generally,  and  very  correctly  said,  that  there 
are  three  primary  objects  which  form  the  romantic 
beauty  of  a  district,  and  which  must  necessarily  enter 
into  the  composition  of  every  picturesque  landscape. 
These  are  hill,  water,  and  wood ;  and  where  one  of 
them  is  absent,  the  scenery  is  incomplete  and  loses 
much  of  its  charm.  There  is  abundance  of  all  three 
in  Braemar,  very  much  in  keeping  with  one  another, 
and,  as  might  be  expected,  upon  a  large  scale.  In 
fact  it  can  boast  of  having  the  highest  hills,  the  purest 
water,  and  the  finest  pine  forest  in  Britain. 

"Of  course  in  this  enumeration  of  the  different 
elements  of  romantic  scenery,  the  presence  of  the 
habitations  of  mankind,  either  congregated  or  scattered, 
is  taken  for  granted.  Without  this,  the  finest  land 
scape  would  lose  its  greatest  charm — the  grandest 
scenery  would,  after  all,  be  but  a  sublime  desert — 
the  temple  of  nature  itself  would  feel  still  and  lonely 
to  the  worshippers." 1 

1  "  Braemar  and  Balmoral,"  Rev.  James  Crombie. 
88 


BRAEMAR  89 

Indeed  it  is  probable  that  no  other  district  of 
Scotland  is  so  rich  in  natural  beauty  and  in  historic 
sites,  for  it  was  the  beauty  of  the  situation  and  of 
the  surrounding  scenery  which  led  the  late  Queen 
Victoria  to  make  it  her  favourite  residence,  whilst 
the  names  of  Monaltrie,  Abergeldie,  Invercauld,  and 
Inverey,  are  full  of  memories  of  some  of  the  most 
interesting  events  in  Scottish  history.  When  to  this 
is  added  that  the  old  Faith  has  held  unbroken  sway 
in  the  district,  and  that  to  this  day  it  is  replete  with 
traditions  of  the  priests  and  of  the  Catholic  people 
of  bygone  days,  one  feels  that  it  is  indeed  a  difficult 
task  to  do  justice  to  the  traditions  and  to  the  history 
of  the  Braes  of  Mar. 

Of  the  historic  sites  mentioned  above,  Monaltrie 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  Farquharsons  about 
1568.  In  1645  Donald  Farquharson,  a  Eoyalist  and 
a  follower  of  Montrose,  was  slain  in  Aberdeen, 
leaving  behind  him  the  reputation  of  being  one  of 
the  gallantest  captains  in  Scotland.  A  century  later 
Francis  Farquharson — the  Baron  Ban — followed  Prince 
Charlie  and  suffered  and  sacrificed  much  in  conse 
quence.  He  was  included  in  the  Act  of  Attainder 
of  May  1746,  and  was  excluded  from  the  benefits 
of  the  Act  of  Indemnity  passed  in  the  following 
year.  He  was  sometime  a  prisoner  in  England,  and 
was  very  near  losing  his  head.  He  was  indeed  con 
demned  to  death,  but  obtained  a  pardon,  and  after  a 
while  the  restoration  of  his  property,  which  had  been 
forfeited,  on  payment  of  a  very  heavy  fine. 

Abergeldie  is  an  old  castle  on  the  south  bank  of 
the  Dee,  noted,  not  for  its  size  or  architectural  features, 


90    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

but  rather  for  its  antiquity  and  the  associations  old 
and  new  that  have  gathered  round  it.  For  fully  four 
centuries  the  lands  of  Abergeldie  have  been  held  by 
Gordons,  ancestors  of  the  present  owner,  for  it  was 
in  the  time  of  James  III.  that  they  were  granted  to 
Alexander  Gordon,  a  kinsman  of  the  Earl  of  Huntly. 
The  Laird  of  Abergeldie  and  his  son  fought  at  the 
battle  of  Glenlivet  in  1594,  Abergeldie's  son  being 
amongst  the  slain.  The  lands  and  Castle  of  Knock — 
a  fine  old  castle  four  miles  further  down  the  Dee — 
were  subsequently  added  to  the  Abergeldie  possessions 
when  the  Gordons  of  Knock  came  to  an  end  through 
their  feud  with  the  Forbeses.  Gordon  of  Abergeldie 
took  some  part  in  the  civil  war  towards  the  end  of  the 
reign  of  Charles  I.,  and  his  lands,  in  common  with  other 
parts  of  Deeside,  were  plundered  by  Argyle's  men  in 
1644.  After  the  Eevolution  Abergeldie  was  garrisoned 
by  Government  troops  under  General  Mackay,  but  the 
clansmen  of  the  Braes  of  Mar  besieged  the  garrison 
so  tightly  that  the  General  himself  was  obliged  to 
turn  aside  next  summer  and  come  to  their  assistance. 
He  was  so  exasperated  by  the  opposition  which  he 
encountered  that  he  burned  twelve  miles  of  the 
country  and  at  least  1,400  houses. 

Close  to  Abergeldie  Castle  a  light  iron  suspension 
bridge  was  thrown  across  the  Dee  about  ten  years 
ago.  Previously  the  river  had  been  crossed  by  a 
contrivance  locally  known  as  "the  cradle" — a  cage 
suspended  from  pulley-like  wheels,  which  ran  on 
two  stout  ropes  attached  to  wooden  pillars  on  the 
north  and  south  banks.  The  weight  of  the  cage  and 
passengers  carried  them  a  little  beyond  the  middle 


i 


BRAEMAR  91 

of  the  river,  after  which  the  passenger  completed  the 
journey  by  pulling  on  the  ropes  with  his  hands.  "  The 
cradle"  was  in  operation  for  a  very  long  time,  and 
seventy  or  eighty  years  ago  a  bride  and  bridegroom 
were  drowned  by  the  breaking  of  the  rope — which 
some  thought  had  been  cut  or  tampered  with. 

Invercauld  House  has  been  for  centuries  the  residence 
of  a  chieftain  of  the  Clan  Farquharson,  and  occupies 
a  magnificent  position  on  the  banks  of  the  Dee — a 
position  which  much  surpasses  even  that  of  Balmoral. 
Parts  of  the  house  are  of  great  age,  but  the  larger 
portion  is  of  more  recent  date.  In  the  autumn  of  1715 
the  Earl  of  Mar  took  up  his  quarters  in  Invercauld, 
and  a  tablet  in  the  wall  of  the  Invercauld  Arms  com 
memorates  the  raising  of  the  Standard  there.  A  good 
idea  of  the  "Local  Government"  at  Invercauld  less 
than  a  century  ago  is  given  in  Mr  Coutts's  "  Dictionary 
of  Deeside,"  from  which  much  of  the  above  has  been 
taken.  The  economy  of  the  place  then  included  the 
home  farm  at  Keiloch,  hardly  a  mile  distant,  with  a 
large  stock  of  dairy  cows  and  other  cattle,  besides  a 
number  of  Highland  cattle ;  a  lime-kiln,  where  lime 
was  prepared  both  for  building  purposes  and  for  top- 
dressing  the  lands ;  a  vegetable  and  flower  garden,  as 
well  as  a  nursery  for  raising  seedling  forest  trees  and 
rearing  them  till  fit  to  be  planted  out ;  a  sawmill  for 
cutting  up  grown  timber;  a  flock  of  sheep  pasturing 
in  the  meadows,  and  ten  or  a  dozen  Highland  ponies, 
generally  running  about  the  parks  and  stabled  only  for 
a  few  months  in  winter;  a  slaughter-house,  where 
fattened  victims  from  the  flock  and  herd  were  prepared 
for  the  larder  and  the  cook ;  a  building  for  smoking 


92    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

and  curing  venison  hams  to  be  used  outside  the  season 
when  deer  are  fit  to  be  killed;  baking  and  brewing 
departments,  and  a  girnal  or  store  for  oatmeal,  which 
was  supplied  by  the  Cromar  tenants  in  part  payment 
of  their  rent,  and  sold  out  (a  shade  below  Braemar 
rates)  to  the  servants  and  workers  on  the  estate,  many 
of  whom,  both  men  and  women,  might  have  been  seen 
on  a  Saturday  (the  day  when  the  girnal  was  open) 
carrying  home  a  firlot  or  more  of  meal  on  their 
shoulders.  The  system  was  one  which  employed 
numerous  servants  and  workers,  most  of  whom  had 
crofts  added  to  their  cottages,  and  some,  who  were  not 
otherwise  sufficiently  provided  for,  were  allowed  the 
use  of  a  bit  of  the  Keiloch  home  farm. 

Of  Inverey  Castle  nothing  but  the  ruins  now  remain, 
situated  about  five  miles  from  Braemar.  Concerning 
Inverey  and  the  lands,  Mr  John  Grant  in  his  "  Legends 
of  the  Braes  of  Mar,"  has  much  to  tell,  and  the  follow 
ing  are  selected,  though  indeed  the  whole  of  the  little 
book  forms  most  interesting  reading. 

William  Farquharson,  of  Inverey,  followed  his  brave 
cousin  Donald  Og  (Monaltrie)  from  the  beginning  of 
Montrose's  campaign,  and  at  the  death  of  Donald,  he 
received  his  sword  from  the  Great  Montrose,  and  with 
the  claymore,  the  colonelcy  of  the  Braw  Lads  of  Braes 
of  Mar.  Inverey  seems  to  have  left  Montrose  before 
the  fatal  battle  of  Philiphaugh.  Later,  this  sword  was 
carried  on  the  coffins  of  all  the  Invereys  to  the  grave, 
but  it  is  not  known  what  became  of  it  afterwards. 
John  of  Inverey — the  Black  Colonel — commanded  the 
men  of  Mar  under  Dundee.  It  was  in  the  Black 
Colonel's  day  that  the  incident  occurred  which  was 


BRAEMAR  95 

the  origin  of  the  now  popular  dance,  the  Reel  of  Tullich. 
It  seems  that  the  minister  of  the  Kirk  of  Tullich  one 
very  cold  Sunday  morning  preferred  to  stay  within  the 
doors  of  his  warm  manse  rather  than  face  the  biting 
cold  of  the  road  to  the  kirk,  and  the  no  less  distress 
ing  temperature  of  the  kirk  itself.  Meantime,  the 
parishioners,  to  the  number  of  some  scores,  had 
assembled,  and  finding  the  waiting  in  the  cold  trouble 
some  to  their  feet,  and  to  their  hands  as  well,  they 
scrupled  not  to  warm  them  by  beating  time  on  the 
floor  and  clapping  their  hands  into  the  bargain.  The 
lads  and  lassies  began  to  chaff,  and  from  words  it  came 
to  action,  so  that  the  auld  kirk  was  soon  the  scene 
of  a  merry  meeting.  A  "stockingful  of  placks1  and 
bodies  " 2  was  next  collected,  and  one,  two,  three,  and 
four  jines3  followed  in  quick  succession.  The  "gude 
ale  "  gave  the  company  spirit,  and  the  sitting  still  (in 
the  Kirk  of  Spital  of  Glenshee  there  were  no  seats  at 
that  time,  perhaps  neither  were  there  at  Tullich)  was 
quickly  changed  to  a  merry  dance,  even  the  fiddler 
being  soon  at  his  work;  indeed  as  the  morning  wore 
on,  "inspired,  excited,  in  a  frenzy,  the  fiddler  who 
officiated  improvised  the  reel  of  Tullich."  It  is  said 
"  that  a  cobbler  ascended  the  pulpit  and  (with  shame 
less  sarcasm)  held  forth  with  an  energy  worthy  of 
Knox.  Two  weavers  and  three  tailors  installed  them 
selves  as  elders,  and  some  couples  of  pretended  defaulters 
were  immediately  sessioned  ;  meantime,  the  blacksmith 
had  taken  the  precentor's  desk  and  was  trolling  forth 
a  gude  and  godly  ballad." 

Peter,  the  fourth  of  Inverey,  succeeded  his  father, 
1  Sixpence  Scots.  2  Twopence  Scots.  8  Drinks. 


94    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

the  Black  Colonel,  about  1*700.  He  was  present  at 
Sheriffmuir,  where  he  commanded  the  Lads  of  Mar, 
in  whose  midst  the  Standard  had  been  unfurled, 
6th  September  1715.  Mr  Grant  points  out  the  strange 
omission  of  any  mention  of  the  men  of  Mar  in  the 
ditty  written  on  that  occasion,  though  adapted  to  the 
very  tune  of  "The  Braes  of  Mar."  The  words  of 
the  original  went : — 

"  The  bra'  lads  o'  the  Braes  o'  Mar, 
The  bra'  lads  o'  the  Braes  oj  Mar, 
The  bra'  lads  o'  the  Braes  o'  Mar, 
Wha  love  to  court  on  Sunday." 

The  ditty  of  1715  runs  thus  :— 

"  The  standard  on  the  Braes  of  Mar 

Is  up  and  streaming  rarely, 
The  gathering  pipe  on  Lochnagar 
Is  sounding  lang  an'  sairly. 
The  Highland  men, 
Frae  hill  and  glen, 
In  martial  hue, 
Wi'  bonnets  blue, 
Wi'  belted  plaids 
An'  burnished  blades, 
Are  coming  late  and  early. 

"  Wha  wadna'  join  our  noble  chief, 
The  Drummond  and  Glengarry, 
Macgregor,  Murray,  Hollo,  Keith, 
Panmure  and  gallant  Harry  ? 

Macdonald's  men, 

Clan  Ronald's  men, 

Mackenzie's  men, 

Macgillivray's  men, 

Strathallan's  men, 

The  Lowlan'  men 
Of  Callender  and  Airly. 


BRAEMAR  95 

"  Fy  !  Donald,  up,  an'  let's  awa', 

We  canna'  longer  parley, 
When  Jamie's  back  is  at  the  wa', 
The  lad  we  love  sae  dearly. 

We'll  go— we'll  go, 

An'  seek  the  foe, 

An'  fling  the  plaid, 

An'  swing  the  blade, 

An'  forward  dash 

An'  hack  and  slash, 
And  fleg  the  German  carlie." 

Who  the  composer  of  this  ditty  was  is  not  known, 
but  the  writer  of  the  more  famous  account  of  the 
battle  of  Sheriffinuir  was  Eev.  Murdoch  M'Lennan, 
minister  of  Crathie  (and  Braemar).  It  runs  thus: — 

"  There's  some  say  that  we  wan, 
And  some  say  that  they  wan, 
And  some  say  that  nane  wan  at  a',  man  ; 
But  one  thing  I'm  sure, 
That  at  Shirra-muir 
A  battle  there  was,  that  I  saw,  man. 
And  we  ran,  and  they  ran, 
And  they  ran,  and  we  ran, 
But  Florence1  ran  fastest  of  a',  man." 

The  battle  of  Shcriffmuir  was  a  sadly  mismanaged 
affair,  in  the  course  of  which  one  old  Eoyalist  who  had 
fought  at  Killiecrankie  exclaimed  :  "  Oh  for  one  hour  of 
Dundee  !  "  Bat  the  end  of  the  Eising,  the  capitulation 
at  Preston,  was  a  long  way  worse. 

About  the  year  1700  lived  Gilleasbuig  Urrasach 
(Gillespie  the  proud),  a  worthy  whose  history  is  a  good 
Cample  of  its  kind.  He  would  never  stir  beyond  the 

1  Florence  was  the  name  of  the  Marquis  of  Huntly's  horse. 


96    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

threshold  without  being  armed  to  the  teeth,  and  besides 
the  ordinary  complement  of  gun,  broadsword,  dirk, 
targe,  a  pair  of  pistols,  and  a  skiandubh  stuck  in  at 
the  garter  of  each  hose,  he  carried  one  in  the  sleeve  of 
each  arm.  This  was  to  prevent  surprise  in  whatever 
position  or  state  the  enemy  might  find  him,  and  to 
assure  an  arm  offensive,  even  when  fallen,  or  taken  at 
close  quarters  unexpectedly  by  a  foe  of  greater  personal 
strength. 

About  this  time  eight  Lochaber  men,  under  the 
command  of  a  remarkably  bold,  strong,  and  active 
leader,  drove  away  the  cattle  of  Glen  Clunie,  the 
Baddoch,  Gleney,  Glenconnie,  and  Glen  Dee  in  the 
night  time.  As  it  was  summer,  the  flocks  and  herds 
were  as  usual  in  the  glens.  The  Braemar  men  rose 
en  masse.  Invercauld  was  chosen  their  captain.  He 
selected  from  those  assembled  thirty  of  the  flower  of 
Braemar,  among  whom,  of  course,  was  Gillespie  the 
proud.  That  night  they  set  out,  passed  through 
Glentilt,  and  next  day  entered  Lochaber.  A  hundred 
miles  of  the  roughest  road  was  play  to  the  men  of  those 
days.  Mounting  a  steep  hill,  they  met  an  old  man 
whose  hoary  head  and  long  beard  gave  him  a  most 
venerable  appearance.  Like  every  other  one  they  had 
seen,  he  would  give  them  no  intelligence  on  the  subject 
of  their  expedition.  Eesting  there,  however,  to  refresh 
themselves,  and  making  him  partake  of  such  refresh 
ment  as  they  had,  after  many  promises  of  secrecy,  they 
prevailed  on  him  to  speak,  and  were  informed  that  their 
cattle  lay  concealed  in  a  secluded  little  glen  somewhat 
further  on,  and  that  the  robbers  would  be  found  in  a 
little  shieling  near  by.  Making  a  short  circuit,  they 


BRAEMAR  97 

were  enabled  to  come  on  the  place  unperceived,  and 
after  stationing  one  or  two  men  to  care  for  the  cattle, 
the  rest  managed  to  surround  the  shieling;  not,  how 
ever,  before  one  of  the  robbers,  who  had  been  at  the 
door,  made  his  escape.  A  party  charged  the  door  with 
loaded  guns,  and  ordered  those  within  to  come  out, 
threatening  otherwise  to  fire.  At  the  third  summons 
the  leader  told  them  to  withdraw  a  short  space,  and  on 
their  complying,  stepped  out  to  the  green,  as  wild  and 
handsome  a  giant  as  man  could  wish  to  see.  "  It  would 
be  useless,"  said  he,  "  for  me  with  eight  men  only  to 
contend  with  you,  but " — and  he  raised  himself  proudly 
— "  I  defy  any  single  man  of  you  to  combat,  and  all  of 
you  one  after  another.  Now  then,  for  the  honour  of 
Mar!"  There  were  few  present,  though,  indeed,  all 
were  the  bravest  of  men,  who  seemed  desirous  of 
measuring  their  prowess  with  the  terrible  Lochaber 
man,  He  had  thrice  to  repeat  his  challenge.  At 
length  G-illespie  Urrasach  stepped  forward.  There 
was  a  desperate  struggle.  The  wonderful  activity  of 
Gillespie  prevailed,  and  the  Kern  was  felled  to  the 
ground.  After  this,  the  shieling  was  forced,  and  all 
those  found  within  put  to  death.  By  morning  the  Mar 
men  had  cleared  Glentilt,  homeward  bound  with  their 
recovered  cattle.1 

On  another  occasion  it  was  with  sacred  things  that 
Gilleasbuig  got  into  trouble.  He  persuaded  some 
old  wives  that  the  priest  had  delegated  him  to  hear 
their  confessions,  and  so  frightened  the  first  would-be 
penitent  that  she  ran  out  wringing  her  hands.  Gillespie 
fell  back  in  the  chair  ready  to  die  of  laughter,  when 
1  "  Legends  of  the  Braes  of  Mar,"  p.  148. 

VOL,  I,  G 


98    CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

the  priest  arrived  on  the  spot.  Next  Sunday  he  was 
excommunicated  for  his  frolic,  and  long  remained  sub 
jected  to  the  severest  penance. 

We  are  told  that  at  the  end  of  his  wild  life,  he 
confessed  to  one  great  remorse — that  his  dirk  which 
had  killed  nineteen  had  not  managed  to  make  the 
number  twenty — not  counting  the  victims  of  his  gun, 
sword,  and  pistol.  In  his  last  moments  he  was  attended 
by  the  priest,  who  probably  found  that  many  of  his 
deeds  of  blood  were  in  self-defence,  or  in  the  protection 
of  his  master's  property,  in  which  he  gained  a  great 
name  for  himself. 

It  was  foretold  of  a  cousin  of  his,  Donald  Dubh 
Epiteach,  that  he  would  hang  himself  with  his  own 
garters.  The  story  is  inserted  here  as  showing  how 
the  Sunday  Mass  even  at  this  date  was  possible  in 
the  two  wildest  districts  of  Scotland,  the  Braes  of 
Lochaber  and  of  Mar,  from  the  former  of  which  the 
fortune-teller  hailed. 

Donald  Dubh  Epiteach  (Black  Donald,  the  Egyptian), 
about  the  year  1740,  was  in  Farquharson  of  Allan- 
cuaich's  following,  and  accompanied  his  master  on  a 
visit  he  paid  to  some  acquaintance  in  Lochaber.  When 
there  he  was  a  good  deal  annoyed  by  the  fixed  regard 
of  an  old  crone  in  the  house,  and  therefore  walked 
out. 

"  Ah ! "  exclaimed  she,  with  a  deep  sigh,  as  he  dis 
appeared,  "  a  pretty  man,  a  pretty  man !  Pity  he  is 
destined  to  such  an  end ! " 

"  And  what  may  that  be,  pray  ? "  asked  Allancuaich. 
After  insisting  awhile,  he  learned  that  Donald  Dubh 
would  hang  himself  in  his  own  garters.  He  mused 


BRAEMAR  99 

awhile  over  this  prediction,  and  then  requested  to 
know  whether  this  doom  might  be  averted  from  his 
trusted  retainer.  "Well,"  replied  the  crone  in  a 
musing  way,  "it  might — it  might.  Suppose  he  were 
to  attend  Mass  regularly  every  Sunday ;  ah  well, 
but  what  matters  that  to  us :  he  is  none  of  our 
people." 

And  nothing  more  could  be  extracted  from  the 
fortune-teller.  What  he  had  learned,  the  laird  did 
not  fail  to  communicate  to  his  follower.  So  deep 
an  impression  did  this  make  upon  Donald,  that  he 
never  failed  to  attend  Mass  regularly  every  Sunday 
during  his  lifetime,  except  on  one  occasion.  On  the 
Sunday  referred  to,  the  Dee  was  so  swollen  with 
rain  that  no  boat  could  be  "stinged"  across.  The 
Epiteach,  on  worship  intent,  with  others  in  his  neigh 
bourhood,  all  ignorant  of  the  fact,  came  down  to  the 
ferry,  which  was  then  as  now  at  the  head  of  the 
river,  about  half  a  mile  above  Auchindryne.  Finding 
there  could  be  no  passage  effected,  he  sat  down  dis 
consolate  on  the  bank,  and  a  feeling  of  unaccountable 
depression  came  over  him,  so  that  he  could  not  be 
comforted. 

"  Bless  me ! "  exclaimed  a  lad  present — Allancuaich's 
herd — who  coveted  Donald  Dubh's  garters,  "  don't  make 
such  a  fuss  about  a  Mass.  I'll  sell  you  my  right  and 
title  in  the  benefit  of  it  for  your  garters." l 

Without  a  word  Donald  untied  and  threw  them  to 
the  lad.  Later  in  the  day,  when  they  were  calling 
the  servants  about  Allancuaich  to  dinner,  it  was 

1  It  should  be  noted  that  the  garters  of  those  days  were  long  knitted 
strips  of  wool  each  three  feet  and  more  in  length. 


100  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

found  that  the  herd  had  hanged  himself  in  one  of 
the  byres  with  the  garters  he  had  coveted.  And  the 
doom  of  the  weird  woman  was  held  to  have  been 
averted  from  Black  Donald.1 

The  country  where  the  Jacobite  Standard  was 
raised  in  1715  was  not  slow  to  "come  out"  in  '45. 
Invercauld,  now  an  old  man  with  little  influence,  and 
Lord  Braco,  a  new  arrival  in  the  district,  favoured 
the  established  Government,  but  all  the  rest  of  the 
lairds  with  all  their  following  were  Jacobite,  the  fore 
most  being  Francis  Farquharson  of  Monaltrie  and 
James  Farquharson  of  Balmoral.  Francis  Farquharson, 
as  has  been  already  mentioned,  narrowly  escaped  execu 
tion,  whilst  James,  of  Balmoral,  was  severely  wounded 
at  Falkirk.  In  preparation  for  that  battle,  Balmoral 
drew  up  his  men  in  the  form  of  a  wedge,  thus — he 
marched  at  their  head,  two  men  followed  in  the 
second  rank,  three  in  the  third,  and  so  on  to  the 
rear.  "Now,  my  lads,"  said  he,  "march  in  silence. 
Fire  not  a  shot  till  you  can  discern  the  colour  of 
the  horses'  eyes,  then  give  one  volley  altogether ; 
throw  down  your  guns  and  rush  upon  them,  cut 
the  horses'  bridles,  and  we  will  then  deal  with  the 
men." 

As  they  advanced  a  bullet  hit  Balmoral  in  the 
shoulder.  "Four  men,"  cried  his  henchman,  "to 
carry  our  wounded  chief  to  the  rear!"  "Never!" 
cried  Balmoral ;  "  four  men  to  carry  your  chief  at  the 
head  of  his  children  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight." 

After   the  suppression  of   the  Eising  the  Braes  of 
Mar  suffered  along  with  the  other   Jacobite  centres, 
1  "Legends  of  the  Braes  of  Mar,"  p.  173. 


BRAEMAR  101 

In  1748  the  Government  leased  the  old  Castle  of 
Braemar,  and  completely  rebuilt  it,  placing  therein 
a  garrison  to  keep  the  clans  under  control,  and  later 
to  keep  down  illicit  smuggling.  It  was  in  front  of 
the  Castle  of  Braemar  that  the  Highland  Meeting 
was  annually  held,  one  great  feature  of  the  games 
being  the  race  to  the  top  of  Craig  Choinnich,  shown 
on  the  right  of  the  illustration.  This  race,  said  to 
have  been  instituted  by  Malcolm  Canmore,  was  dis 
continued  at  the  late  Queen's  request.  The  gather 
ing  is  now  held  in  the  Princess  Park,  the  gift  of 
the  Duke  of  Fife,  who  still  continues  the  same  kind 
and  generous  treatment  which  has  distinguished  his 
ancestors,  and  of  which  an  excellent  example  is  given 
in  the  following  chapter.  The  new  site  of  the  Braemar 
gathering  is  still  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the 
spot  where  the  Standard  of  the  Jacobites  was  raised 
in  1715 ;  but  each  year,  as  the  gathering  is  favoured 
by  the  presence  of  the  Koyal  residents  in  the  neigh 
bourhood,  it  ever  grows  more  and  more  true  that  no 
people  in  Britain  are  more  devoted  to  the  Crown 
and  to  the  Eoyal  family  than  those  of  the  Bra'  Braes 
of  Mar. 


BRAEMAR 

II 

To  begin  our  sketch  of  the  church  of  Braemar  at  the 
Eeformation  itself,  the  priest  at  that  time  was  Eev. 
John  Owen,  or  Owenson,  a  very  pious  man  and  beloved 
by  his  people.  During  the  first  storm  of  persecution 
he  remained  amongst  his  people  and  encouraged  them 
by  his  presence  and  example  to  adhere  steadfastly  to 
their  religion.  He  was  assaulted  and  dragged  from 
the  altar  by  a  hired  band  of  soldiers,  who  conveyed 
him  to  Aberdeen  jail ;  but  on  his  way  there  he  told 
them  that  the  person  who  had  assaulted  him  that  day 
had  seriously  offended  God,  and  he  foretold  that  before  a 
day  andja  year  would  pass,  the  hand  which  had  struck 
him  would  rot  and  would  be  cut  off  from  the  shoulder. 
That  this  prophecy  came  true  is  amply  proved  by  the 
writings  of  the  times ;  nor  did  any  of  the  people  of 
Braemar,  whether  Catholic  or  Protestant,  in  the  least 
doubt  it. 

On  obtaining  his  release  from  prison  Father  Owen- 
son  immediately  returned  to  Braemar  and  resumed  his 
priestly  duties  under  very  trying  circumstances. 

After  Father  Owenson's  time  the  priests  were  appre 
hended  by  the  military,  and  those  who  escaped  had 
to  go  into  hiding  or  leave  the  neighbourhood,  and  the 

102 


• 


BRAEMAR  103 

districts  of  Braemar,  Glengairn,  and  Strathavon  were 
privately  attended  to  by  a  few  Jesuit  priests  dressed 
in  disguise.  One  of  these,  a  Father  E.  Lindsay,  used 
to  visit  Braemar  periodically  dressed  as  a  shepherd, 
playing  on  a  flute,  and  by  this  means  he  was  able 
to  meet  the  Catholics  and  arrange  for  the  necessary 
services  being  held  before  his  departure  from  the 
district.  Father  Lindsay  died  at  Kirkconnell  about 
1664,  aged  eighty-eight  years. 

After  this  came  the  Father  Gilbert  Blackball,  a  pious 
and  holy  man,  who  in  1637  resided  privately  at  Aboyne 
Castle,  and  for  some  time  was  living  with  Donald 
Farquharson  in  Braemar  and  attended  to  the  wants 
of  the  Catholics  there  and  at  Crathie.  He  wrote  a 
most  interesting  account  of  his  travels  and  experi 
ences  while  resident  in  Deeside,  which  was  published 
by  the  Spalding  Club  of  Aberdeen.  Father  Blackball 
died  in  Paris  about  1670. 

Father  Forsyth  was  the  first  resident  priest  in 
Braemar  after  the  Eeformation.  He  came  to  the 
mission  about  1671 ;  his  district  included  both  Braemar 
and  Glengairn.  He  was  apprehended  and  imprisoned 
for  a  time,  but  on  obtaining  his  liberty  he  returned  and 
laboured  with  great  zeal  until  about  1701.  It  is  he 
who  figures  so  largely  in  the  account  of  the  conversion 
of  Lewis  Farquharson,  given  by  his  son  Father  Charles 
Farquharson.  Both  on  account  of  the  interest  of  the 
narrative  and  of  the  great  merit  of  the  writer  the 
passage  is  here  given  in  full. 

"  William  Farquharson  headed  the  Braemar  men,  and 
went  abroad  with  Montrose,  leaving  his  son  John  his 
heir  to  the  estate  of  Inverey.  This  John  resolved, 


104  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

being  son  to  the  elder  brother,  to  make  a  minister  of 
Lewis,  my  father,  give  him  a  kirk,  and  seize  on  his 
small  estates  as  his  own.  He  sends  him  therefore  to 
the  College  of  Aberdeen.  Having  ended  his  studies, 
he  became  helper  to  the  minister  settled  at  Crathie. 
After  awhile  he  gives  him  a  letter  to  get  a  kirk. 
His  professor,  on  reading  Inverey's  letter,  told  him  to 
write  a  book  against  the  Papists,  and  then  he  would 
get  a  kirk.  This  meritorious  book  was  finished,  and 
my  father,  before  he  printed  his  book,  reflected  thus : — 
" '  I  write  nothing  here  against  the  Papists,  but  what 
I  found  in  our  best  authors.  Yet  I  have  a  scruple 
about  some  things  that  are  said  and  often  printed 
against  them.  Papists  have  surely  committed  many 
bad  things  ;  yet  I  do  not  find  sufficiently  proven  that 
these  bad  things  proceeded  from  principle.  There  is 
a  priest  coming  to  this  country  in  the  night,  and  if 
he  objected  that  we  calumniate  them,  I  would  think 
great  shame  ! '  He  goes  directly,  finds  at  Invercauld 
some  of  Mr  John  Owenson's  books  of  controversy, 
and  blots  out  of  his  own  manuscripts,  accounts  of  the 
Irish  and  French  massacres,  together  with  many  other 
calumnies.  He  then  finds  his  book  too  little  ;  '  but,' 
says  he,  ' 111  answer  this  popish  book  till  my  book 
will  be  big  enough  for  the  press.'  The  first  argument 
of  the  Catholic  book  was,  that  Jesus  Christ  settled  an 
infallible  church  upon  earth.  ' Oh,  oh ! '  said  he, 
'  this  is  the  Achilles  of  the  Papists ;  if  they  prove  this, 
they  will  make  us  all  rebels  to  God  and  His  Church. 
I  must  answer  this,  or  111  do  nothing.  If  they  prove 
this  article  alone,  they  will  then  not  need  to  prove  any 
other  article  of  their  religion ! '  He  wrote  an  answer, 


BRAEMAR  105 

compared  the  Catholic  argument,  and  found  his  answer 
obscure  and  the  Catholic  argument  much  easier  to  be 
understood  by  the  reader  of  both,  threw  it  away,  and 
wrote  another.  He  found  this  insufficient.  He  began 
to  pare  and  study,  but  the  more  he  studied,  the  more 
difficulty  he  saw  in  answering  it.  Then  he  sought  all 
the  books  of  his  own  persuasion,  thinking  he  would 
undoubtedly  find  a  clear  answer  to  the  argument ;  but 
was  much  surprised  they  all  wrote  very  little  con 
cerning  it.  He,  in  his  surprise,  compared  them  to  a 
bird  flying  over  a  river,  and  tasting  a  little  of  the 
water  in  passing  quickly  to  land.  '  What ! '  said  he ; 
'  no  answer  to  this  chief  argument  of  the  Papists,  but 
jeering,  bantering,  and  scolding  ?  Good  God ! '  says  he, 
'  Christs  builds  a  Church,  the  gates  of  hell  shall  never 
prevail  against  it;  He'll  be  with  her  to  the  world's 
end !  How  can  I  believe  that  all  these  texts  are  false, 
and  be  a  Christian  ?  With  the  help  of  God  I'll  be  at  the 
bottom  of  this.  I  read  these  texts  more  than  twenty 
times,  and  only  now  find  their  strength  when  put 
together  and  well  considered.'  He  goes  down  to 
Aberdeen ;  while  the  young  ministers  propose  their 
questions,  he  proposes  his.  'What  answer,'  says  he, 
'  will  I  give  the  Papists  to  this  argument  ? '  The 
learned  Professor  answers  thus :  '  Go  home,  Lewis/ 
says  he,  '  write"  your  book  the  best  way  you  can,  and 
you'll  get  a  kirk;  don't  dive  deep  into  controversy, 
otherwise  you'll  go  straight  to  Popery  ! '  This  answer 
struck  his  scholar  dumb ;  he  replied  nothing,  but  going 
home,  said  within  himself :  '  What  is  this  ?  If  I  dive 
deep  into  controversy  I'll  go  straight  to  Popery  ?  If 
we  have  the  truth  on  our  side,  the  more  I  dive  into  it, 


106  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

the  better  I  see  it ;  but  it  seems  he  sees  it  on  the  side 
of  Popery.  But  if  I  see  it  on  that  side,  I  will  embrace 
it ;  my  salvation  depends  on  believing  and  doing  what 
Christ  taught.'  Full  of  this  thought  at  his  coming 
home,  he  reads  the  whole  Catholic  book.  His  reflec 
tion  was :  '  Good  God  !  we  bragged  we  were  forced 
to  separate  from  the  Church  of  Eome  because  she 
denied  clear  texts  of  Scripture — had  nothing  to  say  for 
herself  but  the  authority  of  her  Church.  I'm  much 
afraid  we  are  all  wrong.' 

"  As  the  author  of  that  book  cited  another  book  for 
some  article  that  could  not  be  found  either  at  Inver- 
cauld  or  at  Crathie,  he  sent  for  Donald  Eoy  M'Callum, 
and  said :  '  I  want  a  word  with  your  priest  that  comes 
to  visit  you  with  moonlight ! '  Donald  denied  at  first 
that  any  came  to  him.  But  my  father  told  him  he 
knew  a  priest  came  to  visit  him  as  well  as  himself. 
Donald  then  owned,  and  begged  he  would  not  raise 
a  persecution  against  him.  *  No,  Donald/  said  my 
father,  '  I'll  do  him  no  manner  of  harm.'  Donald  told 
this  to  Mr  Forsey  as  a  piece  of  news,  when  he  came. 
'  Oh,  man,'  says  Mr  Forsey,  '  did  you  tell  him  that  I 
•frequented  your  house  ? '  Donald  said  :  '  I  thought  to 
deny  it,  but  as  he  told  me  with  some  warmth  he  knew 
it  as  well  as  myself,  I  thought  it  safer  to  own  what  he 
knew  already,  and  begged  him  not  to  raise  a  persecution 
against  us.  "I'm  far  from  it,"  he  replied;  "I  want 
only  one  word  of  him  in  as  private  a  place  as  you  or 
he  think  proper." '  Mr  Forsey  ordered  Donald  not  to 
tell  the  minister  (Mr  Farquharson)  till  after  four  days 
were  over  after  his  departure  from  his  house,  that  he 
was  there ;  '  for,'  said  he,  there  is  no  churchman 


BRAEMAR  107 

between  this  and  Castle  Gordon  but  myself.  I  have 
some  few  in  Glenlivet,  very  few  in  Strathavon,  and  you 
and  another  man  here;  and  if  you  betray  me,  your 
blood  and  that  of  others  will  be  upon  your  own  head.' 
When  Donald  Koy  told  this,  and  that  Mr  Forsey 
refused  to  see  him,  my  father  told  him  he  was  sorry 
he  had  too  much  reason  for  mistrusting  him,  and  said : 
'  When  Mr  Forsey  comes  again,  assure  him  upon  the 
word  of  a  gentleman  and  an  honest  man  that  I'll  be 
upon  my  back  before  any  harm  come  over  him  while 
he'll  be  with  me.'  This  Donald  tells  Mr  Forsey  what 
was  said  to  himself.  'Very  well,  Donald/  said  Mr 
Forsey  ; '  do  you  remember  what  the  little  priest  said  to 
that  man's  father  when  he  left  the  country?'  Upon 
Donald  replying  that  all  the  country  knew  it,  as  well 
as  he — '  Who  knows  what  is  God's  design  ?  'Tis  easy  for 
God  to  convert  him ;  and  as  he  has  a  little  estate  in 
the  midst  of  the  country,  he  may,  if  he  converts,  be  a 
considerable  support  to  religion  in  this  country ;  and 
his  example  as  an  outward  grace  may  induce  many 
to  follow  him.  Go  you  this  moment  and  tell  him  to 
meet  me  very  early  to-morrow,  in  any  private  wood 
you'll  both  agree  upon.'  At  their  meeting  in  the  wood 
of  Dalbreckachy,  my  father  assured  Mr  Forsey  he 
would  to  the  utmost  of  his  power  defend  him.  'I 
ask  nothing,'  said  he,  *  but  the  loan  of  such  a  book,' 
telling  him  the  title.  '  I  will  send  it/  said  Mr  Forsey. 
When  he  came  again  he  brought  the  book,  and  said  : 
*  If  that  gentleman  reads  this  book,  and  ask  another 
interview,  I'll  have  more  courage  to  meet  him ; 
yet,  as  formerly,  I'll  put  my  whole  trust  in  God. 
They  burned  all  our  books  that  they  could  lay  hands 


108  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

on,    and    yet   preach    that  we    keep    the  people  in 
ignorance/ 

"  Next  time  Mr  Forsey  came  to  the  country,  Donald 
Eoy  told  him  my  father  wanted  another  word  of  him. 
The  meeting  was  at  the  same  time  and  place.  My 
father  was  there.  Mr  Forsey  concluded  there  was  a 
longer  meeting  intended,  as  he  saw  some  meat  and 
drink  prepared  and  brought  by  my  father,  who  begged 
him  to  sit  down  and  told  Donald  to  come  at  night  for 
Mr  Forsey  before  it  should  be  dark.  My  father  began 
to  ask  questions  about  religion.  Mr  Forsey  said  he 
declined  disputes  about  religion,  because  they  usually 
begot  hatreds  and  quarrels.  My  father  answered : 
'  There  shall  be  no  disputes  or  quarrels  between  us ; 
but  my  only  desire  is  to  be  informed  about  many 
things  I  heard  and  read  about  your  religion.'  'With 
all  my  heart,  then,'  replied  the  other,  '  I  will  tell  what 
we  believe.'  Night  came  ;  Donald  comes  ;  they  agree 
to  meet  next  morning,  and  Saturday  the  same.  On 
which  day,  at  night,  my  father  says :  '  Go  you  home, 
Donald,  and  come  to-morrow  to  my  house.  I  hope, 
Mr  Forsey,  you'll  take  a  bed  from  me  this  night.' 
'  This  may  hurt  us  both,'  replied  Mr  Forsey ;  *  it  will 
debar  you  from  getting  a  kirk,  and  draw  a  greater 
persecution  on  me.'  My  father  replied :  *  I  am  resolved 
to  be  persecuted  with  you.  As  I  have  a  dislike  for 
Nicodemus's  way,  I'll  tell  you  plainly  my  design.  To 
morrow  I  have  a  mind,  with  God's  grace,  to  abjure  all 
heresy,  and  to  be  reconciled  as  soon  as  you  think 
proper,  and  that  publicly.  There  are  about  forty 
persons  in  this  country  that  never  go  to  the  kirk,  and 
always  expect  and  pray  for  a  churchman  of  the  religion 


BRAEMAR  109 

of  their  forefathers.  I  will  call  them,  and  you'll  be,  I 
hope,  pleased  to  explain  to  them  the  principal  points 
of  the  Catholic  Faith  and  motives  of  credibility.  I 
know  they'll  imprison  me,  and  take  from  me  my 
worldly  goods,  as  far  as  God  will  allow  them;  and 
while  I'm  at  home,  I  am  ready  to  employ  myself  every 
Sunday  in  teaching  all  those  who  are  willing  the 
Christian  doctrine.'  All  this  was  executed  the  next 
day.  Mr  Forsey  departed  next  night  for  Castle 
Gordon.  My  father  was  put  in  prison  twice,  and  was 
liberated  twice,  paying  500  merks ;  and  as  the  Earl  of 
Mar  was  his  great  friend,  he  lost  not  a  bit  of  his  land. 
So  when  God  in  His  mercy  has  a  mind  to  convert  a 
country,  He  does  extraordinary  things,  and  gives  His 
grace  to  those  that  are  sincere,  of  an  upright  heart,  and 
prefer  their  salvation  to  all  things  else." 

Probably  Mr  Forsyth  little  thought  when  he  received 
Mr  Farquharson  into  the  Church  that  the  laird's  two 
sons,  John  and  Charles,  would  be  amongst  the  most 
devoted  priests  of  that  period,  rich  as  it  was  in  names 
whom  later  generations  learned  to  venerate.  We  shall 
have  to  treat  of  them  later.  After  the  conversion 
of  Mr  Farquharson,  Mr  Forsyth  settled  permanently 
at  Braemar,  and  remained  in  charge  of  that  extensive 
mission  until  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
when  he  died,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  Catholic  bury- 
ing-ground  of  Castletown  of  Braemar,  where  a  handsome 
stone  marks  the  spot  where  his  ashes  repose. 

Mr  Forsyth  was  followed  by  Father  Robert  Seton,  S. J. 
It  is  probable  that  he  only  remained  a  short  while  in 
this  district,  and  that  about  1703  he  was  succeeded  by 


110  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Father  Hugh  Strachan  (alias  Kamsay),  who  remained 
in  Braemar  until  1736.  It  was  Father  Strachan  who 
has  left  us  so  delightful  a  monument  to  his  diligence 
and  accuracy  in  the  fine  old  Register  of  Baptisms. 
This  begins  at  the  end  of  the  year  1703,  and  continues 
uninterrupted  till  the  end  of  the  year  1736.  The 
entries  number  three  or  four  to  the  page,  and  are 
776  in  all.  The  following  form  is  preserved  almost 
verbatim,  though  written  out  most  carefully  afresh 
for  each  entry.  "93.  —  J.  baptised  was  a  child  to 
John  Laman,  alias  Mcgillivi,  commonly  called  the  Ter 
Og  Buoy ;  he  lives  in  Castletoune,  in  the  parish  of 
St  Andrews  or  Kindrochit,  commonly  called  Braemar. 
The  father  and  mother  are  Catholics,  and  are  lawfully 
married.  The  chyld  was  called  Elizabeth.  The  god 
father  was  John  Laman,  alias  Me  Gillivi ;  hee's  Catholik 
and  married,  and  lives  in  Torran,  in  the  parish  of 
Glengarden.  The  godmother  was  Anne  Mc-gregor,  a 
Catholik  and  widow,  and  she  lives  in  Ardichi,  in 
the  parish  of  Glengarden :  And  the  chyld  was  baptised 
at  Ardichi,  in  the  parish  of  Glengarden,  since  I  could 
not  at  that  tyme  go  to  Braemar,  this  21  day  of 
March  in  the  year  1710."  The  200  odd  pages  of  this 
register,  in  their  old  sheepskin  cover,  form  a  most 
interesting  record,  which  it  is  pleasant  to  know  will 
soon  appear  in  print  under  the  able  editorship  of  the 
New  Spalding  Club. 

The  last  few  entries  in  the  register  are  in  a  different 
handwriting,  presumably  that  of  Father  Peter  Gordon, 
who  was  priest  in  Braemar  from  1736  - 1763.  His 
register  exists  also.  Of  Father  Gordon,  Bishop  Geddes 
writes,  that  he  was  apprehended  in  1746,  and  on  being 


BRAEMAR  111 

taken  to  Aberdeen  jail,  Mr  Menzies  of  Pitfodels  stood 
bail  for  him.  On  being  liberated,  he  returned  to 
Braemar,  arriving  there  before  the  soldiers  who  had 
seized  him  had  got  back.  Father  Gordon  was  suc 
ceeded  by  Father  William  M'Leod,  alias  M'Hardy, 
and  after  him  came  Father  Charles  Farquharson,  who 
served  the  mission  in  Braemar  and  Glengairn  till 
1781,  when  he  retired  to  Ardearg.  He  died  in  1799, 
and  was  buried  in  the  same  grave  where  the  remains 
of  Father  Forsyth  lie  deposited.  During  his  long 
residence  as  priest  in  Braemar,  Father  Farquharson 
won  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
Of  him  and  of  his  brother  John — concerning  whom  see 
under  "  Strathglass  "  —  Mr  Grant  says  :  "  Their  piety 
gained  them  the  veneration,  their  learning  the  esteem, 
and  their  urbanity  the  love  of  all  those  who  knew 
them."  He  was,  however,  often  tracked  by  the  priest- 
hunters,  whose  cupidity  was  excited  by  the  reward 
offered  for  his  capture.  Once  as  Invercauld  and  his 
coachman  were  walking  along  the  banks  of  the  Dee, 
they  perceived  on  the  opposite  side  his  Eeverence 
esconced  below  a  thicket  that  grew  at  the  foot  of 
Craig  Choinnich.  The  coachman  proposed  to  arrest 
him,  and  gain  the  Government  reward.  Invercauld 
durst  not  oppose  him,  so  he  crossed  the  river  at  some 
distance  from  where  the  Father,  little  suspecting  snares, 
sat  quietly  reading  his  breviary.  Sneaking  through 
the  trees,  the  servant  came  behind  him,  and  taking 
him  by  the  collar,  with  the  phrase,  "You  are  my 
prisoner,"  captured  him. 

"Stop  a  moment,"  returned  Father  Charles,  "until 
I  finish  my  prayers,  and  then  I  am  your  man." 


CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

The  Jesuit  went  on  quite  unconcernedly  to  the  end, 
and  closing  his  book  with  a  slap,  made  a  huge  sign 
of  the  Cross,  staring  the  astonished  coachman  out  of 
countenance,  while  he  repeated :  "  In  nomine  Patris 
et  Filii  et  Spiritus  Sancti.  Amen."  What  heretic 
could  stand  it  from  a  Jesuit  without  a  shudder  of 
fear  and  terror?  The  coachman's  prisoner  in  the 
name  of  the  King  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  was 
refractory  on  one  point.  Jesuits  were  always  scheming 
and  contentious.  He  would  not  enter  the  river  to  cross 
to  Invercauld,  and  be  handed  over  to  the  authorities, 
but  at  a  place  of  his  own  choosing.  Astonishing  to 
hear  of  such  liberties  being  taken  by  a  Catholic  priest ! 
This  place  would  not  suit,  neither  would  that;  but 
this  one  is  the  very  ford  that  it  pleases  Jesuit  feet  to 
tread ;  and  he  plunged  in  with  the  coachman,  and 
strode  on  till  the  water  was  up  to  their  arm-pits.  Then 
— a  caution  to  those  who  will  meddle  with  Jesuits — 
in  turn  he  seized  the  coachman  by  the  collar  and  by 
his  nether  garments,  at  a  place  of  ignoble  name  — 
and  he  dipped  his  head  into  the  water.  He  allowed 
him  to  kick  and  struggle  at  full  scope,  and  after  a 
time  took  him  up  to  make  a  short  study  of  physi 
ognomy,  and  from  this  concluded — he  was  a  physician, 
Father  Charles — that  another  dip  might  be  adminis 
tered  with  good  effect.  Down  went  the  head  again, 
till  the  termination  of  the  chivalrous  Lord  Lovell's 
career,  in  dying  with  a  guggle — uggle — uggle,  had  nigh 
ennobled  the  coachman  of  Invercauld.  The  Jesuit, 
however,  in  the  nick  of  time  raised  him  up  and  bore 
him  to  the  Invercauld  side  of  the  river,  where,  on  a  bed 
of  soft  moss,  he  laid  him  down  beside  his  master,  the 


BRAEMAR  113 

laird,  who  had  been  a  spectator  of  the  whole  trans 
action,  and  sat  on  the  bank  holding  his  sides  in  an 
agony  of  laughter.  Before  the  coachman  had  recovered 
his  senses,  Father  Charles  had  disappeared  in  the 
wooded  side  of  Craig  Choinnich.1 

As  a  physician,  Father  Charles  undoubtedly  did  a 
great  deal  of  good  in  the  country.  He  had  a  peculiar 
way  of  arriving  at  the  truth,  when  examining  the 
prevaricating  relatives  of  a  patient  as  to  the  treatment 
employed.  If  they  suspected  it  was  contrary  to  his 
ideas,  no  earthly  advantage  would  induce  them  to 
disclose  the  nature  of  it.  One  time  he  was  called  to 
see  a  darling  child  in  a  house  near  Gairnshiel.  The 
boy  was  evidently  dying. 

"  Ah!  urn!  Do  you  give  him  plenty  of  milk  meat  ? " 
asked  he,  as  if  thinking  there  had  been  woful  neglect 
in  this. 

"Well,  well,  I  am  very  sure  he  never  wants  for 
that,"  answered  the  mother. 

"  Ay,  um !  but  when  ye  churn  " — cross-examining 
with  an  air  of  doubt — "  ye  do  not  give  him  a  '  fuarag ' 
of  the  cream  ? " 

"  As  sure  as  death,  Mr  Farquharson,"  was  returned, 
"  I  never  mak  butter  but  he  gets  a  good  *  fuarag '  out 
of  the  churn." 

"  Just  so,  goodwife,"  concluded  the  physician ;  "  well, 
you  just  buy  the  winding-sheet  with  the  butter,  for 
you  have  irretrievably  destroyed  your  child's  digestion 
with  so  many  good  '  fuarags.'  See  that  you  are  more 
careful  with  the  rest  of  your  bairns." 2 

The  good  Jesuit's  advice  might  be  of  advantage  to 

1  "  Braes  of  Mar,"  p.  230.  2  Ibid. 

VOL.  I.  H 


114  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

many  to-day.  The  desire  to  make  butter  and  sell  it 
has  induced  many  a  mother  to  feed  her  bairns  on 
skimmed  milk,  if  not  on  the  fuarag  out  of  the  churn. 

At  this  time  the  Duffs  had  acquired  the  greater 
part  of  the  Braemar  estate.  They  were  rigorous  in 
putting  down  poaching;  but  in  spite  of  their  utmost 
endeavours,  poaching  abounded  on  their  best  moors 
and  in  their  finest  forests.  The  Earl  of  Fife,  wishing 
to  enlist  Father  Charles  in  the  cause,  and  sure  that 
his  advice  would  do  much  with  the  people,  deter 
mined  on  paying  him  a  visit  to  talk  over  the  matter. 
He  went  over  to  Ardearg  accordingly,  and  found  the 
priest  busy  in  raising  a  bulwark  to  keep  the  Dee 
off  his  little  croft. 

"  How  is  all  to-day,  Mr  Farquharson  ? "  was  his 
lordship's  salute. 

"I  hope  I  see  your  lordship  well,"  replied  his 
Eeverenoe ;  "  I  am  busy  at  work,  you  see>" 

"  Well,  I  am  come  to  ask  a  favour.  I  wish  to  dine 
with  you  to-day,  if  you  will  allow  me  that  honour."  I 

"  With  great  pleasure ;  but  permit  me  to  go  and 
inform  my  housekeeper." 

"  No,  no,  sir,"  replied  the  Earl ;  "  he  who  invites 
himself  must  take  pot  luck." 

Father  Charles,  if  it  had  been  possible,  would  have 
ordered  a  haunch  of  venison  making  ready  that  day 
to  be  set  aside,  and  some  substitute  served,  as  the 
history  of  the  haunch  might  not  prove  satisfactory. 
What  would  he  have  thought  had  he  known  the  errand 
that  brought  the  Earl  to  his  house  ?  Well,  in  due 
time  they  sat  down  to  dinner,  and  in  due  time  the 
haunch  made  its  appearance. 


BRAEMAR  115 

"  What ! "  exclaimed  the  astonished  nobleman ;  "  how 
comes  this  to  your  table  ? " 

"Well,  when  any  one,"  returned  his  Reverence, 
"comes  to  my  house  with  his  arm  supporting  any 
present,  I  never  enquire  what  it  encircles." 

"  Quite  right,"  returned  his  lordship,  changing  his 
tone ;  "  and  when  a  man  invites  himself  to  dine,  he 
has  little  right  to  enquire  how  the  good  things  on 
the  table  came  there." 

Of  a  verity  who  do  you  think  able  to  overcome  a 
Jesuit !  Not  the  Earl,  at  all  events,  for  he  went  home 
again  without  mentioning  the  cause  of  his  visit. 

The  next  meeting  of  these  two  that  is  recorded 
was  as  the  body  of  the  good  priest  was  being  borne 
to  the  grave.  The  Earl  met  the  funeral  train  as 
they  came  down  the  road.  He  dismounted  immediately, 
and  taking  off  his  hat :  "  I  wish  to  God,"  he  said,  "  I 
were  such  as  he  was ;  I  would  willingly  lie  where  he 
does,"  and  then  assisted  in  bearing  to  the  grave  the 
remains  of  this  most  respected  priest.  His  tomb  in 
Castletoun  churchyard,  which  is  also  that  of  his 
brother  and  their  fellow-priests,  bears  the  following 
inscription : — 

"SACRED 

TO  MEMORY 

OF 

The  Roman  Catholic  Clergymen 
who  are  interred  here. 
The  Rev.  FORSYTH  died 
8th  Novr.  1708. 

The  Rev.  JOHN  FARQUHARSON 

spent  the  evening  of  his  days 

as  chaplain  to  his  nephew, 


116  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

ALEXR.  FARQUHARSON,  Esqr.  of 
Inverey,  and  died  at  Balmoral 
22nd  August  1782. 

The  Kev.  CHARLES  FARQUHARSON 

served  the  Catholic  Mission  in 

Braemar  for  many  years,  and  died 

at  Oirdearg,  30th  Novr.  1799. 

The  two  former  were  sons  of 

LEWIS  FARQUHARSON,  Esqr.  of 
Auchindryne. 

The  Rev.  WILLIAM  M'LEOD,  died 

3rd  June  1809. 
Much  and  justly  regretted. 

They  Died  to  live  that  Living 

worth  regard, 

And  with  like  Virtues  seek  the 
same  reward." 

Many  memories  of  Father  Charles  still  exist.  The 
chapel  at  Ardearg  where  he  celebrated  is  still  standing 
— used  at  present  as  a  dwelling-house.  It  is  in  a 
most  picturesque  and  secluded  position,  almost  at  the 
foot  of  a  very  steep  bank  some  hundred  yards  and 
more  below  the  present  road,  a  position  especially 
chosen  for  secrecy.  About  a  hundred  paces  distant 
is  the  priest's  house,  also  still  inhabited.  Here  may  be 
seen  his  old-fashioned  cupboard  bed,  a  form  so  common 
in  the  Highlands  a  hundred  years  ago,  and  still  to  be 
found  in  the  older  cottages.  Midway  between  the  church 
and  house  is  Father  Charles's  "seat" — a  comfortable 
recess  in  the  mossy  bank  on  which  the  present  incumbent 
of  the  Braemar  Mission  has  placed  a  stone  slab  with 
suitable  inscription ;  whilst  outside  the  present  chapel 
is  the  baptismal  font  in  which  the  forefathers  of  the 
present  Braemar  Catholics  received  their  christening. 


BRAEMAR  117 

In  1795  another  church  was  built  on  the  outskirts 
of  what  was  then  the  little  village  of  Auchindryne. 
This  chapel  is  now  the  Catholic  school  and  teacher's 
house,  the  old  stone  in  form  of  a  cross  and  bearing 
the  above  date  having  been  inserted  in  the  east 
gable,  when  the  school  was  recently  enlarged.  The 
house  which  the  priest  used  at  the  time  of  this  chapel 
stands  within  a  few  yards  of  it,  in  a  position  which 
affords  most  beautiful  views  of  the  whole  district. 

Once  again,  in  1839,  the  site  of  the  church  was 
changed,  and  the  present  chapel — which  cannot  fail 
to  please  all  who  visit  it — was  built  on  a  site  which 
could  scarcely  have  been  better  selected. 

The  following  interesting  notice  regarding  the  timber 
required  for  this  chapel  appeared  in  the  Edinburgh 
Catholic  Magazine,  Feb.  1838.  It  is  written  in  the 
style  of  the  period,  which  needs  but  little  apology. 
Indeed,  even  as  I  write  these  lines,  amid  the  scenes 
herein  described,  the  roaring  of  the  stags  from  the 
hills  around  makes  me  realise  the  force  of  much  that 
follows.  "From  time  immemorial  the  inhabitants  of 
the  romantic  glens  and  hills  of  Braemar,  the  wildest 
and  at  the  same  time  the  most  beautiful  district  in  the 
whole  range  of  the  Grampians,  have  enjoyed  the  benefit 
of  a  Catholic  Mission.  The  inaccessible  wilds,  which 
are  innumerable  here,  offered  to  the  zealous  priest  a 
secure  retreat  when  persecution  raged  with  the  greatest 
violence.  He  always  found  means  to  assemble  his 
flock  in  some  cavern  or  fortress  under  the  cover  of 
night,  far  from  the  reach  of  the  most  active  priest- 
hunters  of  former  days.  In  this  way  religion  was 
preserved  until  the  growing  liberality  of  the  age  urged 


118  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

a  relaxation  of  the  penal  laws  and  enabled  the  fervent 
pastor  to  appear  in  'open  day  and  exercise  his  holy 
ministry  without  concealment  or  disguise.  A  chapel 
was  at  length  built,  very  modest  in  appearance  and 
small,  not  to  alarm  the  prejudices  or  awaken  the 
hostilities  of  the  adversaries  of  the  Faith.  Yet  it 
was  a  great  blessing  to  the  poor  people.  They  had 
long  been  accustomed  to  assist  at  the  holy  mysteries 
in  the  open  air,  and  many  of  them  had  to  travel  many 
miles  during  the  tempestuous  winter  nights  of  these 
stormy  regions  to  attend  their  celebration.  Any  chapel, 
then,  however  mean,  that  gave  them  out  a  partial 
shelter  from  the  storm,  was  a  great  boon.  The  chapel 
is  now  in  a  dilapidated  state,  and  too  small  to  contain 
the  congregation.  General  the  Hon.  Sir  Alex.  Duff, 
brother  to  Lord  Fife,  offered  to  give  the  Catholics  a 
present  of  all  the  timber  required  for  a  more  suitable 
chapel.  The  Eev.  Mr  Lovie,  formerly  incumbent  of 
the  Wick  and  Keith  Missions,  already  so  well  known 
for  his  almost  superhuman  exertions  during  the  dread 
ful  cholera  visitation,  was  thereupon  appointed  to  the 
charge  of  the  Braemar  district.  He  gave  notice  to 
his  new  flock  to  assemble  in  the  woods  on  a  given 
day  with  their  axes  and  saws  to  fell  timber. 

"It  was  a  joyous  day.  They  set  about  the  work 
like  men  determined  to  do  their  duty.  The  crashing 
of  the  falling  trees,  the  joyous  shouts  of  the  men, 
the  bustle  of  the  numerous  horses  employed  in  dragging 
the  timber,  the  merry  pibrochs  of  the  hardy  Highlanders, 
formed  altogether  as  merry  a  scene  as  these  hills  ever 
witnessed.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  day's  labour  all 
assembled  to  congratulate  one  another  on  the  auspicious 


BRAEMAR  119 

commencement  of  the  work.  When  all  was  over,  they 
gave  three  hearty  cheers  for  the  gallant  General.  The 
shout  startled  the  wild  deer,  which  bounded  in  herds 
to  the  top  of  the  distant  hills.  Cairngorm  caught  the 
echo  from  the  rugged  Lochnagar,  '  Eound  whose  white 
summits  wild  elements  war/  and  it  passed  from  hill 
to  hill,  until  it  was  lost  in  the  distance.  His  health 
was  also  drunk  in  a  bumper  of  mountain  dew,  and 
at  parting  three  cheers  were  given  for  Lady  Carmarthen 
— later  Duchess  of  Leeds — a  great  benefactress  to  the 
proposed  chapel." 

In  Mr  Lovie's  time  there  was  a  worthy  in  the 
district  known  as  Jimmie  Monie,  or  "  Captain  Grant." 
He  was  a  little  weak  of  intellect,  and  one  of  his  chief 
duties  was  to  warn  the  people  in  the  district  when 
any  death  occurred  and  when  the  funeral  was  to  take 
place.  For  this  he  received  no  money  reward,  but 
went  round  from  house  to  house  at  Easter  and  New 
Year  to  receive  gifts  in  kind.  The  coffin  at  that 
time  was  always  carried  all  the  way  to  the  grave, 
and  the  men  of  the  place  assembled  to  help  in 
bearing  the  burden.  "  Captain  Grant "  would  arrive 
on  the  day  of  the  funeral  with  the  polea  which  bore 
the  coffin.  Fine  tall  man  that  he  was,  he  headed  the 
procession,  walking  about  twenty  yards  in  front.  His 
duty  was  to  call  "  Ceithir  eile  ! "  "  Change  places ! "  and 
at  this  signal  the  four  bearers  fell  to  the  rear  and 
four  others  stepped  forward  to  bear  the  coffin.  The 
"  Captain "  knew  well  who  had  been  kind  to  him  at 
New  Year,  and  those  would  have  a  very  short  journey, 
whilst  those  who  had  not  propitiated  him  well  were 
allowed  to  bear  the  load  till  their  backs  and  shoulders 


120  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

ached — a  fact  which  was  easily  recognised  by  the 
company  present. 

Between  Father  Charles  Farquharson  and  Mr  Lovie, 
the  builder  of  the  present  chapel,  were  Messrs  William 
M'Leod  (M'Hardy),  S.J.,  1804;  Colin  Grant,  1810; 
Evan  M'Eachan,  1818 ;  whilst  those  who  succeeded  him 
were  Messrs  Angus  Gillis,  1840 ;  John  M'Corry,  1842  ; 
John  Macdonald,  1844 ;  Angus  Macdonald,  1845  ;  Peter 
Grant,  1848  ;  Donald  M'Kae,  1863  ;  James  Stuart,  1879. 
The  dates  indicate  the  beginning  of  their  ministry  in 
Braemar.  Father  M'Eachan  was  a  fellow-student  at 
Valladolid  with  Father  Lachlan  Mackintosh— of  whom 
see  under  "  Glengairn  " — and  was  one  of  the  first  Gaelic 
scholars  of  the  day.  His  translation  of  the  Imitation 
of  Christ  and  of  the  New  Testament  are  more  esteemed 
than  the  versions  at  present  in  use.  He  is  still 
remembered  as  preaching  very  "strong  sermons"; 
yet  he  made  no  gestures,  but  stood  with  his  hand 
stretched  out  and  the  palm  upward,  his  eyes  half 
shut.  He  was,  however,  very  far  from  being  asleep, 
as  those  who  first  saw  him  sometimes  thought. 

It  is  pleasing  to  note  that  the  Catholic  population 
of  the  Braes  of  Mar — in  marked  contrast  with  those 
of  Glengairn — have  always  numbered  at  least  400.  This 
was  the  number  which  Bishop  Nicholson  found  here 
in  1706,  whilst  in  1763  the  number  is  given  as  700 
to  800,  attended  by  two  Jesuits.  In  1772  as  many 
as  62  persons  were  confirmed  by  Bishop  Gordon,  who 
writes  of  this  ceremony :  "  It  was  three  before  we  could 
get  ready  for  the  function  and  five  before  we  had 
done,  but  by  presumed  licence  from  the  venerable 


BRAEMAR  121 

gentleman   at  .Old   Town   (Rome),   I    even    ventured 
without  scruple  to  say  Mass." 

At  the  present  day  the  Catholic  population  of  the 
district  still  numbers  about  500,  the  pretty  little  village 
of  Inverey  having  still  the  distinction  of  being  almost 
wholly  Catholic. 


BADENOCH 

BADENOCH,  which  extends  from  Craigellachie  on  the 
east  to  the  confines  of  Lochaber  on  the  west,  is  a 
district  about  40  miles  in  length.  Its  breadth,  from 
Mar  and  Atholl  on  the  south  to  the  watershed  of 
the  Findhorn  in  Strathdearn  on  the  north,  is  about 
20  miles.  Of  this  country  the  lowest  level  is  still 
700  feet  above  the  sea,  whilst  the  highest  point  is  a 
shoulder  of  the  Braerich  ridge,  4,149  feet ;  and  within 
2  miles  is  Ben  Macdhui,  the  second  loftiest  peak  in  the 
Highlands  of  Scotland. 

The  western  portion  of  this  district,  that  bordering 
on  Lochaber,  has  long  been  the  home  of  a  Catholic 
population,  descended  for  the  most  part  from  Lochaber 
ancestors,  who  at  different  times  settled  in  the  country. 
Indeed,  according  to  the  generally  received  opinion, 
Catholicity  was  almost  uprooted  in  Badenoch  after  the 
so-called  Eeformation,  and  the  revival  of  the  Catholic 
Faith  in  the  district  dates  from  the  period  when  one  or 
two  members  of  the  family  of  Keppoch  occupied  the 
farms  of  Gellovy,  Aberarder,  and  Tullochrom  on  Loch 
Laggan  side.  These  in  taking  possession  of  their  farms 
were  accompanied  by  some  retainers,  who  in  the 
course  of  time  increased  into  a  numerous  and  respectable 


BADENOCH  123 

congregation.  So  much  so  that  from  Dalchully  House 
on  the  south  side  of  Spey,  and  Coul  on  the  north,  there 
was  scarcely  a  single  non-Catholic  house,  except  one  or 
two  in  the  little  village  of  Crathie.  At  this  period 
there  were  large  Catholic  tenant  farmers  at  Dalchully 
and  Coul,  Sherrabeg  and  Sherramore,  Garvabeg  and 
Garvamore,  besides  the  old-established  residents  at 
Gellovy,  Aberarder,  and  Tullochrom. 

As  was  only  to  be  expected,  the  Catholics  of  this 
portion  of  Badenoch  looked  with  veneration  on  the 
remains  of  ancient  chapels  and  burial-grounds,  which 
were  known  to  have  existed  previous  to  the  change  of 
religion.  Of  these  the  oldest  is  at  Rabellick,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Spey,  about  a  mile  above  the  village 
of  Crathie.  It  is  situated  on  the  top  of  a  small  knoll 
at  the  side  of  the  Markie  Burn,  and  has  slight  indica 
tions  of  having  had  a  rough  fence  of  turf  and  stone 
around  it.  There  are  no  indications  of  grave-stones, 
either  standing  or  horizontal.  Tradition  says  that  it 
was  last  used  about  the  time  of  Montrose's  wars,  and 
that  so  few  able-bodied  men  were  left  in  the  glen  that 
the  women  carried  the  bodies  to  the  burial-place.  It 
was  also  used  at  a  later  period  for  the  interment  of 
unbaptized  infants,  but  not  within  the  last  hundred 
years  or  so. 

From  the  fact  that  when  the  old  Crathie  people  fell 
out,  one  of  their  favourite  maledictions  was,  "  May  you 
be  buried  in  Rabellick,"  it  would  appear  that  it  was 
unconsecrated  ground.  There  is  no  tradition  of  a 
church  having  existed  anywhere  near  it. 

About  a  mile  distant  is  St  Michael's  Chapel,  as  the 
next  oldest  burial-ground  is  called  in  Gaelic.  This  is 


124  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

undoubtedly  a  very  old  site,  and  the  burial-ground  is 
filled  with  the  oldest  possible  looking  tombstones,  many 
of  them  with  rude  inscriptions,  not  now  decipherable, 
and  no  dates  can  be  fixed  further  back  than  1800, 
though  all  the  old  people  say  that  "  their  forbears  had 
been  buried  there  very  far  back." 

In  this  churchyard  there  is  a  stone  which  deserves 
special  mention,  the  tradition  being  that  it  marks  the 
grave  of  a  priest.  It  is  certainly  a  good  specimen  of  an 
ancient  sculptured  stone,  and  was  unrecorded  until 
brought  to  the  notice  of  the  Society  of  Antiquaries  in 
Edinburgh  by  Major  A.  H.  M'Nab,  to  whom  I  am 
indebted  for  many  interesting  details  of  the  Laggan 
of  olden  time.  He  writes  that  there  is  a  curious  legend 
connected  with  the  stone.  At  one  time  it  had  a  short 
arm  at  each  side  at  the  top,  thus  forming  a  rough  cross. 
One  of  those  arms  had  been  broken  off  at  a  very  distant 
date,  but  the  broken  portion  is  still  always  to  be  found 
resting  on  the  top  of  the  stone  where  I  saw  it  on 
the  occasion  of  my  visit. 

It  was  firmly  believed  by  the  older  people  of  the 
glen  that  if  this  piece  of  stone  were  removed  to  any 
other  part  of  the  churchyard,  it  would  be  invariably 
found  in  its  usual  place  next  morning.  Several  of  the 
old  Crathie  people  asserted  that  they  had  often  tried  it 
and  found  it  quite  true. 

Where  the  chapel  itself  stood  is  a  matter  not  so  easy 
to  determine ;  but  after  careful  examination  one  is 
forced  to  the  conclusion  that  it  stood  on  a  flat-topped 
knoll  called  the  "  Spardan,"  about  fifty  yards  from  the 
burial-place.  There  are  distinct  traces  of  the  founda 
tion  of  an  oblong  building  at  this  point,  and  the  door 


BADENOCH  125 

appears  to  have  been  on  the  south  side,  near  the  west 
end,  which  would  point  to  the  probability  that  the 
altar  stood  at  the  east  end,  as  was  usual  in  these  old 
churches.  The  foundations  are  due  east  and  west,  and 
are  too  large  for  any  cottage  likely  to  be  built  at  that 
time.  The  burial-place  has  been  used  at  rare  intervals 
within  the  last  half -century,  and  was  undoubtedly 
consecrated  ground. 

Next  in  antiquity  to  St  Michael's  is  St  Kenneth's ; 
and  here  there  is  no  difficulty  in  locating  the  ruins,  as 
the  walls  and  one  entire  gable  are  standing  within  the 
churchyard.  This  chapel  is  always  said  to  be  one  of 
the  seven  expiatory  chapels  built  by  the  celebrated 
Allan-nan- Cr each — Allan  of  the  Spoils.  Another  of 
his  chapels  is  that  of  St  Cyril,  in  the  neighbouring 
district  of  Lochaber. 

St  Kenneth's  Chapel  has  been  a  building  of  some 
size,  and  is  constructed  of  stone  and  lime  of  excellent 
quality.  The  interior  of  the  ruin  has  been  the  burial- 
place  of  the  old  Catholic  families  of  Laggan,  who  still 
devoutly  prefer  it  to  any  other.  Here  near  the  door 
way  there  exists  a  large  font  or  receptacle  for  Holy 
Water,  cut  out  of  solid  granite.  When  the  present 
chapel  of  Str6n-an-Duin  was  being  built,  it  was  pro 
posed  to  remove  this  font  to  the  new  building,  but  the 
bishop  decided  that  it  was  better  to  let  it  remain  in 
the  old  site  as  a  standing  proof  that  the  ruin  had  been 
a  Catholic  chapel. 

The  burial-place  has  been  much  larger  at  one  time, 
as  many  flat  grave-stones  exist  outside  the  present 
enclosure,  which  is  now  very  crowded.  There  was  a 
curious  old  custom  at  funerals  at  St  Kenneth's  in 


136  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

former  times.  The  poles  which  formed  the  bier  were 
broken  in  two  and  placed  at  the  back  of  a  large  upright 
stone  near  the  gate,  said  to  be  the  burial-place  of  a 
priest  long  ago.  The  stone  certainly  has  a  well-cut 
cross  upon  it,  but  no  inscription  is  visible.  No  explana 
tion  of  this  curious  old  custom  is  forthcoming. 

The  next  chapel  seems  to  have  been  at  Coil-an-Tiun, 
about  two  miles  from  St  Kenneth's  on  the  road  to 
Glenshero.  From  the  description  of  the  old  people 
who  remembered  the  ruins,  it  must  have  been  a  very 
humble  structure,  built  of  dry  stone  and  turf  and 
thatched  with  heather.  At  this  time  there  was  no 
fixed  residence  for  the  priest,  who  lived  in  turn  with 
the  families  of  the  better  class  in  his  congregation,  as 
was  then  customary  throughout  the  Highlands. 

The  last  of  the  old  thatched  chapels  was  the  one 
which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  St  Michael's. 
It  is  still  remembered  as  being  built  of  dry  stone, 
plastered  inside.  The  walls  were  very  low  and  the 
earth  had  been  excavated  to  give  greater  height,  so 
that  one  had  to  descend  two  steps  on  entering.  It  was 
built  about  1803,  and  was  in  regular  use  until  the 
building  of  the  present  chapel. 

In  those  days  a  great  many  shepherds  from  the 
upper  glen  attended  the  chapel  and  brought  their  dogs 
with  them.  These  often  entered  the  chapel  with  their 
masters,  and  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  them  to 
fight;  their  owners  would  then  try  to  separate  them 
with  their  sticks,  whilst  the  rest  of  the  congregation 
stood  up  on  their  seats,  the  priest  quietly  waiting  until 
peace  was  restored  and  then  going  on  with  the  service 
as  if  nothing  unusual  had  happened.  He  would,  it 


BADENOCH  127 

is  true,  occasionally  remonstrate,  but  with  little  last 
ing  effect.  This  recalls  a  case  which  occurred  in 
Eoss-shire  within  the  last  twenty  years.  A  minister 
had  recently  been  appointed  to  the  parish  and  had 
owed  his  "  call "  to  the  fact  of  his  having  acquired  a 
great  name  as  a  preacher,  as  a  cyclist,  and  as  a  good 
hand  at  tale  and  song.  After  the  first  Sunday  his 
fame  went  abroad  as  a  great  preacher,  and  the  follow 
ing  "  Sabbath "  the  kirk  was  crowded  with  shepherds 
from  the  distant  straths  and  glens  with  their  full 
retinue  of  collie  dogs.  Whilst  the  minister  was 
engaged  in  his  sermon,  the  dogs  began  to  fight  in 
different  quarters  of  the  church,  whilst  under  the  very 
shadow  of  the  pulpit  a  collie  and  a  terrier  were 
fighting  their  liveliest.  The  people  nearest  beat  the 
dogs  with  sticks,  shouting  their  loudest,  "  Thig  stigh  gu 
mo  chois ! "  "  Come  to  heel ! "  and  caused  such  an  up 
roar  that  the  minister  ceased  from  his  sermon  with 
the  words :  "  My  brethren,  I  see  you're  more  interested 
in  the  dog  fight  than  in  the  Word  of  God,  but  to  show 
that  I  am  in  sympathy  with  you,  I'll  bet  a  bob  on  the 
collie." 

The  present  chapel  at  Str6n  an  Duin  (the  point  of 
the  Fort)  was  erected  in  the  palmy  days  of  the  Laggan 
mission,  when  the  many  neighbouring  farmers  were 
well  able  to  contribute  a  large  amount  of  labour  in 
carting,  quarrying,  and  other  manual  work.  Foremost 
amongst  these  was  Mr  John  M'Nab,  of  Dalchully, 
who  took  a  leading  part  in  designing  and  carrying  the 
work  into  effect.  The  result  was  a  chapel  of  most 
pleasing  proportions,  in  a  situation  which  it  would  be 
difficult  to  equal  for  picturesqueness.  Above  is  the 


128  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

ancient  Celtic  Fort  —  one  of  the  most  perfect  in 
Scotland — situated  at  the  top  of  a  precipitous  cliff, 
which  rises  to  the  height  of  600  feet  above  the  plain. 
The  hill  is  now  beautifully  wooded,  so  that  it  is 
difficult  to  gain  a  view  of  the  chapel  until  one  is 
almost  within  a  stone's  throw  of  it. 

Shortly  after  the  completion  of  the  chapel,  Mr 
M'Nab,  of  Dalchully,  was  successful  in  collecting 
funds  for  the  erection  of  a  bridge  over  the  Spey  to 
enable  the  inhabitants  on  the  north  side  of  the  river 
to  get  to  the  church  in  comfort.  Previous  to  this 
there  was  no  way  of  getting  across  to  the  chapel, 
except  by  fording  the  river — a  severe  ordeal  in  winter 
or  when  the  river  was  in  flood.  Indeed  even  now, 
since  the  bridge  is  only  for  foot-passengers,  dog-carts 
and  carriages  have  to  be  driven  across  the  ford,  which 
at  Sherrabeg  is  fully  100  yards  wide. 

Close  to  the  present  chapel  flows  the  little  Mashie 
river,  and  about  two  miles  up  the  valley  there  is  a  small 
ravine,  called  the  priest's  hollow  or  den.  There  is  a 
tradition  that  in  the  times  of  persecution  the  priest 
hid  there,  and  used  to  say  Mass  in  the  open  air,  when 
opportunity  offered.  It  is  a  place  admirably  suited 
for  concealment,  and  one  can  picture  the  hardy  old 
Highland  men  and  women  kneeling  amongst  the  rocks 
and  heather  at  the  services  of  the  Church  they  loved 
so  well  and  truely. 

^Regarding  the  priests  who  served  the  mission  of 
Badenoch,  these  for  a  long  time  came  from  Lochaber, 
and  it  is  well  known  that  Kevs.  John  Macdonald, 
Eneas  Gillis,  and  M'Kenna,  paid  frequent  visits  to 
the  district.  The  first  priest  permanently  stationed 


BADENOCH  129 

in  Badenoch  was  Eev.  Alex.  M'Donell,  who  was  a  native 
of  Glengarry  and  afterwards  became  Bishop  of  Kingston 
in  Upper  Canada.  The  year  in  which  he  came  to 
Badenoch  is  uncertain,  but  he  left  it  in  May  1792. 

After  his  departure  the  mission  seems  to  have  been 
vacant  for  about  a  year,  when  a  successor  was  appointed 
in  the  person  of  Eev.  Eoderick  M'Donald,  a  native  of 
South  Uist  and  a  scion  of  the  House  of  Clanranald. 
Mr  M'Donald  remained  in  Badenoch  until  May  1803, 
when  he  was  removed  to  South  Uist,  and  had  charge 
of  the  Ardkenneth  and  Benbecula  congregations  until 
his  death  in  1828. 

The  next  priest  in  succession  was  Father  Evan 
M'Eachan,  who  had  charge  of  this  congregation  for 
three  years,  1803-1806.  It  was  he  who  built  the 
chapel  at  Stron  an  Duin  —  the  predecessor  of  the 
present  church — and  was  remarkable  for  his  knowledge 
of  Mathematics  and  of  the  Gaelic  language. 

Father  M'Eachan  was  known  amongst  his  brethren 
as  "Old  Eoules"  (rules).  The  late  Father  David 
Macdonald,  the  much  respected  Eector  of  Valladolid, 
used  to  give  the  following  origin  for  this  nick-name. 
Father  M'Eachan  was  perhaps  the  very  first  priest  in 
the  Highlands  to  wear  a  top-hat,  and  there  was  a 
standing  rule  in  Blairs  at  the  time  that  whenever  a 
cleric  with  a  top-hat  appeared,  the  boys  shelved  their 
books — the  wearer  of  the  hat  had  the  privilege  of  facing 
the  President  to  ask  a  holiday.  Father  M'Eachan,  on 
his  arrival  on  a  visit,  was  duly  informed  of  the  custom, 
but  before  approaching  the  great  man  in  the  Chamber 
of  Horrors,  he  insisted  on  seeing  it  so  nominated  in  the 
"  Eoules,"  a  stiffness  which  was  not  at  all  to  the  boys' 
liking. 

VOL.  I,  I 


130  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

After  Father  M'Eachan  came  Father  William 
Chisholm  (1806-1811),  who  continued  in  Badenoch  for 
five  years,  and  after  his  removal  to  Lochaber — where 
he  died  in  1826 — had  still  charge  of  the  Catholics  of 
Badenoch,  until  the  appointment  to  that  mission  of 
Father  Donald  Forbes  in  1816.  Father  Forbes,  how 
ever,  had  at  the  same  time  the  charge  of  the  missions  of 
Glengarry,  Glenmoriston,  and  Stratherrick — a  terrible 
labour  for  any  one  man.  Indeed  in  later  life  he  would 
tell  of  the  fatigues  of  his  journeys  during  these  years 
as  of  experiences  never  to  be  forgotten.  Those  who 
have  journeyed — as  the  present  writer  did  at  the  time 
he  was  engaged  on  these  pages — through  Badenoch  in 
the  midst  of  winter,  with  the  wind  bearing  its  heavy 
burden  of  drifting  snow,  will  realise  what  it  must  have 
meant  to  serve  these  missions  once  in  the  month,  and 
to  pass  the  twenty  miles  from  one  to  the  other  during 
the  week.  The  road  over  Corryarrick,  which  the  good 
priest  must  often  have  walked,  rises  to  the  height  of 
2,500  feet,  and  although  it  is  a  memorial  to  the  genius 
of  General  Wade,  yet  the  storms,  which  almost  invari 
ably  meet  the  wayfarer  as  he  crosses  the  ridge,  make 
the  journey  one  not  lightly  to  be  undertaken. 

Indeed  on  one  occasion,  on  27th  December  1819, 
Father  Forbes  is  remembered  to  have  crossed  the  hill 
when  the  storm  was  so  severe  that  he  took  with  him 
four  men  and  a  pony.  As  the  snow  became  deeper 
and  deeper  they  lost  the  road,  and  in  this  predicament 
they  placed  the  pony  in  front  and  marched  in  single 
file,  the  foremost  man  holding  on  to  the  pony's  tail, 
trusting  that  the  animal's  instinct  would  bring  it 
through,  as  indeed  it  did.  This  was  considered  the 


"'   2 


tf  -= 


=    1 


BADENOCH  131 

greatest  feat  of  this  worthy  priest's  many  stormy 
journeys. 

From  1824-1827  Father  Angus  M'Donald  was  in 
charge  of  the  Badenoch  mission,  and  he  in  turn  was 
succeeded  by  Father  Eonald  Eankin,  who  remained  till 
1838.  It  was  through  his  zeal  and  indomitable  energy 
in  travelling  about  collecting  subscriptions  that  the 
money  was  collected  with  which  the  present  church 
was  built.  He  was  one  of  the  best  and  most  popular 
priests  that  ever  came  to  the  parish,  with  both  rich 
and  poor.  According  to  the  description  of  one  well 
acquainted  with  the  old  traditions,  "  he  was  a  little  wee 
man  like  myself,  but  awful  quick  and  very  good  at  the 
shinty."  Before  the  completion  of  the  chapel,  however, 
Father  Eankin  was  removed  to  Moidart,  whence  he 
later  emigrated  with  a  large  part  of  his  exiled  crofter 
congregation  to  Australia.  Father  Eankin,  however, 
was  granted  the  favour  of  saying  the  first  Mass  on  a 
temporary  altar  in  the  new  chapel,  in  the  erection  of 
which  he  had  had  so  large  a  share. 

The  next  priest  was  Father  Charles  Macdonald,  who 
was  the  last  to  say  Mass  in  the  old  thatched  chapel. 
Father  Macdonald  was  an  eccentric,  but  worthy  old 
man,  with  a  singularly  fine  presence  and  most  polished 
manner,  which  he  had  acquired  in  Spain,  where  he  was 
educated.  He  had  a  tall,  erect  figure,  very  spare,  and 
was  always  a  perfect  picture  of  neatness  in  his  dress. 
He  ruled  his  congregation  with  a  firm  hand,  and  had 
a  very  pessimist  opinion  of  their  spiritual  condition, 
which  led  him  at  frequent  intervals  to  inform  them 
when  he  was  preaching,  that  they  were  certainly  the 
worst  congregation  in  the  diocese,  and  that  he  had 


132  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

but  limited  hopes  of  their  future  welfare.  Knowing 
his  many  good  qualities,  his  people  received  his 
denunciations  with  amusement,  and  without  a  trace 
of  resentment. 

In  1845  Father  M'Nab  succeeded.  He  was  a 
relative  of  the  family  at  Dalchully,  but  remained  in 
Badenoch  only  two  years,  when  he  removed  to  Airdrie, 
and  thence  to  Australia.  Here  he  is  still  remembered 
as  doing  most  excellent  work  amongst  the  aborigines, 
and  died  in  1896,  greatly  esteemed  by  those  who  knew 
him.  Amongst  these  was  the  priest  with  whom  he  was 
living,  who  relates  that  the  old  man,  though  still  hale 
and  vigorous,  one  day  begged  the  younger  priest  not  to 
go  on  the  day's  journey  which  his  office  of  military 
chaplain  required  of  him.  The  younger  man  expostu 
lated  for  some  time,  but  Father  M'Nab  insisted  that  he 
would  die  that  day  at  two  o'clock.  Seeing  the  old 
priest  so  decided,  and  well  knowing  that  at  his  age 
a  sudden  collapse  was  by  no  means  impossible,  my 
informant  decided  to  stay  and  to  put  off  the  journey. 
Soon  after  midday  the  old  man  sickened,  and  after 
receiving  the  last  Sacraments,  passed  quietly  away. 

The  last  priest  with  whom  we  have  to  deal  is  Father 
Alex.  Campbell,  who,  in  strange  contrast  to  all  who 
preceded  or  followed  him,  resided  in  Badenoch  the  long 
period  of  twenty-three  years.  It  was  he  who  opened  a 
small  chapel  at  Kingussie,  "  the  capital  of  Badenoch," 
where  Mass  has  been  said  at  intervals  for  the  past  fifty 
years.  This  primitive  little  chapel,  to  which  the  approach 
is  up  a  flight  of  stairs  at  the  back  of  the  house,  will  shortly 
be  replaced  by  one  more  suitable  to  the  times,  for  which 
the  present  incumbent  earnestly  desires  assistance. 


BADENOCH  133 

Father  Campbell's  memory  is  still  in  great  veneration 
with  both  Catholics  and  Protestants,  and  many  are  the 
tales  that  are  ascribed  to  him,  as  he  chatted  with  the 
good  folk  in  their  quiet  homes,  or  at  the  festive 
meetings  which  ended  the  shinty  matches  and  other 
festive  gatherings.  A  few  are  given  below.  One  of 
his  stories  is  that  of  the  Lismore  students.  As  is  well 
known,  there  was  long  a  college  here — it  was  united 
with  Blairs  College  in  1829.  One  time  the  old  house 
keeper,  who  was  no  great  favourite  with  the  boys,  fell 
ill,  and  as  she  lay  on  her  sick-bed,  some  of  the  students 
gained  access  to  the  room,  and  after  condoling  with  the 
patient,  pretended  to  say  the  Litany  for  the  Dying. 
Their  Litany  took  the  following  form : — 

"A  Phegaidh,  ruadh,  chruaidh,  chrosd, 

'S  fhior  sin,  's  fhior  sin. 
Tha  3m  bas  ga  d'iarraidh, 

'S  fhior  sin,  's  fhior  sin. 
Bho  nach  toir  thu  biadh  dhuinn, 

'S  fhior  sin,  's  fhior  sin." 

which  may  be  rendered  in  similar  school-boy  fashion  : — 

"  Peggie  carping,  crusty,  cross, 

That  thou  art,  that  thou  art. 
Because  of  food  thou  wast  so  stingy, 
That  thou  wast,  that  thou  wast, 
The  hand  of  death  is  close  upon  thee, 
That  it  is,  that  it  is." 

The  first  few  words  drew  tears  from  the  poor  house 
keeper,  but  at  the  last  lines  she  gave  a  shriek  of 
despair,  which  brought  the  Rector  hurrying  to  the 
room,  only,  of  course,  to  find  the  boys  fled  and  the  poor 
creature  in  the  depths  of  misery. 


154  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Alastair  Mor  used  to  boast  of  his  devotion  to  Cluny 
Macpherson — the  chief  of  the  Clan  Chattan  and  long 
the  owner  of  the  greater  part  of  Badenoch.  After 
often  hearing  his  retainer  boast  of  what  he  was  ready 
to  do  for  the  laird,  Cluny  himself  one  day  asked 
Alastair  :  "  Well,  Sandy,  and  whom  do  you  like  best> 
Cluny  or  the  Almighty  ?  "  "  Weel,  Cluny,"  said  Sandy, 
"  by  your  leave,  I'm  better  acquaint  with  yourself  than 
with  the  other." 

Another  of  his  tales  was  the  following :  "  A  conceited 
young  lassie  in  the  district,  whose  father  had  risen  from 
the  despised  occupation  of  packman  to  that  of  farmer, 
one  day  got  angry  with  her  companion,  whose  family 
had  long  resided  on  one  of  the  best  crofts  in  the  place. 
The  girl's  abusive  language  took  somewhat  of  the 
following  form  :  '  You  nasty,  low  creature  !  why,  it's  in 
a  wee  black  house  that  your  father  stays.'  '  It  may  be 
in  a  wee  black  house  that  my  father  stays,'  replied  her 
companion,  '  but  my  father  canna  carry  his  house  on 
his  back,  as  yours  did  awhile  ago.'" 

Of  the  chief  families  who  owned  the  land  in  the 
parish  of  Laggan,  the  Dukes  of  Gordon  held,  of  course, 
the  foremost  position,  and  ever  showed  the  greatest 
friendliness  to  the  large  tenant  farmers  or  tacksmen, 
and  the  greatest  consideration  to  the  numerous  crofter 
families.  In  bad  seasons,  when  these  needed  help,  it 
was  freely  given,  and  it  was  under  the  liberal  and 
kindly  ownership  of  the  Gordons  that  Laggan  attained 
its  maximum  of  population  and  of  prosperity.  From 
the  day  the  property  passed  from  the  Gordons, 
decadence  set  in,  and  judging  from  present  appear 
ances,  the  present  generation  will  see  the  last  of 


BADENOCH  135 

Catholic  Laggan,  and   the   chapel  will  be   without  a 
congregation. 

Cluny  Macpherson  was  the  next  largest  proprietor 
in  the  district.  Of  the  sufferings  of  Cluny  of  the  '45 
we  cannot  treat  here,  but  the  whole  district  is  full  of 
memories  of  him.  For  nine  years  he  wandered  without 
home  or  shelter  in  the  mountain  fastnesses  of  Badenoch, 
taking  refuge  in  caves  amongst  the  rocks  and  enduring 
the  most  terrible  hardships,  which  his  wife  to  a  great 
extent  shared  with  him.  So  watchful  and  alert  were 
his  clansmen  in  the  way  of  ascertaining  and  apprising 
their  "  outlawed  "  chief  of  the  movements  of  the  enemy, 
that  during  that  long  period  he  succeeded,  with  many 
almost  miraculous  escapes,  in  eluding  the  unceasing 
viligance  and  activity  of  his  pursuers. 

One  of  his  most  memorable  escapes  was  at  Dalchully 
House,  where  there  still  exists  a  secret  cellar,  about 
seven  feet  square.  In  this  the  fugitive  chief  often 
took  shelter.  On  one  occasion,  Sir  Hector  Munro,  the 
commander  of  the  party  in  search  of  the  "  arch-rebel," 
called  at  the  house,  when  Cluny  himself  appeared  as 
the  scalag,  or  herd-boy,  and  actually  held  Sir  Hector's 
horse.  The  gallant  officer  asked  whether  he  knew 
where  Cluny  was :  "  I  do  not  know,  and  if  I  did,  I 
would  not  tell  you,"  replied  the  would-be  herd.  The 
officer  was  so  pleased  with  the  honest  answer  that  he 
gave  the  herd  a  shilling.  This  tale  has  been  well  repro 
duced  in  the  handsome  piece  of  silver  plate  presented 
to  the  late  chief  on  his  golden  wedding. 

Cluny  Castle,  the  residence  of  the  chief,  is  full  of 
relics  of  Prince  Charlie  and  his  times.  Here  is  the 
Prince's  targe  which  he  used  at  Culloden,  his  two 


136  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

pistols  and  sword,  his  lace  ruff  and  sleeve-links,  besides 
the  more  important  ones,  viz.,  a  letter  of  the  Prince 
inviting  Cluny  to  join  his  standard,  and  another 
authorising  him  to  raise  a  regiment  in  his  service. 

There  is  a  pretty  story  current  of  the  affection  of 
the  Prince  for  his  two  most  devoted  adherents,  Cameron 
of  Lochiel  and  Cluny  Macpherson.  As  the  Prince  was 
leaving  Scotland  for  France,  he  searched  for  one  last 
token  to  bestow  upon  them,  but  the  only  thing  which 
could  be  found  was  the  musket  which  he  still  carried. 
To  divide  this  between  the  two  was  no  easy  matter, 
but  the  Prince  without  much  difficulty  detached  the 
lock,  which  he  bestowed  on  Cluny,  and  gave  the  stock 
and  barrel  to  Lochiel. 

To  pass  on  to  the  large  tenant  farmers,  or  tacksmen, 
the  oldest  Catholic  family  were  the  Macdonalds  of 
Gellovy.  They  had  settled  on  Loch  Laggan  side  as 
early  as  1602,  Allan  Macdonald  I.  of  Gellovy  being 
grandson  of  Ranald  Glass  of  Keppoch.  In  the  Eising 
of  1716  we  are  told :  "  As  the  army  passed  through 
Badenoch  an  uncivil  return  was  given  to  a  message 
sent  from  the  General  by  Macdonald  of  Gellovy  upon 
Loch  Spie  in  Laggan ;  whereupon  a  detachment  of 
200  men  was  sent  to  that  country,  who  burnt  his 
house  and  corn,  killed  all  his  sheep,  and  carried  off 
his  cows."1  Macdonald  of  Gellovy,  who  had  fought 
at  Sherriffmuir,  was  crippled  financially  by  these  severe 
measures  and  sold  his  property  to  his  cousin  Donald, 
whose  grandchildren  at  the  beginning  of  last  century 
emigrated  to  Australia,  after  the  family  had  been 
settled  at  Gellovy  over  two  hundred  years. 

1  Letter  of  Mr  Robert  Baillie,  Inverness,  6th  April  1716. 


BADENOCH  137 

Half  a  century  after  the  settlement  at  Gellovy, 
Donald  Macdonald,  great  -  grandson  of  Eanald  of 
Keppoch,  settled  at  Aberarder.  Of  this  family  the 
best  known  to  history  was  Eanald,  who  joined  Prince 
Charlie  at  Glenfinnan,  fought  at  Prestonpans  and 
Falkirk,  and  joined  the  march  into  England.  He 
sheltered  the  Prince  for  a  night  on  his  way  to  join 
Cluny  in  his  extraordinary  retreat  known  as  "The 
Cage,"  on  Ben  Alder,  and  from  him  the  Prince  accepted 
a  change  of  garments  to  ensure  disguise.  Aberarder 
was  included  in  the  Forfeited  Estates  Act,  and  though 
he  contested  the  case  before  the  Court  of  Session 
and  the  House  of  Lords,  he  finally  lost  his  lands. 

Another  old  Catholic  family  were  the  Macdonalds 
of  Tullochrom,  who  were  also  a  branch  of  the 
Macdonells  of  Keppoch,  and  like  all  that  clan  were 
staunch  Catholics  and  devoted  Jacobites,  losing  their 
estates  through  participation  in  the  Eising  of  1745. 
Alastair  Ban,  second  son  of  John  Macdonald  of 
Aberarder,  settled  at  Tullochcrom  about  the  year  1700. 
His  son  Alexander,  by  his  third  marriage,  had  four 
soldier  sons  out  of  five,  viz.,  Eanald,  a  captain  in  the 
Gordon  Highlanders.  He  was  at  Waterloo,  and  saw 
besides  a  good  deal  of  service  in  India  and  Ceylon, 
where  he  greatly  distinguished  himself.  The  fort, 
which  he  saved  from  the  rebels,  was  named  after  him, 
Fort  Macdonald ;  Allan,  who  was  also  a  captain  in 
the  Gordon  Highlanders ;  Archibald,  an  officer  in  the 
Army,  who  left  issue  in  America ;  Donald,  a  captain 
in  the  Army ;  Angus,  who  went  to  America.  Such 
soldier  families  were  not  uncommon  in  this  district, 
and  indeed  in  many  parts  of  the  Highlands,  at  a  time 


138  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

when  the  wars  with  Napoleon  called  forth  the  whole 
energy  of  the  nation.  It  is  said  that  there  were  at 
this  time  35,000  Highlanders  on  active  service. 

The  Macdonalds  of  Garvabeg  were  a  younger  branch 
of  the  Tullochcrom  family,  and  the  last  of  them  married 
Charlotte,  youngest  daughter  of  Alexander  Macdonell 
of  Keppoch,  who  was  killed  at  Culloden.  This  lady 
was  called  Charlotte  in  honour  of  Prince  Charles,  who 
was  staying  at  Keppoch  when  she  was  born. 

Garvabeg's  daughter,  Jessie,  married  John  M'Nab 
of  Shennagart  in  Argyllshire,  and  after  their  marriage 
they  came  to  live  at  Sherrabeg.  Their  son  also  took 
the  farm  of  Dalchully,  but  he  and  his  brother,  who 
had  succeeded  to  Sherrabeg,  became  involved  in  money 
difficulties,  which  forced  them  to  withdraw  from  the 
district. 

The  Macdonalds  of  Garvamore  were  another  old 
Catholic  family,  closely  related  to  the  two  last  named. 
The  old  house  at  Garvamore,  which  at  one  time  was 
an  inn,  is  of  interest  as  having  been  built  by  General 
Wade  at  the  time  he  was  making  his  great  road  over 
Corryarrick.  Over  this  road  a  carriage  and  four  could 
pass  without  difficulty,  and  the  celebrated  Glengarry 
is  known  often  to  have  driven  across  when  visiting 
Badenoch,  whilst  the  well  at  the  top  is  still  known  as 
Lady  Glengarry's  Well. 

An  anecdote  characteristic  of  the  times  is  told  of 
the  house  at  Garvamore.  Half  a  century  ago  it  was 
the  residence  of  a  much  respected  Catholic  family, 
who  were  justly  proud  of  their  distant  home  amid 
wild  and  romantic  scenery.  They  had  often  spoken 
of  its  charms  to  one  of  their  relatives  resident  in  the 


BADENOCH  139 

south  of  England.  At  their  earnest  entreaty  he  one 
year  came  up  to  visit  them  at  the  Garvamore  of  which 
he  had  heard  so  much.  Arriving  late  in  the  evening, 
he  saw  little  of  the  surroundings  till  morning,  when, 
before  breakfast,  he  strolled  round  the  place.  Three 
times  he  sadly  walked  all  round  the  house,  and  at 
last  was  heard  to  repeat  to  himself :  "  Good  God ! 
good  God  !  Is  this  Garvamore  ? "  This,  however,  was 
at  a  time  when  the  Highland  houses  were  built  for 
warmth  and  comfort,  and  intended  to  be  lived  in 
throughout  the  year.  They  were  often  small  enough, 
and  wanting  in  architectural  beauty  ;  but  to  those 
who  knew  the  storms  which  raged  around  them,  they 
were  far  dearer  than  the  stately  mansions  which  have 
since  appeared  in  almost  every  district.  Indeed,  to 
those  who  know  the  Highlands,  year  in  year  out, 
there  is  no  more  cold  and  dismal  object  than  the 
"  Shooting  Lodge "  in  winter,  or  even  in  spring,  with 
its  air  of  desolation,  its  blinds  drawn  down,  its  gates 
often  locked,  as  though  it  were  no  part  of  the  life 
around  it. 

Another  family  of  influence  were  the  Macdonalds  of 
Sherrabeg.  They  were  originally  M'Killops,  but  took 
the  name  Macdonald  on  their  marrying  into  the 
Keppoch  family.  Closely  related  to  them  were  the 
Macdonalds  of  Coul,  from  whom  was  Colonel  Eeginald 
Macdonald.  As  a  young  man  he  attracted  the  attention 
of  "the  friend  of  the  Highland  soldier,"  the  Marquis 
of  Huntly,  then  commanding  his  regiment  the  92nd. 
From  various  appointments  Macdonald  rose  to  the  post 
of  Adjutant-General  of  the  Bombay  Presidency,  but 
died  31st  May  1848,  at  the  early  age  of  fifty-four.  He 


140  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

had  seen  much  active  service  in  India,  besides  having 
been  wounded  at  Waterloo.  In  India  he  was  greatly 
beloved  and  esteemed,  so  that  a  comrade  in  arms  related 
that  "  a  more  excellent  man  in  every  relation  I  never 
knew."  He  was  devotedly  attached  to  his  native 
parish,  and  sent  a  sum  of  money  every  year  to  the 
poor  of  Laggan.  When  the  last  of  his  sisters  died,  the 
Colonel's  portrait  was  sent  from  Coul  to  Cluny  Castle 
and  hung  there  in  a  prominent  place.  This  portrait 
proves  Colonel  Macdonald  to  have  been  of  fine  physique 
and  handsome  features,  a  worthy  type  of  the  many 
gallant  officers  whom  the  district  produced  at  the  time 
of  the  French  wars  and  later.  The  following  lines, 
placed  over  the  grave  of  another  devoted  soldier-son 
of  Laggan,  might  well  have  adorned  the  tomb  of  Colonel 
Eeginald  Macdonald : — 

"  Lord,  whilst  for  all  mankind  we  pray, 

Of  every  clime  and  coast, 
Oh,  hear  us  for  our  native  land, 
The  land  we  love  the  most. 

"  Our  fathers'  sepulchres  are  here, 
And  here  our  kindred  dwell, 
Our  children,  too  ; — how  shall  we  love 
Another  land  as  well." 

These  lines  remind  one  of  the  poetic  genius,  who  is 
perhaps  the  greatest  pride  of  Laggan,  Mrs  Annie  Grant, 
wife  of  the  parish  minister.  The  daughter  of  the 
barrack-master  at  Fort  Augustus,  she  married  the 
chaplain  of  the  garrison  there,  who  in  1779  was 
appointed  to  the  charge  of  Laggaii,  where  Mrs  Grant 
spent  over  twenty  years  of  married  life.  From  Laggan 


BADENOCH  141 

she  wrote  her  "  Letters  from  the  Highlands "  and  the 
greater  part  of  her  poems,  all  of  which  breathe  a  purity 
of  idea  and  a  devotion  to  her  native  scenes  which 
make  them  most  delightful  reading  even  after  a  century 
has  passed.  The  now  popular  song,  of  which  the  author 
ship  and  the  scenes  are  often  enough  overlooked,  is  so 
full  of  memories  of  Laggan  and  of  the  splendid  men 
it  gave  to  Britain,  that  it  will  find  a  fitting  place  in 
these  pages  : — 

"  Oh,  where,  tell  me  where,  is  your  Highland  Laddie  gone  ? 
Oh,  where,  tell  me  where,  is  your  Highland  Laddie  gone  ? 
He's  gone  with  streaming  banners,  where  noble  deeds  are  done, 
And  my  sad  heart  will  tremble  till  he  come  safely  home. 
He's  gone  with  streaming  banners,  where  noble  deeds  are  done, 
And  my  sad  heart  will  tremble  till  he  come  safely  home. 

"  Oh,  where,  tell  me  where,  did  your  Highland  Laddie  stay  ? 
Oh,  where,  tell  me  where,  did  your  Highland  Laddie  stay  ? 
He  dwelt  beneath  the  holly  trees,  beside  the  rapid  Spey, 
And  many  a  blessing  followed  him,  the  day  he  went  away. 
He  dwelt  beneath  the  holly  trees,  beside  the  rapid  Spey, 
And  many  a  blessing  followed  him,  the  day  he  went  away. 

"  Oh,  what,  tell  me  what,  does  your  Highland  Laddie  wear  ? 
Oh,  what,  tell  me  what,  does  your  Highland  Laddie  wear  ? 
A  bonnet  with  a  lofty  plume,  the  gallant  badge  of  war, 
And  a  plaid  across  the  manly  breast  that  yet  shall  wear  a  star. 
A  bonnet  with  a  lofty  plume,  the  gallant  badge  of  war, 
And  a  plaid  across  the  manly  breast  that  yet  shall  wear  a  star. 

"  Suppose,  ah,  suppose  that  some  cruel,  cruel  wound 
Should  pierce   your  Highland  Laddie,    and  all  your  hopes 

confound  ! 
The  pipe  would  play  a  cheering  march,  the  banners  round  him 

%, 

The  spirit  of  a  Highland  chief  would  lighten  in  his  eye. 


142  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

The  pipe  would  play  a  cheering  march,  the  banners  round  him 

fly, 

And  for  his  King  and  country  dear  with  pleasure  he  would  die  ! 

"  But  I  will  hope  to  see  him  yet  in  Scotland's  bonny  bounds  : 
But  I  will  hope  to  see  him  yet  in  Scotland's  bonny  bounds ; 
His  native  land  of  liberty  shall  nurse  his  glorious  wounds, 
While  wide  through  all  our  Highland  hills  his  warlike  name 

resounds  ! 

His  native  land  of  liberty  shall  nurse  his  glorious  wounds, 
While  wide  through  all  our  Highland  hills  his  warlike  name 

resounds." 

The  nobleman  in  whose  honour  these  lines  were 
written  did  indeed  return  to  "Scotland's  bonny  bounds," 
where  he  later  succeeded  his  father  as  fifth  and  last 
Duke  of  Gordon.  Not  only  his  warlike  name,  but 
his  kindness  and  hospitality  also,  resounded  far  beyond 
his  own  possessions  in  Badenoch  and  the  other  High 
land  districts,  where  he  was  immensely  popular. 

But  to  return  to  the  tenant  farmers  of  Laggan. 
Many  are  the  tales  related  of  Mr  John  M'Nab — 
Dalchully,  he  was  generally  called.  At  one  time  he 
attained  to  no  small  prosperity,  and  was  accustomed 
to  drive  a  very  fine  pair  of  greys  the  twenty-four  miles 
into  Kingussie  and  back.  Nothing  pleased  him  better 
than  to  meet  Cluny  on  the  road,  for  then  he  would 
whip  up  bis  pair,  and  with  a  deal  of  whistling  and  a 
grand  hallabaloo,  would  pass  the  chief,  wbose  quiet 
pair  were  no  match  for  Dalchully 's.  After  driving 
on  a  mile,  he  would  slow  down  and  let  Cluny  pass 
him.  Then  for  a  second  and  third  time  he  would 
whip  up  his  horses  and  pass  the  laird,  between  whom 
and  himself  there  was  little  love  lost, 


BADENOCH  143 

Another  time  Richard  Hobb — his  mother  had  the 
hotel  at  Kingussie — was  driving  along  a  narrow  and 
dangerous  piece  of  road.  Cluny  came  up  behind  and 
whistled  and  shouted,  but  all  to  no  effect,  for  Hobb 
pretended  not  to  know  it  was  the  chief  who  wanted 
to  pass.  At  last  they  reached  the  entrance  to  Cluny 
Castle,  when  the  laird  shouted  to  Hobb  and  demanded 
who  he  was  that  thus  stopped  the  road :  "  Ah,  Laird, 
Laird,"  said  Richard,"  I  was  thinking  it  was  M'Nab  and 
his  pair  that  were  in  it."  "Did  you  now,"  replied 
Cluny  ;  "  and  here's  half  a  crown  for  your  trouble." 

There  was  considerable  jealousy  between  Dalchully 
and  Macdonald  of  Strathmashie,  a  large  farmer  a  mile 
or  more  distant.  At  a  sale  of  furniture  in  some  small 
cottage  Dalchully  bid  5s.  for  an  old  chair  that 
was  certainly  worth  no  more.  Strathmashie  bid  6s., 
which  so  annoyed  Dalchully  that  he  went  on  with  his 
bidding  until  £5  was  reached,  when  the  chair  was 
knocked  down  to  Strathmashie.  "  Ah,  ah  !  Macdonald 
Strathmashie,"  shouted  Dalchully  before  all  the  com 
pany,  "  you've  got  the  chair,  and  a  fine  price  you've 
had  to  pay  for  it." 

The  old  tenant  farmers  are,  however,  all  out  of  the 
district  now.  They  had  lived  over  a  century  on  their 
lands,  but  they  gave  way  in  the  middle  of  last  century 
to  large  sheep  farmers  from  the  south,  who  offered  high 
rents  for  the  lands,  but  had  no  interest  in  the  district. 
It  has  been  truly  said  that  these  seldom  got  much 
benefit,  only  a  very  few  seeing  the  end  of  their  leases. 

From  the  tenant  farmers,  if  we  pass  to  the  crofter 
population,  the  same  story  has  to  be  told.  Many  of 
them  were  of  very  old  descent,  and  often  nearly  related 


144  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

to  the  upper  classes,  but  few  of  them  are  now  repre 
sented  in  the  chapel.  They  either  died  out  or  emigrated, 
when  their  holdings  were  at  once  put  under  sheep  or 
deer.  The  Catholic  hamlets  had  indeed  at  one  time  been 
numerous  in  the  Upper  Glen.  Achnashellach  at  one 
time  had  probably  twelve  or  fourteen  families ;  not  a 
vestige  now  remains  except  a  few  stones  to  mark  its  site. 
Western  Crathie  had  about  an  equal  number,  now  only 
two  houses  remain.  Sherradune  had  a  dozen  families 
at  least — not  a  house  remains.  Sherramore  had  eight 
or  ten  families — none  remain.  Garvabeg  had  several 
families — only  a  shepherd's  house  remains.  Easter 
Crathie  had  thirty  or  more  houses  ;  at  present  about 
eight  remain. 

Of  these,  inhabitants  of  a  once  productive  and  prosper 
ous  district,  many  have  emigrated  in  the  hope  of  doing 
better — a  hope  in  which  we  all  unite.  But  many  have 
undoubtedly  done  worse,  and  at  present  one  cannot  help 
feeling  that  the  days  will  soon  come  back  when  the 
holdings  in  the  upper  valley  of  the  Spey  will  again  be 
tenanted,  and  the  homes  which  produced  so  many  gallant 
officers  and  such  numbers  of  the  best  rank  and  file  will 
again  be  the  happy  scenes  of  youthful  mirth  and  of 
joyous  gatherings,  so  that  the  lines,  already  quoted, 
on  the  tomb  of  the  old  soldier  in  Laggan  Churchyard 
may  again  come  true  : — 

"  Our  fathers  sepulchres  are  here, 
And  here  our  kindred  dwell, 
Our  children,  too  ; — how  shall  we  love 
Another  land  as  well." 


LOCH  ABE R 


"  0  Lochaber,  dear  Lochaber, 

Thy  wooded  glens  and  braes, 
Teem  with  the  tales  of  chivalry 
That  speak  of  other  days. 

"  Across  the  hazy  distance 

Thy  children  look  and  long, 
For  thy  spell  is  found  resistless, 

And  their  hearts  beat  true  and  strong." 

Miss  ALICE  MACDONELL,  of  Keppoch, 
Loyal  Lochaber,  xxvii. 

TRULY  do  the  Glens  and  Braes  of  old  Lochaber  teem 
with  the  tales  of  chivalry,  for  from  the  year  1431 — the 
date  of  the  first  battle  of  Inverlochy— till  1746— the 
year  of  Culloden — the  men  of  Lochaber  had  little  other 
occupation  than  that  of  defending  their  own  bounds, 
or  of  carrying  on  war  beyond  the  limits  of  their  own 
country. 

Having  in  the  previous  chapters  dealt  almost  ex 
clusively  with  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  the  several 
districts,  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  take  a  some 
what  lengthy  survey  of  the  history  of  Lochaber.  This 
will  enable  the  reader  to  understand  better  the  life 

VOL.  i.  145  K 


146  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

throughout  the  whole  of  the  Highlands  during  this 
period,  for  if  the  restless  spirit  was  rather  more  preva 
lent  in  Lochaber  than  elsewhere,  the  difference  was 
only  one  of  degree,  and  that  probably  not  very  marked. 

During  these  three  hundred  years  the  chief  families 
of  Lochaber,  the  Camerons,  under  their  chief  Lochiel, 
and  the  Macdonalds,  under  the  Laird  of  Keppoch,  were 
generally  found  fighting  side  by  side.  Indeed,  the 
sympathies  of  the  two  clans  were  largely  the  same. 
Both  were  ardent  Jacobites,  both  had  long-standing 
enmity  against  the  Earls  of  Argyle  and  the  Clan 
Campbell.  Moreover,  even  in  religion  there  were 
often  good  reasons  for  united  action,  the  Camerons 
having  been  Catholic  for  several  generations  after  the 
Eeformation,  whilst  later  they  were  supporters  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  of  Scotland  against  the  Covenant ; 
whilst  the  Macdonalds  were  always  staunch  "  Papists." 
Indeed  the  Camerons,  surrounded  as  they  were  on 
three  sides  by  the  great  Catholic  clans  of  the 
Macdonalds  of  Clanranald,  Glengarry,  and  Keppoch, 
had  early  learned  those  principles  of  toleration  which 
distinguished  many  districts  of  the  Highlands  long 
before  they  were  known  elsewhere  in  Britain. 

The  battle  of  Inveiiochy  mentioned  above  was 
followed  in  1460  by  that  at  Corpach  on  Loch  Eil  side, 
in  which  the  Camerons  drove  the  intruded  M'Leans 
from  the  lands  which  the  former  have  not  ceased  to 
occupy  down  to  the  present  day.  In  1493  Alex. 
Macdonald,  Lord  of  the  Isles,  and  Donald,  of  Keppoch, 
his  cousin,  were  forfeited  for  rebellion,  and  the  ancient 
title  of  the  Lord  of  the  Isles  was  suppressed.  Twelve 
years  later,  Donald  Dubh  of  the  Isles  again  rose  in 


LOCHABER  147 

rebellion  to  recover  his  forfeited  title  and  possessions, 
and  Donald  Glas,  of  Keppoch,  supported  him.  They 
marched  through  Badenoch,  which  they  laid  waste, 
and  reaching  Inverness  destroyed  it  by  fire.  It  needed 
the  utmost  efforts  on  the  part  of  King  James  IV.  to 
put  down  this  revolt  from  his  authority ;  but  at  last 
Donald  Dubh  was  taken  prisoner  and  his  forfeited 
lands  were  given  to  other  Highland  chiefs.  It  was 
Donald  Glas,  above  mentioned,  who  built  the  old  castle 
of  Keppoch,  which  stood  on  Tom  Beag  at  the  foot  of 
the  Eiver  Koy,  where  it  joins  the  Spean,  close  to  the 
site  where  his  descendants,  three  hundred  years  later, 
built  the  present  house  of  Keppoch. 

It  was  immediately  after  the  insurrection  of  Donald 
Dubh  that  the  Gordons  began  to  acquire  influence  in 
Lochaber,  an  influence  which  in  this,  as  well  as  in 
so  large  a  portion  of  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  was 
to  have  a  large  share  in  saving  the  Catholic  Faith 
from  total  extinction  in  those  parts.  Alexander,  Earl 
of  Huntly,  at  once  restored  the  Castle  of  Inverlochy, 
a  fortress  which  was  long  the  key  to  the  military 
power  of  Lochaber,  until  it  was  superseded  by  the  one 
which  gave  its  name  to  the  present  town  of  Fort 
William. 

In  1544  George  Gordon,  Earl  of  Huntly,  tried  to 
enforce  the  claims  of  Eanald  Galda  to  the  chieftain 
ship  of  Clanranald,  claims  which  were  resisted  by  the 
majority  of  the  clansmen,  to  whom  support  was  rendered 
by  Kanald  Macdonell,  Chief  of  Keppoch,  Alaster 
Macdonald,  of  Glengarry,  and  by  the  Camerons  under 
Lochiel.  On  the  other  hand,  Huntly  had  the  support 
of  the  Erasers,  amongst  whom  Eanald  Galda  had  been 


148  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

educated,  of  the  Grants  of  Strathspey  and  Glemnori- 
ston,  and  of  a  large  number  of  the  Mackintoshes  from 
Badenoch.  A  show  of  submission  was  made  to  the 
authority  of  Huntly,  who  thereupon  departed  with 
part  of  his  forces,  leaving  the  Erasers  and  the  Grants 
to  make  their  way  home  through  Glen  Mor.  At  the 
far  end  of  Loch  Lochy  these  two  clans  were  met  by 
the  whole  body  of  the  Macdonalds,  whom  they  had 
considered  disbanded,  and  a  battle — one  of  the  most 
sanguinary  in  the  history  of  the  Highlands — took  place. 
From  the  fact  that  the  July  heat  made  the  combatants 
doff  the  major  part  of  their  garments,  this  battle  has 
been  ever  after  known  as  Blar  nan  leine  (the  Battle  of 
the  Shirts).  Lord  Lovat,  his  eldest  son,  and  over  eighty 
gentlemen  of  the  clan  were  massacred,  besides  a  great 
host  of  their  followers. 

The  unhappy  cause  of  the  dispute,  Kanald  Galda,  was 
slain  by  treachery,  whilst  the  leaders  of  the  victorious 
side,  Lochiel,  Keppoch,  and  Iain  Moirdartach  of  Clan- 
ranald,  were  outlawed  at  the  instigation  of  Huntly. 
The  last  -  named  chief  succeeded  in  gaining  Castle 
Tirrim,  from  which  he  could  laugh  at  all  efforts  to 
dislodge  him,  but  the  other  two  were  taken  prisoners 
and  executed  at  Elgin  in  1547. 

Another  chief  of  Keppoch  whom  good  fortune  alone 
saved  from  a  similar  fate  was  Alasdair  nan  Cleas 
(Alexander  of  the  Tricks).  He  is  said  to  have  been 
educated  in  Home,  and  was  one  of  the  most  accom 
plished  men  of  his  day.  Indeed,  his  dexterity  in  tricks 
of  conjuring  procured  for  him  his  by-name  "Nan 
Cleas,"  as  well  as  the  less  desirable  reputation  for 
sorcery,  which  he  was  said  to  have  learned  during  his 


LOCHABER  149 

stay  abroad.  "The  stormy  career  of  this  rebellious 
chief"1  opened  with  his  entering  heartily  into  the 
quarrel  between  the  Earls  of  Huntly  and  Moray.  In 
1588  letters  of  fire  and  sword  were  granted  against 
him  to  Huntly,  who,  however,  preferred  to  protect  his 
allies  of  Lochaber  in  order  to  play  them  off  against  his 
personal  enemies.  In  1592  Alexander  of  Keppoch  laid 
waste  the  lands  of  the  Grants  and  of  the  Mackintoshes, 
and  again  a  commission  of  fire  and  sword  against  him 
was  granted  to  Lord  Lovat,  Mackintosh,  Grant  of 
Freuchie,  etc.  In  1594  Keppoch  was  present  at  the 
battle  of  Glenlivet,  where  the  Earl  of  Argyle,  the 
King's  Lieutenant,  was  defeated.  Again  in  1602 
Keppoch  was  denounced  rebel  for  hership  and  fire- 
raising  at  Moy,  the  residence  of  Mackintosh  ;  whilst 
in  1608  a  remission  was  granted  him  under  the  Privy 
Seal  of  a  very  serious  catalogue  of  crimes,  namely, 
slaughter  at  Strathardle  and  Glenshee,  slaughter  in  the 
town  of  Inverness,  and  the  burning  of  the  house  of  the 
Commissary,  fire-raising  in  Athole,  and  the  burning  of 
the  house  of  Neil  Stewart  MacGillechallum,  in  which 
perished  John  Dow  MacGillechallum. 

In  1615  this  same  chief  was  the  principal  agent  in 
the  escape  of  Sir  James  Macdonald  of  Dunnyveg  from 
Edinburgh  Castle  ;  and  having  supported  Sir  James  in 
his  rebellion,  a  reward  of  no  less  than  5,000  merks 
each  was  offered  for  Keppoch  and  his  son,  dead  or 
alive,  so  that  these  two  were  both  forced  to  seek  refuge 
on  the  Continent.  In  1620  they  returned  to  London, 
however,  and  were  received  into  the  favour  of  King 

1  "The  Clan  Donald,"  Rev.  A.  &  A.  Macdonald,  vol.  ii.  p.  618 
et  seq. 


150  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

James,  this  time  for  disclosing  to  the  English  Govern 
ment  the  details  of  a  contemplated  Spanish  invasion. 
Alexander  of  Keppoch  was  now  allowed  to  return  to 
Lochaber,  where  he  lived  in  peace  during  the  rest  of 
his  life. 

It  is  of  him  that  the  story  of  the  candlesticks  is  told. 
On  his  return  from  exile  in  Spain,  he  was  entertained 
at  the  house  of  an  English  gentleman,  who  had  been 
the  companion  of  his  college  days.  While  they  sat  at 
dinner,  the  conversation  turned  on  the  massive  plate 
displayed  by  the  host,  amongst  which  were  some  very 
handsome  silver  candlesticks,  of  rare  workmanship 
and  of  great  value.  The  host  drew  the  attention  of 
Keppoch  to  them,  rer  arking  that  in  his  Highland 
home  he  could  not  boact  of  such  magnificent  candle 
sticks.  Keppoch  replied  by  saying  that  in  his  house 
he  could  produce  candlesticks  that  surpassed  them  far, 
both  in  beauty  of  design  and  in  intrinsic  value,  and 
if  he  could  not  prove  his  assertion  he  was  prepared 
to  pay  three  times  the  value  of  the  candlesticks.  In 
course  of  time,  on  Keppoch's  return  home,  his  English 
friend  was  a  guest  at  his  house,  when  he  reminded 
him  of  his  boasted  candlesticks  and  his  wager.  "  You 
shall  see  them  immediately,"  replied  Keppoch.  Dinner 
soon  followed,  when  into  the  banqueting-hall  marched 
twelve  stalwart  Highlanders  in  their  picturesque  native 
garb,  and  ranging  themselves  round  the  hall,  they  held 
aloft  flaming  pine  torches.  "  These  are  my  candle 
sticks,"  observed  the  proud  chief,  "  and  all  the  gold  in 
England  would  not  buy  them."  The  Englishman  at 
once  acknowledged  that  he  had  lost  the  wager. 

This  brief  sketch  of  the  life  and  exploits  of  Alexander 


KEPPOCH'S  CA.\]>J,KSTICK$. 


To  face  page  150. 


LOCHABER  151 

of  Keppoch  will  serve  as  a  sample  of  the  lives  of  the 
Lochaber  chieftains.  The  cultured  tastes  which  they 
acquired  had  a  difficult  task  to  overcome  the  savage 
disposition  which  their  constant  warfare  fostered,  and 
hence  the  extraordinary  contrasts  which  these  men 
exhibited  even  at  the  time  of  the  Eising  of  1745. 

In  1613  the  Chief  of  the  Camerons  was  by  fraud 
won  over  to  submit  to  the  overlordship  of  Argyle  in 
opposition  to  that  of  Huntly.  A  large  part  of  the  clan, 
however,  refused  to  follow  their  chief  in  this  alliance 
with  the  hereditary  enemy  of  their  race,  and  declared 
their  adhesion  to  Huntly.  They  even  plotted  the  death 
of  Lochiel,  who  would  undoubtedly  have  fallen  a  victim, 
had  he  not  got  wind  of  the  conspiracy,  and  coming  to 
the  meeting-place  with  a  large  body  of  retainers,  over 
powered  the  malcontents.  For  this  he,  as  well  as 
Macdonell  of  Keppoch,  was  outlawed,  but  on  the  death 
of  Mackintosh  —  always  a  willing  party  in  foment 
ing  discord  in  Lochaber  —  the  outlawed  chiefs  were 
pardoned. 

From  mere  clan  battles,  such  as  the  preceding,  the 
warriors  of  Lochaber  now  became  engaged  in  the 
national  quarrel  between  King  and  Covenant.  It 
would  appear  that  Charles  I.  was  in  the  early  years  of 
his  reign  beloved  by  the  bulk  of  the  people  of  Scotland, 
who  would  not  have  been  averse  to  Church  Govern 
ment  by  bishops.  But  such  an  idea  meant  that  the 
nobles  would  be  called  upon  to  disgorge  the  rich  lands 
which  they  had  seized  from  the  Church,  and  they  were 
in  consequence  much  opposed  to  it.  Then  followed  the 
unwise  proceedings  of  Archbishop  Laud,  who  sought 
to  force  the  English  Church  liturgy  on  the  Church 


152  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

of  Scotland.  In  self  -  defence  the  Presbyterians  of 
Scotland  bound  themselves  by  oath  to  eradicate 
prelacy,  and  to  defend  their  separate  church.  This 
bond  was  known  as  the  National  Covenant,  and  was 
signed  by  rich  and  poor  throughout  Scotland.  Amongst 
those  who  signed  it  was  James  Graham — the  "  Great 
Marquis  "  of  Montrose — a  man  whose  history  appeals 
so  strongly  to  the  sympathy  of  the  Highlander,  be 
he  Catholic  or  non- Catholic.  Indeed  to  the  Catholic 
Highlander  he  is  the  "  beau  ideal "  of  the  cavalier  who 
defended  what  he  thought  to  be  the  right,  was  willing 
to  sever  himself  from  the  Covenant  when  he  found  it  to 
be  disloyal  to  the  King,  and  continued  in  unswerving 
fidelity  to  the  throne,  until  he  died — excommunicated 
by  the  Kirk  of  Scotland — a  martyr  on  the  scaffold  for 
his  principles. 

And  indeed  few  characters  can  more  justly  lay  claim 
to  be  a  "  beau  ideal."  Here  is  a  description  of  him  at 
the  age  of  twenty  : — "  a  bodie  not  tall,  but  comely  and 
well  composed  in  all  his  lineaments ;  his  complexion 
nearly  whitee  with  flaxin  haire;  of  a  stayed,  grave, 
and  solide  looke,  and  yet  his  eyes  sparkling,  and  full  of 
lyfe ;  of  speache  slowe,  but  wittie  and  full  of  sence ; 
a  presence  graitfull,  courtly,  and  so  winneing  upon 
the  beholders,  as  it  seemed  to  claim  reverence  without 
sewing  for  it."  Of  his  military  exploits  the  following 
are  the  more  noticeable.  In  1639  he,  in  command  of 
the  forces  of  the  Covenant,  took  the  town  of  Aberdeen, 
which  he  obliged  to  accept  the  Covenant.  Lord  Aboyne 
in  the  next  year  being  sent  against  him,  Montrose 
defeated  him  totally  at  Bridge  of  Dee.  In  1640  he 
had  command  of  two  regiments  in  the  army  which 


LOCHABER  153 

marched  into  England.  He  led  the  van  of  that  army 
across  the  Tweed,  when,  alighting  from  his  horse,  he 
marched  through  the  river  on  foot,  and  contributed  to 
the  victory  at  Newburn,  28th  August  1640.  In  1644 
he  was  in  command  of  the  King's  forces,  and  was  in 
consequence  excommunicated  by  the  General  Assembly 
of  the  Kirk.  In  May  1644  he  was  raised  to  the 
dignity  of  Marquis,  routed  the  parliamentary  garrison 
at  Morpeth,  and  threw  provisions  into  Newcastle ;  on 
the  defeat  of  Prince  Eupert  at  Marston  Moor  he  left 
his  men  with  that  General,  and  returned  to  Scotland 
to  recruit  further  forces  for  the  King. 

Disguised  as  a  groom,  with  only  two  attendants, 
Montrose  arrived  in  Strathearn,  where  he  continued 
until  rumour  announced  the  approach  of  1,500  Irish, 
who,  after  ravaging  the  extreme  north  of  Argyllshire, 
had  traversed  the  extensive  range  of  Lochaber  and 
Badenoch.  On  descending  into  Atholl  in  August  1644 
they  were  surprised  by  the  unexpected  appearance  of 
their  General,  Montrose,  in  the  garb  of  a  mountaineer, 
with  a  single  attendant,  but  his  name  was  sufficient 
to  increase  his  army  to  3,000  men.  He  attacked  an 
army  of  the  Covenanters  of  over  6,000  foot  and  horse 
at  Tippermuir,  in  Perthshire,  totally  routed  them,  and 
took  their  artillery  and  baggage,  without  losing  a  man. 
Perth  immediately  surrendered  to  him,  but  on  the 
approach  of  Argyle,  Montrose  abandoned  that  place 
and  went  north.  He  defeated  the  Covenanters  under 
Lord  Lewis  Gordon  at  the  Bridge  of  Dee,  and  continued 
the  pursuit  to  the  gates  of  Aberdeen,  which  the  victors 
entered  with  the  vanquished. 

As  Argyle  was   advancing  with    a   superior   force, 


154  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Montrose  retreated  northward,  expecting  the  support 
of  the  Gordons.  But  in  this  he  was  disappointed,  and 
finding  the  banks  of  the  Spey  guarded,  he  retreated 
over  the  mountains  into  Badenoch,  burying  his  artillery 
in  a  morass.  He  next  descended  into  Atholl  and 
Angus,  pursued  by  Argyle,  but  by  a  sudden  march 
repassed  the  Grampians  and  returned  to  rouse  the 
Gordons  to  arms.  At  Fyvie  he  was  almost  surprised 
by  Argyle,  but  he  maintained  a  situation  advantage 
ously  chosen  against  the  reiterated  attacks  of  a  superior 
army  till  nightfall,  when  he  made  good  his  retreat  into 
Badenoch.  He  immediately  proceeded  into  Argyllshire, 
which  he  ravaged  with  fire  and  sword,  whilst  sentence 
of  forfeiture  was  passed  against  him  in  Parliament. 
Argyle,  exasperated  by  the  devastation  of  his  estates, 
marched  against  Montrose,  who,  without  waiting  to 
be  attacked,  surprised  the  army  of  the  Covenanters 
at  Inverlochy,  in  Lochaber,  2nd  February  1645,  and 
totally  routed  them,  no  less  than  1,500  Campbells 
perishing  in  the  battle,  while  Montrose  lost  but  four 
or  five  men.  He  now  proceeded  into  Moray,  where 
he  was  joined  by  the  Gordons  and  Grants ;  they 
marched  to  the  southward,  taking  Dundee  by  storm ; 
but  being  attacked  by  a  superior  force  under  Generals 
Baillie  and  Hurry,  Montrose  began  to  retreat.  Baillie 
and  Hurry  divided  their  forces  to  prevent  his  return 
to  the  north,  but  by  a  masterly  movement  he  passed 
between  their  divisions,  and  regained  the  hills.  He 
defeated  General  Hurry  at  Aldern,  near  Nairn,  on  4th 
May  1645,  when  2,000  of  the  Covenanters  were  left 
dead  on  the  field  of  battle.  Following  up  that  victory 
Montrose  encountered  and  defeated  General  Baillie  at 


LOCHABER  155 

Alford.  His  victories  attracted  reinforcements  from 
every  quarter,  and  he  marched  south  at  the  head  of 
6,000  men.  He  again  encountered  the  Covenanters 
at  Kilsyth,  and  defeated  them  with  great  slaughter. 
Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  now  submitted  to  him,  and 
he  prepared  to  march  into  England ;  but  on  13th 
September  1646  he  was  surprised  and  totally  defeated 
at  Philiphaugh  by  General  Leslie,  and  his  brave  army 
dispersed. 

In  1650  he  was  again  in  command  of  an  army  in  the 
Highlands,  but  was  defeated  at  Invercharron,  when 
Montrose  disguised  himself  as  a  common  private  and, 
swimming  across  the  Kyle,  fled  up  Strathoikell  to 
Assynt,  where  he  was  betrayed  to  General  Leslie. 

Every  possible  indignity  was  now  heaped  upon  him. 
He  was  received  by  the  Magistrates  of  Edinburgh  at 
the  Watergate,  placed  on  an  elevated  seat  in  a  cart, 
to  which  he  was  pinioned  with  cords,  and,  preceded 
by  his  officers,  coupled  together,  was  conducted  bare 
headed  by  the  public  executioner  to  the  common  gaol. 
But  his  magnanimity  was  superior  to  every  insult.  In 
reply  to  a  most  degrading  sentence  passed  upon  him, 
he  vindicated  his  dereliction  of  the  Covenant  by  their 
rebellion  against  the  King,  and  his  appearance  in  arms 
by  the  commission  of  his  sovereign,  and  he  declared 
that  as  he  had  formerly  laid  down,  so  he  had  again 
resumed,  his  arms  by  His  Majesty's  command.  With 
dignified  magnanimity  he  replied  that  he  was  prouder 
to  have  his  head  affixed  to  the  prison  walls  than  his 
portrait  placed  in  the  King's  bedchamber,  and  that  "  far 
from  being  troubled  that  my  limbs  are  to  be  sent  to 
your  principal  towns,  I  wish  I  had  flesh  enough  to  be 


156  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

dispersed  through  Christendom  to  attest  my  dying 
attachment  to  my  King."  It  was  the  calm  employment 
of  his  mind  that  night  to  reduce  his  extravagant 
sentiments  to  verse,  and  he  wrote  with  his  diamond 
ring  on  his  prison  window,  these  verses : — 

"  Let  them  bestow  on  every  airth  a  limb, 
Then  open  all  my  veins  that  I  may  swim 
To  Thee,  my  Maker,  in  that  crimson  lake, 
Then  place  my  parboiled  head  upon  a  stake  ; 

"  Scatter  my  ashes,  strew  them  thro'  the  air, 
Lord,  since  Thou  knowest  where  all  these  atoms  are, 
I'm  hopeful  Thou'lt  recover  once  my  dust 
And  confident  Thou'lt  raise  me  with  the  just." 

The  "  Great  Marquis  "  appeared  next  day,  21st  May, 
on  the  scaffold  in  a  rich  habit,  with  the  same  serene 
and  undaunted  countenance,  and  addressed  the  people 
to  vindicate  his  dying  unabsolved  by  the  Kirk.  "He 
stepped  along  the  street,"  wrote  an  eyewitness,  "  with 
so  great  state,  and  there  appeared  in  his  countenance 
so  much  beauty,  majesty,  and  gravity,  as  amazed  all 
beholders.  And  many  of  his  enemies  did  acknowledge 
him  to  be  the  bravest  subject  in  the  world,  and  in  him 
a  gallantry  that  graced  all  the  crowd,  more  beseeming 
a  monarch  than  a  peer."  Thus  perished,  at  the  early 
age  of  thirty-eight,  the  gallant  Marquis  of  Montrose, 
with  the  reputation  of  one  of  the  first  commanders 
of  the  age  (Douglas  Peerage).  His  chief  victory  was 
that  of  Inverlochy  in  Lochaber,  and  the  greatest  of  his 
military  feats  were  his  marches  and  counter-marches 
from  Badenoch  into  Lochaber  and  Argyll. 

Ranald   Macdonell,  Alexander's   son,   was   chief  of 


LOCHABER  157 

Keppoch  when  the  Earl  of  Argyle  paid  Lochaber  an 
unwelcome  visit.  The  Earl  had  received  orders  from 
the  Committee  of  Estates  to  force  the  Earl  of  Airly 
to  subscribe  the  Covenant,  and  then  to  fall  upon  "  the 
Highland  limmers,  broken  out  of  Lochaber,  Brae  of 
Athol,  Brae  of  Mar,  and  diverse  other  places.  .  .  . 
Erom  Athol,  Argyle  goes  to  Lochaber ;  and  as  he 
marches,  he  gets  due  obedience  from  barons,  gentle 
men,  and  others  through  the  country ;  he  plundered 
and  spoiled  all  Lochaber,  and  burnt  Macdonald's  house 
of  Keppoch,  holder  of  the  House  of  Huntly.  He  left 
a  captain  with  200  men  to  keep  this  country ;  but 
they  were  all  killed  by  the  people  of  that  country. 
Thus  Argyle  goes  through  all,  men  offering  subjec 
tion  and  obedience  to  him,  whereof  he  sends  some  to 
Edinburgh  to  the  tables,  others  he  takes  to  swear 
and  subscribe  the  Covenant,  band  of  relief,  and  con 
tributing  to  the  good  cause,  and  suffered  them  to 
stay  at  home.  This  done  he  disbands  his  army,  and 
comes  down  Deeside,  about  1,200  men ;  but  what  order 
he  took  of  the  broken  men,  oppressors  of  the  country, 
was  not  mickle  heard,  so  forward  was  he  for  the 
Covenant." 

Spalding  is  probably  correct  enough  in  suggesting 
that  Keppoch's  refusal  to  subscribe  the  Covenant  was 
the  main  fault  for  which  he  had  to  bear  the  destruction 
of  his  home.  Eive  years  later,  however,  the  Lochaber 
men  had  their  full  revenge  on  the  Campbells  at  the 
battle  of  Inverlochy  above  mentioned,  for  in  this,  as 
well  as  in  the  other  engagements  of  Montrose,  Keppoch 
and  his  clansmen  always  took  a  prominent  share. 

The  next  commander  who  led  the  military  spirits 


158  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

of  Lochaber  was  Sir  Ewan  Cameron,  of  Lochiel.  He 
alone  of  the  neighbouring  chiefs  refused  to  submit  to 
General  Monk,  whose  far-seeing  talent  had  determined 
him  to  place  a  strong  permanent  garrison  in  the  heart  of 
the  rebellious  district.  Materials  for  the  construction 
of  the  fort  were  brought  by  sea,  and  several  hundred 
men  were  installed  under  Colonel  Bryan  at  the  new 
stronghold  at  the  foot  of  Ben  Nevis.  Sir  Ewan 
Cameron  had  wished  to  join  Montrose,  but  the 
Marquis's  capture  put  an  end  to  that  project;  in 
1652,  however,  he  served  under  the  Earl  of  Glencairn, 
to  whom  he  rendered  much  assistance.  Almost  im 
mediately  on  his  return  to  Lochaber  Lochiel  had  an 
engagement  with  the  Government  troops  and  drove 
them  with  considerable  slaughter  from  a  wood  on 
Lochiel  side  which  they  were  clearing.  Towards  the 
close  of  this  combat,  an  English  officer,  noticing  that 
Lochiel  had  been  separated  from  his  companions,  sprang 
forward  and  engaged  him  in  single  combat.  After 
some  moments  Lochiel  disarmed  his  opponent,  when 
the  powerfully  -  built  Englishman  closed  with  his 
Highland  antagonist,  and  after  a  desperate  struggle 
both  fell  to  the  ground,  clasped  in  a  deadly  embrace. 
It  chanced  that  the  officer  was  uppermost,  and  seeing 
his  sword  lying  within  a  few  paces,  he  made  a  frenzied 
effort  to  gain  possession  of  it;  while  in  the  act  of 
stretching  his  arm  in  the  direction  of  his  weapon,  he 
left  his  throat  unprotected,  and  Lochiel,  with  the 
desperation  of  a  man  in  mortal  peril,  immediately 
fastened  his  teeth  in  it,  and,  almost  mad  with  passion, 
bit  right  through  the  windpipe,  and  did  not  let  go  until 
his  enemy's  hold  loosened,  and  he  died  where  he  lay. 


LOCHABER  159 

Sir  Ewan's  severe  punishment  of  the  garrison  at 
Achdalieu  was  followed  not  long  after  by  another 
engagement,  in  which  at  least  a  hundred  Englishmen 
were  slain,  and  the  remaining  three  hundred  driven  in 
hopeless  confusion  back  to  the  Fort.  These  incidents 
made  so  great  an  impression  that  a  formal  treaty  was 
entered  into  between  the  Chief  of  the  Camerons  and 
the  English  commander,  who  accepted  Lochiel's  promise 
that  he  would  live  at  peace  with  his  neighbours ;  and 
on  this  condition  he  and  his  clansmen  were  not  only 
allowed  to  retain  their  arms,  but  he  was  to  receive  an 
indemnity  in  money  for  all  the  losses  he  had  sustained 
at  the  hands  of  the  garrison. 

Another  character  who  left  his  name  in  the  tradi 
tions  of  Lochaber  at  this  period  was  "  Iain  Lorn,"  the 
Bard  of  Keppoch.  He  is  generally  thought  to  have 
been  intended  for  the  priesthood,  and  with  this  object 
in  view  to  have  been  sent  to  the  Scots  College  in 
Spain.  But  he  was  not  found  suited  to  the  ecclesi 
astical  state,  and  returned  to  his  native  Lochaber. 
Here  he  acquired  immense  influence  by  his  powers  of 
minstrelsy,  and  was  a  most  powerful  ally  to  Montrose. 
It  was  he  who  first  carried  the  news  of  the  occupa 
tion  of  Inverlochy  by  the  Campbells  to  Montrose, 
and  he  afterwards  acted  as  guide  to  the  Great  Marquis 
in  his  difficult  marches  through  the  almost  inaccess 
ible  passes  of  Lochaber.  His  poem  on  the  battle  of 
Inverlochy  is  a  masterpiece  of  Gaelic  verse. 

In  1663  Iain  Lorn  was  busy  in  avenging  the  murder 
of  the  two  sons  of  Donald  Glas,  XL  Chief  of  Keppoch. 
These  two  youths  had  been  educated  in  France,  and 
during  their  absence,  seven  of  their  cousins  assumed 


160  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

the  management  of  the  estates.  The  return  of  the 
young  chiefs  was  looked  upon  with  ill  favour  by  these 
seven  brothers,  and  a  trifling  incident  at  the  home 
coming  banquet  became  the  cause  of  their  murder.  The 
great  body  of  the  clan  seemed  to  be  little  concerned 
about  the  matter,  but  Iain  Lorn  applied  to  one  chief 
after  the  other  to  avenge  the  murder.  At  last 
Macdonald  of  Sleat  promised  to  do  so,  and  placed  a 
body  of  men  at  Iain's  disposal.  The  house  of  the 
murderers  at  Inverlair  was  surrounded,  and  the  seven 
brothers  slain.  But  the  bard's  vengeance  was  not 
yet  satisfied.  He  had  carefully  preserved  the  dirk 
with  which  young  Keppoch  had  been  killed,  and  with 
it  he  now  cut  off  the  heads  of  the  seven  murderers, 
washed  them  in  a  well  at  the  side  of  Loch  Oich, 
presented  them  to  the  Chief  of  Glengarry — who  had 
refused  Iain  Lom's  request  for  assistance  —  and  then 
sent  them  to  Sir  Alexander  Macdonald  of  Sleat,  as 
proof  that  justice  had  been  done.  The  Bard  of  Keppoch 
continued  by  his  satirical  effusions  to  inflame  the 
already  restless  spirits  of  Lochaber  against  the  garrison 
at  Inverlochy,  and  in  general  against  the  House  of 
Orange.  He  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Killiecrankie, 
and  died  in  1709.  He  is  buried  at  Killechyrille, 
where  in  recent  years  a  monument  has  been  raised  to 
his  memory. 

The  character  of  this  famous  Bard  of  Keppoch  is 
well  described  in  the  following  passage.  "  His  talent, 
however,  lay  much  more  towards  railing,  which  was 
likewise  much  more  to  his  taste,  and  better  suited 
to  the  stern,  sullen,  and  inexorable  nature  of  his 
character;  and  many  epigrammatic  sayings  of  that 


LOCHABER  161 

description,  both  by  him  and  of  him,  are  still  re 
membered.  One  of  the  latter  kind,  by  a  Eobertson 
of  Straloch,  is  a  tolerably  good  account  of  the  general 
mode  of  life  led  by  the  bards  of  the  period : — 

"  *  John  Lorn,  the  greedy, 

A  bard  from  his  birth, 
Ever  railing  and  needy, 

A  night  in  each  hearth.' 

"He  was  naturally  taciturn  and  little  disposed  to 
contribute  that  species  of  amusement,  by  singing  and 
reciting,  which  the  bards  usually  reckoned  it  their 
duty  to  furnish  in  return  for  their  fare  and  accommoda 
tion  ;  and  in  one  particular,  like  the  singer  Tigellus, 
he  never  sang  when  called  upon.  Those  who  were 
fond  of  that  amusement,  and  understood  the  bard's 
humour,  commenced  a  blundering  recitation  of  some 
favourite  song  or  poem,  upon  which  the  bard,  after 
exclaiming,  '  Silence,  beast !  it  was  thus  said  by  the 
author/  proceeded  with  the  recitation  in  the  proper 
manner.  Being  a  keen  Jacobite,  like  the  generality 
of  his  clan,  and  a  mortal  hater  of  the  Saxons,  the 
public  events  of  his  time  afforded  him  abundant 
subject  and  provocation  for  the  exercise  of  his  railing 
art."  i 

Lochaber  has  the  peculiar  distinction  of  being  the 
last  district  wherein  was  fought  a  clan  battle,  namely, 
that  of  Mulroy.  For  over  two  hundred  years  the  chief 
of  the  Mackintoshes  at  Moy  had  laid  claim  to  over- 
lordship  of  the  lands  of  Keppoch.  A  charter  to  this 
effect  had  been  granted  in  1447  by  the  Lord  of  the 
Isles,  and  this  charter  had  been  confirmed  in  1688. 

1  "  Sketch  of  a  Tour  in  the  Highlands,"  1818. 
VOL.  I.  L 


162  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Coll  of  Keppoch,  however,  when  asked  by  what 
authority  he  held  his  lands,  replied  that  his  charter 
was  not  a  paltry  sheepskin,  but  his  trusted  sword. 
Enraged  by  this  answer  Mackintosh  assembled  his  men 
to  the  number  of  over  one  thousand  and  received  addi 
tional  assistance  from  a  party  of  Government  troops 
under  Captain  Mackenzie,  of  Suddy.  Exulting  in 
the  certainty  of  success,  the  Mackintoshes  marched 
through  Badenoch  into  Lochaber,  along  the  beautiful 
banks  of  the  Spean  River.  They  expected  to  find 
Keppoch  defending  his  house  on  the  river  -  side,  but 
the  wary  chief  was  a  couple  of  miles  away  on  the 
hilltop.  Besides  his  own  500  men,  strong  detach 
ments  of  Macdonalds  came  to  his  assistance  from 
Glengarry  and  Glencoe,  so  that  there  must  have  been 
about  1,000  men  on  either  side.  "From  the  heights 
above,  the  Macdonalds  swept  down  upon  their  foes 
like  an  avalanche  of  destruction,  shouting  their  war- 
cry,  '  Dia  's  Naomh  Aindrea,'  with  deafening  clamour, 
to  which  the  Mackintoshes  replied  with  'Loch-na- 
Maoidh,'  the  slogan  of  the  clan,  and  stood  firmly 
waiting  the  onset.  Amid  this  terrible  din  the  battle 
raged,  the  rock  and  mountains  re-echoing  the  fearful 
sounds,  as  steel  met  steel,  and  the  great  war  -  pipes 
(Piob  Mor)  of  the  opposing  clans  sounded  the  ancient 
pibrochs  which  had  rung  out  on  many  a  field  of 
slaughter  such  as  this."  The  battle  was  at  its  fiercest 
when  a  herdsman  of  Keppoch's  of  prodigious  size  joined 
in  the  fray,  shouting  for  all  he  was  worth  :  "  They  fly, 
they  fly !  Upon  them,  upon  them ! "  This  ruse  lent 
fresh  vigour  to  the  Macdonalds,  who,  "slashing  and 
hewing  with  axe  and  claymore,  drove  their  enemy 


LOCHABER  163 

over  the  steep  banks  of  the  river  Koy,  to  meet  a 
terrible  fate  among  the  great  boulders  forty  feet  below. 

Such  was  the  last  clan  battle  in  Highland  History, 
a  battle  which  justly  surprised  the  philosophic  Dr 
Johnson,  when  he  passed  the  spot  one  hundred  years 
later.  The  feud  between  Keppoch  and  Mackintosh 
continued  as  long  as  the  former  chief  had  an  inch 
of  ground  which  he  could  call  his  own.  Keppoch, 
without  other  assistance  than  his  own  clansmen  and 
their  relatives  of  Glengarry,  seized  every  opportunity 
to  ravage  and  destroy  the  lands  of  the  Mackintoshes. 
At  last  in  1680  Mackintosh  complained  to  the  Privy 
Council  that  his  losses  exceeded  40,000  merks,  and 
commissions  of  fire  and  sword  were  issued  against 
Keppoch.  Letters  were  sent  to  the  Sheriffs  of  Ross, 
Inverness,  Nairn,  Aberdeen,  and  Perth,  charging  all 
men  within  these  bounds  to  join  Mackintosh  against 
the  Lochaber  chieftain,  whose  fate  at  last  seemed 
sealed.  Just  at  this  moment,  and  indeed  most  oppor 
tunely  for  Keppoch,  the  Government  of  William  and 
Mary  issued  a  proclamation  offering  pardon  for  all 
past  offences  to  those  who  would  make  their  sub 
mission  before  the  last  day  of  1691.  Keppoch  eagerly 
availed  himself  of  this  opportunity,  and  to  the  great 
remorse  of  his  kindly  friend,  Mackintosh,  received 
a  full  pardon  from  Government.  Of  this,  Mackintosh 
bitterly  complained  long  after.  It  was  fortunate, 
however,  for  Keppoch  that  his  submission  to  Govern 
ment  was  made  in  good  time — for  he  had  undoubtedly 
been  marked  out  for  destruction  along  with  Glencoe ! l 

As  far  as  Lochaber  is  concerned  the  campaigns  of 

1  Rev.  A.  &  A.  Macdonald,  "The  Clan  Donald,"  vol.  ii.  p.  661. 


164  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

"Bonnie  Dundee"  were  almost  a  repetition  of  those 
of  his  kinsman  Montrose.  The  accession  of  William 
of  Orange  was  most  distasteful  to  the  greater  part 
of  the  Highlandmen,  and  especially  to  those  of 
Lochaber,  who  joined  King  James's  Lieutenant  at 
the  rendezvous  on  the  side  of  the  Lochy  Eiver  in 
even  greater  numbers  than  they  had  joined  Montrose. 
Sir  Ewan  Cameron,  the  familiar  friend  and  devoted 
adherent  of  King  James,  was,  with  Keppoch  and 
Glengarry,  the  chief  adviser  of  Dundee,  and  to  him 
is  due  the  victory  of  Killiecrankie.  The  lowland 
officers  advised  other  plans  of  attack,  but  Lochiel 
was  strong  on  at  once  attacking  the  Government 
troops.  "  Fight,  my  lord,  fight  immediately ;  fight, 
if  you  have  only  one  to  three.  Our  men  are  in 
heart.  Their  only  fear  is  that  the  enemy  should 
escape;  give  them  their  way,  and  be  assured  that 
they  will  either  perish  or  gain  a  complete  victory. 
But  if  you  restrain  them,  if  you  force  them  to  remain 
on  the  defensive,  I  answer  for  nothing.  If  we  do 
not  fight,  we  had  better  break  up  and  retire  to  our 
mountains."  Words  which  the  brilliant  victory  of 
Killiecrankie  fully  justified;  words  which  were  later 
the  key  to  the  victories  of  Prince  Charlie,  as  well  as 
the  explanation  of  his  failure  at  Culloden. 

But  before  passing  on  to  that  date,  the  Eising  of  1715 
needs  a  brief  notice.  As  in  the  '45,  so  now  the  first 
blow  was  struck  in  Lochaber,  where  General  Gordon, 
with  4,000  or  5,000  Highlanders,  made  a  most  savage 
onslaught  on  the  Government  troops  in  Fort  William 
— a  structure  which  they  had  long  wished  to  see  at 
the  bottom  of  Loch  Linne.  But  the  fort  was  too 


LOCHABER  165 

strong  for  them,  so  leaving  it,  the  men  of  Lochaber 
joined  the  forces  of  the  Earl  of  Mar  at  Sheriffmuir. 

I  have  stated  elsewhere  that  it  was  to  the  Clan- 
ranalds  that  is  due  the  honour  of  first  taking  up 
arms  in  support  of  Prince  Charlie.  Certain  as  this 
is,  it  is  to  the  men  of  Lochaber  that  belongs  the 
honour  of  providing  almost  the  whole  of  the  army 
of  1,100  men  that  assembled  at  Glenfinnan,  as  well 
as  that  of  striking  the  first  blow  of  the  campaign. 
This  occurred  at  Highbridge,  five  miles  from  Keppoch, 
Donald  Macdonell,  the  chief's  brother,  and  Donald 
Macdonald  of  Terndriech,  cousin  to  Keppoch,  having 
had  the  pluck  with  their  ten  or  twelve  men  to  dis 
pute  the  passage  of  the  bridge  with  Captain  Scott,  in 
command  of  two  companies  of  regulars.  Terndriech 
manoeuvred  his  men  so  cleverly  amongst  the  "wooded 
glens  and  braes  "  that  Captain  Scott  was  led  to  believe 
that  a  strong  force  was  opposed  to  him.  He  ordered 
a  retreat,  intending  to  make  his  way  back  to  Fort 
Augustus,  but  before  he  had  covered  half  that  distance, 
he  was  indeed  opposed  by  strong  detachments  of 
Highlanders  under  Keppoch  and  Glengarry,  to  whom 
he  surrendered. 

It  will  be  well  to  mention  here  that  in  the  preceding 
pages,  where  no  other  reference  is  given,  I  have  followed 
Mr  Drummond  Norie's  "  Loyal  Lochaber,"  a  work  full 
of  interest  and  of  Jacobite  sympathy.  The  remainder 
of  this  chapter  on  the  civil  history  of  Lochaber — 
military,  perhaps,  I  should  have  said — will  be  taken 
from  "A  Memoir  of  Macdonald  of  Keppoch,"  which 
was  printed  for  private  circulation,  and  of  which  the 
author  was  Dr  Macdonald,  of  Taunton, 


166  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

To  return  to  the  opening  incident  in  the  campaign 
of  '45.  In  the  scuffle  which  followed  on  the  surprise 
of  Captain  Scott  by  Keppoch's  men,  the  Captain  him 
self  was  wounded,  several  of  his  men  were  slain,  and 
the  whole  party  were  taken  prisoners.  Expresses  were 
sent  to  the  garrison  of  Fort  William  for  surgeons  on 
Captain  Scott's  account,  but  they  refused  to  assist  him, 
on  which  Major  Macdonald  took  him  on  his  own  horse 
and  carried  him  to  a  place  of  safety,  till  he  was  con 
veyed  to  the  garrison  on  his  parole  of  honour,  which 
he  faithfully  kept — to  the  great  mortification  of  the 
Duke  of  Cumberland  and  others — after  the  cure  was 
completed.  Soon  after,  Captain  Scott  went  to  London, 
and  such  was  the  state  of  parties  at  the  time  that  he 
was  immediately  waited  upon  and  admitted  to  the 
highest  company,  such  as  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  Lord 
Gower,  etc.  This  was  the  foundation  of  his  future 
fortune  in  the  world ;  and  he  is  said  to  have  been  the 
only  man  who  kept  his  parole  with  the  Highlanders. 
Long  after  that  unhappy  period,  Captain  Scott  was 
visiting  at  the  Countess  of  Dundonald,  who  had 
benevolently  adopted  Mary,  Major  Macdonald's  second 
daughter.  Upon  asking  who  she  was  and  being  told, 
he  immediately  replied  that  he  owed  his  life  to  her 
father,  and  often  after  he  repeated  the  same  thing. 
General  Scott's  great  fortune,  chiefly  made  by  gambling, 
was  inherited  by  his  two  daughters,  the  Duchess  of 
Portland  and  Lady  Canning. 

When  Terndriech  embarked  with  his  clan,  he  was 
in  the  flower  of  his  age,  of  great  strength  of  body,  and, 
as  his  conduct  proved,  of  undaunted  courage.  At  the 
battle  of  Prestonpans  and  Falkirk  he  is  said  to  have 


LOCHABER  167 

behaved  with  great  intrepidity,  prudence,  and  humanity, 
encouraging  his  friends  and  sparing  the  King's  forces. 
This  part  of  his  conduct  was  proverbial.     Even  those 
into  whose   hands   he   unfortunately  fell  treated  him 
with  great  attention,  for  which  they  were  said  to  have 
been  in  some  degree  censured,  such  was  the  rancour 
of    the    day.     By   a    sad    fatality,    as    he    distinctly 
mentioned   before   his   death,   Major   Macdonald   was 
taken  after  the  battle  of  Falkirk,  through  falling  into 
the  hands  of  a  party  of  General  Hawley's  force,  which 
he  mistook  for  Lord  John  Drummond's  French  picket. 
It  occurred  at  the  end  of  the  day,  when  the  Highlanders 
had  conquered  all  before  them,  and  from  every  account 
might  have  destroyed  the  Koyal  army  completely,  had 
the  clans  been  allowed  to  engage  in  their  own  manner. 
The  brutal  General  Husk   ordered   Macdonald   to  be 
shot,  and  refused  to  receive  his  arms,  but  Lord  Eobert 
Kerr   politely   stepped   forward   and    accepted    them. 
Major  Macdonald  afterwards   referred   with  gratitude 
to  Lord  Eobert's  generous  civility.     Major  Macdonald 
was  sent  to  Carlisle,  where  his  confinement  was  strict 
and  severe.     At  his  trial  his  conduct  was  respectful 
and  dignified.     When  an  appeal  was  seen  to  be  useless, 
he  and  all  those  who  shared   the  same  unhappy  fate 
submitted  with  a  degree  of  firmness  and  composure 
which  affected   all  present.     The  severity  of  his  con 
finement,   and   the   sad  effects  of  being   carried   from 
his  own   country  —  his   trial   at  Carlisle   instead   of 
at  Edinburgh   was   illegal  —  are   manifest   from   his 
letters    to    his    wife.      The    following    sample    must 
suffice : — 


168  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

"  Mrs  MACDONALD  of  Terndriech,  at  Edinburgh.  To  the 
care  of  Mr  John  Moir,  merchant  at  Edinburgh, 
at  Mr  Stirling's  shop  near  the  Lecker  Booth. 

"CARLISLE  CASTLE,  September  1746. 

"MY  DEAR  LIFE,— I  yesterday  had  the  agreeable 
account  of  your  being  in  health,  and  of  your  stay  in 
Edinburgh,  for  which  I  thank  God,  and  your  dear  self 
for  complying  ;  and  though  Kinloch's  lady  came  here 
yesterday,  she  will  not  get  access  to  see  her  husband  ; 
and  as  a  short  time  will  discover  the  event  of  most  of 
us  here,  we  are  all  hoping  for  the  best  and  prepared 
for  the  worst.  In  any  event  I  shall  acquaint  you  as 
soon  as  my  trial  comes  on,  therefore,  my  dear  Life,  put 
your  whole  trust  in  God's  mercy  and  Providence,  in 
whom  I  put  my  entire  hopes  and  confidence.  My  dear 
Life,  I  was  surprised  I  got  no  letter  from  you,  and 
you  cannot  imagine  what  joy  and  satisfaction  it  gave 
me,  when  I  heard  by  Mr  Stewart  that  you  complied 
to  stay,  for  you  would  regret  much  your  coming  here, 
since  you  could  not  have  access  to  me.  ...  I  pray 
God  to  direct  you  in  all  circumstances,  and  to  comfort 
you  in  your  present  situation,  and  may  we  both  submit 
to  the  decrees  of  Almighty  God;  therefore,  my  dear 
Life,  be  of  good  courage.  —  Eanald,  nor  the  other 
witness,  I  believe,  have  not  yet  come  to  town,  but 
Mr  Stewart  expects  them  this  night.  I  shall  despatch 
Eanald,  or  the  other  witness,  to  you,  as  soon  as  my 
trial  is  over.  .  .  .  Your  most  affectionate  husband  and 
most  obliged  servant  by  your  staying, 

"DONALD  MACDONALD," 


LOCHABER  169 

Some  extracts  from  the  speech  —  intended  to  be 
delivered  on  the  scaffold,  but  forbidden  —  as  they 
doubtless  represent  the  deep-rooted  feelings  of  the 
great  number  of  gentry  who  engaged  in  the  Kising 
will  not  be  out  of  place. 

"As  I  am  now  to  suffer  a  public,  cruel,  barbarous, 
and  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  an  ignominious  and 
shameful  death,  I  think  myself  obliged  to  acknowledge 
that  it  was  from  principle,  and  through  conviction  of 
its  being  my  duty  to  God,  my  injured  King,  and 
oppressed  country,  that  engaged  me  to  take  up  arms 
under  the  standard  and  conduct  of  Charles,  Prince  of 
Wales.  It  was  always  my  greatest  concern  to  see  our 
ancient  race  and  lawful  sovereign  restored,  and,  if  such 
was  the  will  of  Heaven,  to  lose  my  life  cheerfully  in 
promoting  it.  I  solemnly  declare  that  I  had  no  view 
in  drawing  my  sword  in  that  laudable  cause  but  the 
restoration  of  the  Eoyal  family  and  the  recovery  of 
the  liberties  of  these  unhappy  islands,  now  too  long 
oppressed  with  usurpation,  corruption,  and  bribery ; 
being  sensible  that  nothing  else  but  the  King's  return 
could  make  our  country  flourish,  under  all  ranks  and 
degrees  of  men,  and  recover  Church  and  State  from 
those  too  many  dismal  consequences  naturally  flowing 
from  revolutionary  principles.  ...  I  thank  God,  since 
I  drew  my  sword  in  that  laudable  cause,  I  have  acted 
not  only  in  obedience  to  the  commands  of  my  merciful 
and  generous  Prince,  but  also  in  compliance  with  my 
private  disposition,  behaving  with  humanity  and  charity 
towards  my  enemies,  the  Elector  of  Hanover's  troops, 
both  in  the  field  and  in  prison,  to  the  utmost  of  my 


170  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

power,  without  receding  at  the  same  time  from  the 
duty  and  fidelity  I  owe  to  my  Prince  and  the  common 
cause. 

"  For  my  part,  when  I  reflect  on  my  innocence  as  to 
what  has  been  laid  to  my  charge,  I  cheerfully  give 
up  all  murmurings,  resigning  myself  to  the  divine 
Providence,  and  I  am  hopeful  of  mercy,  through  the 
merits  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  die  an  unworthy  member 
of  the  Holy  Kornan  Catholic  Church,  in  the  communion 
of  which  I  have  lived,  and  however  ill  spoken  of,  or 
misrepresented,  I  am  confident  of  happiness  through 
the  merit  and  sufferings  and  mediation  of  my  only  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  and  I  here  declare,  upon  the 
faith  of  a  dying  man,  that  it  was  with  no  view  of  estab 
lishing  that  church  or  religion  in  this  nation  that  I 
joined  the  Prince,  but  purely  out  of  duty  and  allegiance 
to  our  only  rightful  and  native  sovereign.  ...  I  con 
clude  with  my  blessing  to  my  dear  wife,  family,  relations, 
and  friends,  heartily  and  earnestly  begging  that  the 
Lord  may  grant  success  to  the  Prince's  army  and  restore 
the  Eoyal  family.  .  .  .  Forgive,  0  Lord,  my  enemies,  and 
receive  my  soul.  Come,  0  Lord  Jesus  !  come  quickly ; 
into  Thy  hands  I  resign  my  spirit. 

"  (Signed)    DONALD  MACDONALD, 

"Saturday,  ye  18th  October" — the  day  before  his  execution. 

Dr  Macdonald  adds : — "  Their  solemn  but  magnani 
mous  conduct  on  the  occasion  of  their  execution  was 
long  the  theme  of  universal  admiration  ;  whilst  the  con 
tempt  of  their  punishment  recalled  to  memory  the  last 
scene  and  unjust  sufferings  of  the  immortal  Marquis 
of  Montrose." 


LOCHABER  171 

The  127  prisoners  who  were  to  be  tried  for  their 
lives  were  heavily  ironed  and  thrust  into  one  room 
in  the  keep  of  Carlisle  Castle.  This  shocking  act  of 
wanton  barbarity  was  perpetrated  previous  to  their 
trial ;  "  they  were  huddled  together  into  places  which  we 
now  almost  shudder  to  look  into.  On  Saturday,  18th 
October,  Major  Macdonald,  Kinlochmoidart,  a  minister 
of  religion  named  Cappach,  and  six  others,  were  taken 
from  Carlisle  Castle  to  Gallows  Hill,  a  mile  south  of 
the  town,  in  a  slow  procession  through  the  East  Gate, 
over  which  were  the  gory,  wasting  heads  and  mutilated 
remains  of  their  gallant  companions  in  arms.  All 
declared  that  they  died  under  the  conviction  that  their 
cause  was  just.  They  then  engaged  briefly  in  prayer ; 
all  behaved  with  unshaken  fortitude.  The  hideous 
sentence  that  they  should  be  hung,  drawn,  and  quartered 
while  still  alive  was  executed  to  the  letter.  Their  bodies 
were  interred  in  the  cemetery  at  Carlisle.  The  heads 
of  Major  Macdonald  and  his  cousin  Kinloch  were  stuck 
on  the  Scotch  Gate  of  Carlisle,  where  they  remained  for 
many  years. 

Poor  Terndriech's  son,  a  tender  lad  of  seven,  was 
hunted  across  the  hills  of  Lochaber,  and  his  experiences, 
written  by  himself  while  still  a  boy,  are  charming  read 
ing.  He  ultimately  reached  Traquair,  where  he  spent 
eight  months,  and  proceeded  thence  to  Warwick  Hall,  in 
Cumberland,  where  he  was  adopted  and  educated  by 
Mr  Warwick.  He  later  went  to  complete  his  education  at 
Douai,  with  the  intention  of  becoming  a  priest.  He  died 
there,  however,  before  he  was  old  enough  to  be  ordained. 

We    have    the    authority   of    Bishop    Geddes1   for 

1  "  Account  of  the  State  of  the  Catholics  in  Scotland  in  1745-1747." 


172  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

saying  that  Kinlochmoidart  and  Terndriech  found 
means  of  applying  to  Bishop  Smith  for  spiritual  assist 
ance.  At  his  desire  Mr  George  Duncan,  who  had  been 
missionary  in  Angus,  and  had  been  a  prisoner  for  some 
short  time,  went  cheerfully  upon  this  delicate  and 
dangerous  expedition  of  charity.  He  got  admission  to 
the  prisoners  as  a  friend  of  theirs,  heard  their  con 
fessions,  as  well  as  those  of  some  English  gentlemen 
who  were  in  the  same  situation,  communicated  them  to 
their  great  comfort,  having  carried  with  him  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  for  that  purpose,  and  got  safely  out  of  the 
town  and  back  to  Scotland  without  any  interruption ; 
but  an  information  had  been  lodged  against  him  by  the 
magistrates,  and  a  search  was  made  for  him  a  few  hours 
after  his  departure. 

For  many  years  Macdonell  of  Keppoch  was  con 
sidered  the  hero  of  Culloden,  though  quite  recently  Mr 
Andrew  Lang  has  endeavoured  to  prove  that  the  chief 
circumstance  in  the  generally  accepted  narrative  really 
never  took  place.  All  accounts  agree,  however,  that 
Keppoch  died  at  the  head  of  his  men,  the  point  in 
controversy  being  whether  the  clansmen  refused  to 
follow  their  chief,  or  really  did  follow  him,  and  even 
passed  on  to  engage  the  enemy  after  the  chief  had 
fallen. 

This  sketch  of  the  history  of  Lochaber  being  especially 
from  a  Catholic  point  of  view,  it  will  not  be  out  of 
place  to  mention  that  it  is  not  in  accordance  with  the 
tradition  of  the  family  that  Keppoch  was  at  variance 
with  his  clan  on  the  question  of  religion.  The  state 
ment  was  apparently  first  made  by  Murray  of  Broughton 
— in  many  cases  a  most  untrustworthy,  not  to  say  con- 


LOCHABER  173 

temptible,  informant — and  was  accepted  by  Sir  Walter 
Scott.  The  following  is  his  note  in  chapter  Ixxvi.  of 
"Tales  of  my  Grandfather."  "Keppoch,  it  is  said, 
would  have  brought  more  men  to  the  field,  but  there 
existed  a  dispute  betwixt  him  and  his  clan — a  rare 
circumstance  in  itself,  and  still  more  uncommon,  as 
it  arose  from  a  point  of  religion.  Keppoch  was  a 
Protestant,  his  clan  were  Catholics,  a  difference  which 
would  have  bred  no  discord  between  them  if  Keppoch 
would  have  permitted  the  priest  to  accompany  his 
hearers  on  the  march.  But  the  chief  would  not ;  the 
clansmen  took  offence  and  came  in  smaller  numbers 
than  otherwise  would  have  followed  him,  for  he  was 
much  and  deservedly  beloved  by  them." 

On  the  other  hand,  the  tradition  in  the  family  is  very 
strong  that  this  whole  story  originated  with  Murray 
of  Broughton,  and  that  it  had  no  foundation  in  fact,  but 
that  on  the  contrary  Keppoch  was  an  excellent  Catholic 
and  brought  up  all  his  family  in  that  Faith.  As  a 
recent  writer  has  tried  to  prove  that  the  hitherto 
accepted  account  of  Keppoch  being  deserted  by  his 
clan  is  unfounded,  it  may  not  be  too  late  in  the  day  to 
strive  to  correct  the  statement  regarding  his  religion, 
though  proof  on  this  latter  point  will  now  be  well-nigh 
impossible. 

All  through  the  '45  Keppoch  played  a  leading  part ; 
he  joined  Prince  Charlie  with  three  hundred  of  his 
clan  at  the  raising  of  the  Standard  in  Glenfinnan,  and 
in  all  questions  of  military  policy  the  Prince  gave  great 
weight  to  his  opinion.  He  had  been  educated  in 
France,  and  had  early  entered  the  army  there,  where 
he  was  an  object  of  great  affection.  Keppoch,  from  his 


174  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

military  knowledge,  was  one  of  the  most  useful,  as  he 
was  one  of  the  most  indefatigable  officers  of  the  High 
land  army,  in  training  his  regiment,  and  setting  as 
strict  an  example  of  military  discipline  as  could  be 
exercised  over  so  many  raw  men,  most  of  whom  were 
strangers  to  anything  like  military  subordination.  An 
excellent  proof  of  this  worthy  man's  knowledge  of,  and 
influence  over,  the  Highlanders  is  mentioned  by  Mr 
Home,  in  his  account  of  the  battle  of  Preston.  "  On 
Thursday  evening  Charles  went  to  Duddingston,  and 
calling  a  Council  of  War,  proposed  to  march  next  day 
and  meet  Sir  John  Cope  half-way.  The  members  of 
the  Council  agreed  that  there  was  nothing  else  to  be 
done.  Charles  then  asked  the  Highland  chiefs  how 
they  thought  their  men  would  behave  when  they  met 
Sir  John  Cope,  who  had  at  last  plucked  up  spirit  to 
give  them  battle,  The  chiefs  desired  Macdonald  of 
Keppoch  to  speak  for  them,  as  he  had  served  in  the 
French  army,  and  was  thought  to  know  better  than 
any  of  them  what  the  Highlanders  could  do  against 
regular  troops.  Keppoch  said  that  as  the  country  had 
long  been  at  peace,  few  or  none  of  the  private  men 
had  ever  seen  a  battle,  and  it  was  not  very  easy  to 
say  how  they  would  behave ;  but  he  would  venture  to 
assure  His  Eoyal  Highness  that  the  gentlemen  would 
be  in  the  midst  of  the  enemy,  and  that  the  private 
men,  as  they  loved  the  cause  and  loved  the  chiefs, 
would  certainly  follow  them.  The  result  of  the  battle 
of  Preston,  and  I  may  add  of  Falkirk,  showed  how  well 
he  was  acquainted  with  the  real  character  of  his 
countrymen,  and  how  fully  he  had  appreciated  their 
courage  and  their  attachment  to  their  chiefs." 


LOCHABER  175 

Many  anecdotes  are  told  of  Keppoch.  About  1743 
three  gentlemen  of  rank,  anxious  to  visit  the  High 
lands,  set  out,  and  were  recommended  to  Keppoch  and 
his  relations.  He  received  them  with  the  frankness 
of  a  chieftain  and  with  the  politeness  of  the  French 
Court  at  which  he  had  been  educated.  His  lady,  a 
daughter  of  Stewart  of  Appin,  presided  at  the  festive 
board.  After  dinner  six  charming  children  were  intro 
duced,  dressed  in  the  tartan  of  their  clan.  In  the 
midst  of  their  happiness,  when  French  wine  and  the 
piper  had  awakened  their  best  feelings,  one  of  the  gentle 
men  (a  Mr  Dundas)  asked  their  host  what  the  rental 
of  Keppoch  was.  "  Come,"  says  he,  "  fill  a  bumper  to 
the  lad  over  the  water  and  I  will  tell  you.  My  rent 
roll  is  five  hundred  fine  fellows  ready  to  follow  me 
wherever  I  go."  This  story  is  most  characteristic,  as 
showing  that  the  Highland  laird  of  a  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago  paid  little  heed  to  money  rent,  but  sought  to 
increase  the  number  of  his  dependants  ;  a  policy  which 
resulted  in  the  overcrowding  of  whole  districts,  and 
was  the  chief  cause  of  the  miserable  condition  to  which 
the  lower  orders  were  reduced. 

The  district  of  Lochaber  was  in  a  sad  condition  after 
Culloden.  Endless  misery  was  inflicted  on  the  defence 
less  Highlanders,  who  were  at  the  mercy  of  the  military 
garrisons  of  Fort  Augustus  and  Fort  William.  Indeed 
it  is  surprising  to  find  Prince  Charlie  so  often  in  con 
cealment  within  this  district,  which  was  alive  with 
military  on  his  track,  and  where  he  several  times 
escaped  with  the  very  greatest  difficulty.  Achnacarry, 
the  seat  of  Lochiel,  on  Loch  Arkaig  shore,  was  given 
to  the  flames,  the  laird  having  sought  a  rest  with  his 


176  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

cousin  Macpherson  in  Badenoch.  Here  he  slowly 
recovered  from  the  dangerous  wound  he  had  received 
at  Culloden,  and  here  he  was  visited  by  Prince  Charlie 
in  August  1846.  He  escaped  to  France  with  the 
Prince. 

Alexander  Macdonell,  of  Keppoch,  though  he  had 
been  mortally  wounded  and  had  died  on  the  field  of 
Culloden,  was,  nevertheless,  attainted  in  due  form,  his 
house  was  burnt  to  the  ground,  and  his  estates  forfeited. 
His  son  and  grandson,  however,  continued  to  hold  the 
estates,  partly  from  Mackintosh  and  partly  from  the 
Duke  of  Gordon  ;  but  it  is  to  be  feared  that  the  proud 
boast  of  Coll  of  Keppoch  that  "  he  would  never  consent 
to  hold  by  sheepskin  what  he  had  won  by  his  sword," 
was  in  great  measure  the  cause  why  the  property  about 
thirty  years  ago  finally  passed  out  of  the  family. 

The  last  "  of  the  deeds  of  chivalry  "  of  loyal  Lochaber 
with  which  we  need  concern  ourselves — and  indeed 
only  the  briefest  mention  of  it  is  possible  within  the 
scope  of  this  work — is  the  large  part  which  the  district 
has  taken  in  providing  recruits  for  the  newly-formed 
regiments  between  1750  and  the  present  time.  Among 
the  officers  in  the  Eraser  Highlanders  were  Captain 
Donald  Macdonald,  brother  of  Clanranald,  Eanald 
Macdonell,  brother  of  Angus  XVII.  of  Keppoch, 
and  Archibald,  grandson  of  Angus;  Ewan,  Donald, 
and  Alan  Cameron,  all  near  relatives  of  Lochiel.  In 
1793  the  "Cameron  Volunteers"  were  raised.  They 
were  all  Lochaber  men,  300  being  adherents  of 
Keppoch.  Two  years  later  it  was  proposed  by  the 
War  Office  of  that  date  to  draft  this  regiment  into 
others.  This  was  hotly  resented  by  officers  and  men 


LOCHABER  177 

alike.  The  Commander-in-Chief  threatened  to  send 
the  regiment  to  the  West  Indies  if  they  continued 
obstinate,  to  which  Cameron  of  Erracht  defiantly 
replied :  "  You  may  tell  your  father,  the  King,  from 
me,  that  he  may  send  us  to  hell  if  he  likes,  and  I'll  go 
at  the  head  of  them,  but  he  dare  not  draft  us."  To  the 
West  Indies  they  did  go,  and  after  two  years  of  that 
terrible  climate  only  one  quarter  returned  to  Lochaber. 
Nearly  800  fresh  recruits  were  at  once  enlisted.  They 
next  served  in  Holland,  Egypt,  Portugal,  and  shared 
in  the  greatest  victory  of  the  British  arms  at 
Waterloo,  whilst  they  have  been  at  the  front  in 
almost  all  Britain's  more  recent  wars. 

"  Lochaber,  on  thy  heather  hills, 

The  fame  of  heroes  rest ; 
Each  name  in  Scotia's  annals  famed, 

Found  echo  in  thy  breast : 
Historic  Keppoch,  desert  now, 

Speak  from  thy  ruined  mound, 
The  days  when  Claverhouse,  noblest  chief, 

Thine  aid  and  shelter  found." 


VOL.  I. 


LOCHABER 
II 

OF  ecclesiastical  matters  in  Lochaber  a  fairly  full 
account  occurs  in  the  Scots  Directory  for  1860.  It  is 
as  follows.  The  first  priest  that  we  find  permanently 
stationed  in  Lochaber  after  the  Eeformation  was  Mr 
John  Macdonald,  called  to  this  day  by  the  natives 
Maighstir  Iain  Mor.  This  zealous  and  indefatigable 
missionary  was  born  in  Lochaber,  descended  paternally 
from  the  family  of  Clanranald,  and  maternally  from 
that  of  Bohuntan,  Glenroy — a  branch  of  the  House  of 
Keppoch.  The  precise  year  of  his  birth  cannot  now 
be  ascertained.  Having,  according  to  the  prevalent 
opinion,  received  Holy  Orders  in  Borne,  he  made  his 
way  to  his  native  country,  where  he  arrived  about  the 
year  1721,  and  entered  immediately  upon  his  pastoral 
duties.  It  is  said,  and  also  believed  as  a  fact,  that 
upon  his  arrival  in  the  district  of  Lochaber  he  found 
amongst  the  whole  inhabitants  only  three  families  that 
practised  the  duties  of  the  Catholic  religion ;  not  indeed 
that  they  ever  lapsed  into  Protestantism,  for  they  were 
in  reality  more  ignorant  than  heretical,  but  they  had 
in  a  manner  become  quite  indifferent  to  the  profes 
sion  of  any  kind  of  religion  whatever.  This  state  of 

178 


LOCHABER  179 

indifference  arose,  no  doubt,  in  great  measure,  from 
the  scarcity  of  priests,  and  thus  the  people  had  not  the 
opportunity  either  of  being  instructed  in  their  faith, 
or  of  complying  with  the  obligations  which  it  pre 
scribed.  It  is  true  that  previous  to  the  arrival  of 
Father  Macdonald  the  natives  were  occasionally  visited 
by  Father  Peter,  a  holy  Irish  priest  who  resided  in 
Glengarry ;  but  these  visits  were  rare,  and  on  that 
account  seem  not  to  have  produced  any  lasting  results, 
so  far  as  the  bulk  of  the  people  were  concerned. 

Mr  Macdonald's  prospects  at  the  commencement  of 
his  missionary  career  were  far  from  being  encouraging, 
for  the  portion  of  the  vineyard  committed  to  his  charge 
had  grown  wild  and  unproductive.  The  people  of 
Lochaber  were  at  this  period,  as  is  well  known,  lawless 
and  fierce  in  their  nature,  savage  in  their  disposition, 
and  prone  to  plunder  and  revenge.  To  such  a  state 
of  barbarity  had  they  sunk  that  might  had  usurped 
the  place  of  right  without  even  the  possibility  of 
obtaining  redress.  Such  being  the  lamentable  state  of 
the  people,  as  the  traditions  preserved  in  Lochaber 
fully  prove,  we  can  easily  conceive  that  the  task  which 
Mr  Macdonald  had  undertaken  to  perform  was  of  the 
most  arduous  kind,  and  demanding  on  his  part  the 
most  consummate  prudence,  zeal,  and  activity.  But 
cheerless  as  the  aspect  of  matters  then  looked,  he  did 
not  despond.  On  the  contrary,  difficulties  served  only 
to  stimulate  him  to  exertion  and  to  bring  out  the  latent 
energies  of  his  nature.  He  laboured  incessantly,  in 
season  and  out  of  season,  to  stem  the  torrent  of  iniquity 
that  flowed  over  the  land.  He  sowed  the  seed,  but  still 
the  soil  seemed  barren  and  unproductive.  After  having 


180  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

given  to  his  wayward  flock  what  he  considered  a  fair 
trial,  he  was  doomed  to  experience  the  most  bitter 
disappointment. 

The  consequence  was  that  he  resolved  to  abandon 
the  mission  of  Lochaber,  and  to  transfer  his  services  to 
some   other  more   congenial   spot,   where  his  labours 
might  prove  more  productive.     He  had  even  fixed  on 
the   day   of  his   departure ;    but  ere   that   day  came 
round,  a  sick  call  was  sent  to  him.     It  was  to  attend 
a  woman  at  Insch.     Without  loss  of  time  he  obeyed 
the  summons ;  but  on  arriving  at  the  residence  of  the 
sick  person,  to  his  great  surprise  he  found  her  not  only 
in  an  apparently  good  state  of  health,  but  also  decked 
out  like  a  bride  in  her  best  and  gayest  attire.     He 
was  much  astonished,  and  began  on  the  spot  to  rebuke 
her  roundly  with  having  sought  to  impose  upon  him ; 
"for,  judging,"  said  he,  "by  your  present  appearance, 
there  is  not  the  most  distant  danger  of  death  ;  besides, 
why  are  you  so  gaudily  dressed  on  such  an  occasion  ? " 
To  this  she  answered :  "  I  have  frequently  during  my 
life  adorned  myself  thus  with  the  desire  of  making 
myself  agreeable  in  the  eyes  of  the  world;  and  if  I 
acted  so  from  silly  vanity,  how  much  the  more  ought 
I  now  to  present  myself,  in  the  most  becoming  manner 
I  am  able,  to  receive  so  great  and  august  a  guest  as 
you  have  brought  with  you  to   my   humble  dwelling 
— rny  Lord  and  Saviour  in  the  Most  Holy  Sacrament 
of  the  Altar.     As  to  the  hour  of  my  departure  from 
this  world,  I  feel  it  is  now  near  at  hand ;  be  pleased 
therefore ,  Priest  of  the  Living  God,  to  receive  without 
loss   of  time  my   confession — to   give  me   absolution 
and  to  administer  the  other  Sacraments  appointed  by 


LOCHABER  181 

my  Eedeemer  to  aid  the  dying  Christian  to  appear 
with  confidence  before  the  tribunal  of  God."  Persuaded 
at  length  by  her  entreaties,  he  did  as  he  was  desired, 
and  scarcely  had  he  finished,  when  she  calmly  expired 
without  the  least  appearance  of  sickness  or  pain. 

A  scene  so  very  remarkable  and  edifying  induced 
Mr  Macdonald  to  pause  and  reconsider  his  determina 
tion  of  abandoning  altogether  the  mission  of  Lochaber, 
and  the  happy  result  was  that  he  would  not  forsake  a 
congregation,  in  which,  contrary  to  his  expectations,  he 
had  found  so  good  and  precious  a  soul.  He  therefore 
declared  on  the  spot  to  those  around  him  that  he 
would  not  leave  them,  and  that  he  would  gladly  spend 
the  remainder  of  his  days  amongst  them,  even  should 
the  fruit  of  his  labour  be  only  the  salvation  of  such 
another  soul  as  that  which  had  then  taken  its  flight 
to  its  Maker.  It  was  a  happy  day  for  the  people  of 
Lochaber  that  this  edifying  death-scene  occurred ;  for 
Mr  Macdonald,  by  his  indomitable  perseverance,  com 
bined  with  apostolic  zeal  and  great  piety,  so  far 
triumphed  in  the  end,  that  he  succeeded  in  softening 
the  wild  and  fierce  temper  of  many  of  his  people,  and 
thus  laid  the  foundation  of  the  now  flourishing  and 
important  mission  of  the  Braes  of  Lochaber. 

After  a  missionary  career  of  forty  years,  Mr  Mac 
donald  departed  this  life  in  1761.  His  last  pastoral 
act  was  to  baptize,  three  days  before  his  death,  while 
stretched  on  his  sick-bed,  Donald  Macdonell,  son  of 
Angus  XVII.  of  Keppoch,  and  Angus  Macdonald: 
the  former  was  the  father  of  Ranald  Macdonell,  who 
now  (1860)  rents  the  lands  of  Keppoch;  the  latter  was 
the  father  of  John,  Archibald,  Alexander,  Colin,  and 


182  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

Donald  Macdonald,  conjointly  in  the  occupancy  of  the 
farm  of  Crenachan,  Glenroy,  a  farm  which  has  been 
held  by  this  family  for  over  two  hundred  years.  All 
these  brothers  lived  to  a  great  age ;  the  last  survivor, 
Donald,  dying  in  1907,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  He 
left  £500  for  the  benefit  of  the  mission  of  Brae 
Lochaber. 

The  next  priest  in  this  charge  was  Mr  Eneas  Gillis, 
who  attended  it  at  stated  periods  from  Glengarry.  He 
was  succeeded  by  the  famous  Mr  M'Kenna,  an  Irish 
priest  of  gigantic  stature  and  prodigious  strength. 
Many  anecdotes  of  his  prowess  are  still  related  in  the 
country,  from  all  of  which  it  appears  that  he  was  the 
person  exactly  suited  to  the  times  and  the  kind  of 
people  with  whom  he  had  to  deal;  for  if  any  one 
dared  to  show  him  any  want  of  respect,  or  to  disobey 
his  spiritual  authority,  such  a  one  was  sure,  in  case 
other  arguments  failed  to  produce  their  effect,  to  feel 
the  weight  of  his  powerful  arm.  He  governed  this 
mission,  which  in  1763  numbered  3,000  communicants, 
for  about  six  years  with  marked  success,  and  the  most 
beneficial  results.  Of  him  it  may  be  said  with  truth 
that  he  completed  and  consolidated  the  important  work 
commenced  under  so  many  disadvantageous  circum 
stances  by  his  predecessor.  On  leaving  Lochaber  he 
retired  from  the  Scottish  Mission,  and  sailed  to  Canada 
with  300  Glengarry  emigrants. 

Mr  M'Kenna  was  succeeded  by  Mr  Angus  Gillis,  a 
native  of  Morar,  who  for  forty  years  had  charge  of  the 
Lochaber  mission,  where  he  died  in  1812.  He  was  a 
zealous  pastor,  and  conspicuous  for  his  eminent  piety 
and  holiness  of  life.  The  deep  reverence  in  which  his 


LOCHABER  183 

memory  is  still  held  on  account  of  his  many  priestly 
virtues  is  sufficiently  attested  by  the  elegant  cruciform 
monument  erected  to  his  memory  in  1852,  by  the 
Catholics  of  Lochaber,  over  his  grave  in  Killechyrille, 
Of  Mr  Angus  Gillis  it  is  related,  that  being  suddenly 
struck  down  by  illness  he  had  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
in  the  pyx  around  his  neck.  Some  laymen  begged 
to  be  allowed  to  remove  it,  but  this  the  good  priest 
would  not  permit,  repeating  frequently :  "  Would  that 
God  might  spare  me  for  a  day,  that  1  might  place  the 
Holy  Sacrament  in  safety."  It  is  also  remembered 
that  when  he  was  first  struck  down,  there  hastened  to 
his  side  a  Mackintosh  from  Bohuntine,  who  passed  for 
a  doctor  in  the  Glen.  Mackintosh  asked  Mr  Gillis  to 
allow  himself  to  be  bled,  to  which  the  latter  consented, 
and  put  out  his  arm  for  that  purpose.  But  when  the 
new  arrival  went  on  to  relate  how  during  the  previous 
night  he  had  dreamed  that  he  would  be  needed  next 
day  to  bleed  the  priest,  and  had  accordingly  hastened 
across,  Mr  Gillis  withdrew  his  arm,  and  even  the 
certain  approach  of  death  would  not  influence  him  to 
accept  relief  under  such  circumstances. 

At  this  period  we  have  the  following  piece  of 
evidence  of  the  relative  numbers  of  the  Catholics  and 
Protestants  in  this  district.  It  is  taken  from  the 
report  presented  in  1760  to  the  General  Assembly  of 
the  Church  of  Scotland.  "  The  parish  of  Kilmonivaig 
contains  2,500  Catechisable  persons,  1,600  of  whom 
are  Papists.  Few  of  them  understand  a  sermon  in 
English.  The  minister  preaches  in  five  different  places 
.  .  .  but  there  is  no  Church,  Manse,  Glebe,  or  School 
in  the  whole  parish.  In  this  parish  we  examined 


184  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

one    Lauchlan    M'Bean,  Catechist    in   Kilmallie    and 

Kilmonivaig  ;  he  has  Ten  Pounds  of  the  Royal  Bounty, 

and  appeared  to  us  pretty  well  qualified.     These  two 

parishes  are  objects  of  particular  attention,  both  upon 

account  of  their  large  extent  and  of  the  great  number 

of  Papists  in  Kilmonivaig.     Two  popish  priests  reside 

in  these  bounds.     An  erection  at  Fort  William  would 

pretty  well  accommodate  the  countries  of  Mamore  and 

Glenevis,  and  all  the  country  from  Fort  William  to 

High  Bridge,  which  is  six  miles.     There  ought  to  be 

another  in  Glenspean,  where  the  rivers  Spean  and  Roy 

meet,  which  would  serve  the  countries  of  Glenspean 

and  Glenroy.     There  ought  to  be  another  somewhere 

to   accommodate  the  people   upon   the   side    of   Loch 

Lochie  and  Locharkisk  ;  Glengarry  must  be  adjoined 

to   Fort   Augustus,   for  it  is  very  discontiguous  from 

the  rest  of  the  parish  of  Kilmonivaig."     It  is  a  strange 

coincidence   that   with  the  exception  of  the  proposed 

erection   on   the   side  of  Loch  Lochy,  the  above  are 

exactly  the  sites  later  selected  for  the  Catholic  chapels. 

In  1794  a  chapel  was  opened  at  Fort  William  and 

was   served    in    turn   by   Mr,    later    Bishop,    Ranald 

Macdonald,  and  by  Mr,  also  later  Bishop,  Fraser,  of 

Antigonish.     Bishop   Ranald  Macdonald  was  a  native 

of  Lochaber,  being  of  the  Crenachan  family.     At  the 

Scots  College,  Douai,  he  gained  the  reputation  of  being 

a  first-rate  student.     After  his  ordination  in  1782  he 

was  stationed  for  some  time  in  Glengairn,  whence  he 

was   removed  to  Glengarry,  and  thence  to  the  island 

of  Uist.     On   the  death  of   Bishop  Aeneas   Chisholm 

he  was  nominated    Vicar  Apostolic  of  the  Highland 

District,  and   was  consecrated  in  Edinburgh  in  1820. 


lilSHOP    RANALD    MA< DOXAIJ). 


[To  face  j>nye  185. 


LOCHABER  185 

Dr  Gordon  says  of  him  most  truly :  "  As  a  scholar, 
his  attainments  were  of  a  very  high  order,  and  even 
in  his  old  age,  he  wrote  and  spoke  Latin  with  great 
facility,  purity,  and  elegance.  ...  In  private  life 
Bishop  Macdonald  was  amiable  and  kind  -  hearted, 
combining  a  simplicity  and  elegance  of  manners  with 
a  quiet  vein  of  humour  peculiar  to  himself  which 
rendered  his  society  delightful. 

"  He  did  more  by  his  walk  and  conversation  to  soften 
down  religious  prejudices  and  root  out  religious  anti 
pathies  than  perhaps  any  man  of  his  time."  Bishop 
Macdonald  died  at  Fort  William  in  1832,  and  his 
remains  were  interred  within  the  Catholic  Chapel 
there. 

Other  priests  who  served  this  district  between  1800 
and  1850  were  Mr  James  M'Gregor  (1819-1828),  Mr 
William  Byrne,  Mr  Chas.  Mackenzie  (1832-1839),  and 
Mr  Archibald  Chisholm  (1839-1846). 

But  to  return  to  the  parent  mission,  the  next  priest  in 
charge  after  Mr  Angus  Gillis  was  Mr  William  Chisholm, 
a  native  of  Strathglass.  He  continued  in  the  Braes  of 
Lochaber  till  his  death,  which  took  place  in  1826.  He 
is  buried  in  Killechyrille,  where  a  grave-stone  with  a 
suitable  inscription  marks  his  resting-place.  After  his 
death  Eev.  Donald  Forbes  was  appointed  to  the  charge, 
in  which  he  continued  till  1878.  He  was  born  in 
Strathglass,  and  at  seventeen  entered  the  Highland 
District  Seminary  of  Lismore,  and  there  completed 
the  usual  course  of  studies.  Having  been  ordained 
by  Bishop  Aeneas  Chisholm  in  1816,  he  was  sent  in 
December  to  take  charge  of  the  mission  of  Badenoch. 
In  February  1819  he  was  transferred  to  the  more 


186  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

important  mission  of  Glengarry,  but  owing  to  the 
scarcity  of  priests  he  had  still  to  supply  the  wants  of 
his  former  flock.  For  the  next  seven  years  his  duties 
were  exceedingly  laborious,  for  he  was  entr1^0^ 
the  care  of  the  extensive  districts  of  Glengarry,  (JTICU. 
moriston,  Stratherrick,  and  Badenoch,  in  each  of  which 
there  was  a  considerable  number  of  Catholics.  With 
a  flock  so  numerous  and  so  widely  scattered  —  his 
district  must  have  measured  at  least  fifty  miles  by 
twenty-five  miles — and  in  so  mountainous  a  region, 
the  sick  calls  in  particular  often  proved  arduous  in 
the  extreme ;  and  the  hardships  which  he  underwent 
on  these  occasions,  and  the  dangers  which  he  often 
incurred,  formed  a  frequent  subject  of  his  reminiscences 
in  after  years.  In  1826  he  was  appointed  to  the 
mission  of  the  Braes  of  Lochaber,  where  he  was 
destined  to  spend  the  remaining  fifty-two  years  of  his 
useful  and  exemplary  life.  During  the  whole  of  his 
long  career  he  was  distinguished  by  simple  and  fervent 
piety,  and  by  unremitting  attention  to  all  his  duties. 
In  the  course  of  nearly  sixty  years  of  his  active  ministry 
he  never  once  failed  on  Sunday  or  holiday  to  celebrate 
Mass  and  preach.  His  ability  as  a  preacher  and 
instructor  of  youth  gained  him  a  reputation  which 
extended  far  beyond  the  scene  of  his  labours.  His 
heart  was  wholly  set  on  the  well-being  of  his  people, 
nearly  all  of  whom — as  he  took  pleasure  in  saying  in 
his  later  years — he  had  baptized ;  and  they  looked  on 
him  as  their  father  and  best  friend.  They  gave  ample 
proof  of  their  love  and  gratitude  at  the  celebration  of 
his  golden  jubilee  in  1866. 

Besides  the  above,  it  is  certain  that  there  were  other 


LOCHABER  187 

priests  in  Lochaber  for  short  periods,  such  as  Mr  John 
Macdonald,  who  was  afterwards  Bishop,  and  who 
died  on  9th  May  1779 ;  Mr  James  Grant,  afterwards 
Bishop,  who  died  in  Aberdeen  2nd  December  1778 
and  Mr  Eanald  Macdonald,  who  also  became  Bishop 
and  of  whom  mention  was  made  above.  But  none  of 
these  appear  to  belong  to  the  regular  succession  of 
clergymen  in  Lochaber.  They  seem  rather  to  have 
been  sent  thither  either  to  afford  temporary  assistance 
to  the  resident  pastors,  or  to  be  initiated  into  their 
duties  as  missionaries. 

Among  the  many  interesting  papers  at  Achnacarry 
dealing  with  the  history  of  Lochaber,  and  indeed  of  the 
whole  of  Scotland  during  the  past  three  hundred  years, 
I  have  transcribed  the  two  following  as  bearing  more 
especially  on  the  Catholic  position.  The  first  refers  to 
Mr  Alexander  Cameron,  brother  of  Lochiel.  He  is  said 
to  have  been  for  some  time  an  officer  in  the  French 
army,  and  after  that  one  of  the  grooms  of  the  bed 
chamber  to  the  Pretender  at  Eome.  Here  he  seems 
to  have  joined  the  Catholic  Church  and  to  have 
entered  the  Society  of  Jesus,  possibly  led  thereto  by 
friendship  for  the  Farquharsons.  He  certainly  was 
associated  with  Father  John  Farquharson  in  the 
mission  of  Strathglass.  The  uncle  of  Lochiel  men 
tioned  in  this  letter  was  Bishop  Macdonald,  of  Morar, 
who  blessed  Prince  Charlie's  standard  at  Glenfinnan. 

"  BEAUFORT,  26th  Jan.  1743. 

"  I  send  you  enclosed,  my  Dear  Laird  of  Lochiel,  the 
dispatches  that  I  have  received  from  my  dear  Cusine, 
your  Brother,  yesterday.  You  may  be  sure  I  will  take 


188  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

all  the  care  I  can  of  him.  I  will  endeavour  to  persuade 
him  to  come  nearer  this  place,  that  I  may  furnish  him 
with  all  the  conveniences  of  Life,  that  he  cannot  get 
where  he  is ;  however,  I  will  do  my  best  that  he  will 
not  want  what  is  necessary  where  he  is. 

"I  beg  you  may  use  your  Endeavours  to  get  an 
order  from  his  Superiors  to  make  him  remove  to  a 
milder  climate ;  they  cannot  in  honor  and  conscience 
refuse  it,  for  he  has  done  already  more  good  to  his 
church  than  any  ten  of  his  profession  has  done 
these  ten  years  past,  Except  your  uncle,  who  is  so 
famous  for  making  of  Converts.  The  Earl  of  Traquair 
is  the  fittest  person  to  obtain  my  dear  Cousin's  liberty 
to  go  and  live  in  the  Low  Country  out  of  the  very 
wild  cold  country  he  has  lived  in  this  long  time,  and 
which  occasioned  the  sickness  and  infirmities  that  put 
him  at  death's  door.  LOVAT." 

In  1746  Mr  Cameron  was  still  in  Strathglass,  where 
he  was  arrested  and  sent  from  Inverness  to  London 
a  prisoner  on  board  some  filthy  vessel.  Already  in 
delicate  health  at  the  time  the  above  letter  was  written, 
his  sufferings  while  in  hiding  after  the  battle  of 
Culloden  must  have  told  severely  upon  him,  and  he 
died  on  board  a  vessel  in  the  Thames,  attended,  to  his 
immense  consolation,  by  his  old  friend  and  fellow- 
worker,  Father  Farquharson.  Mr  Cameron  was  found 
accidentally  on  one  of  the  hulks  by  the  captain  of 
Father  Farquharson's  boat.  The  dying  priest  was 
brought  to  the  larger  vessel,  was  carefully  tended 
during  his  last  moments,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the 
nearest  cemetery  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames. 


LOCHABER  189 

The  next  of  the  Achnacarry  papers  which  I  have  been 
enabled  to  transcribe  by  the  kindness  of  the  present 
laird  is  the  Key  to  a  cipher  of  the  time  of  the  '45. 
It  is  as  follows  : — 

Mr  Hunter  ^  Mrs  Brown. 

Mrs  Lucie       m*     v  The  Queen. 

John  Clerk  f2**  *«9-  Mrs  Bettie. 

Mrs  Peggie  J  Mr  Ritchie's  family,  The 

Mr  Ritchie,    The  Pope.  Cardinals. 

Mr  Black,     The  King  of  Spain.        Mr  Baillie,  The  King  of  France. 

Mr  Barker,    The  Emperor.  Mr  Buchan,    Czarine. 

Mr  Bromley,  Duke  of  Argyle.  Mr  Can,      General  Wed  (sic). 

Mr  Colbert,  Duke  of  Gordon.  Mr  Coalman,  Lord  Lovat. 

Mr  Dow,       Lord  Traquair.  Mrs  Enster,   Bishop  Fullerton. 

The  Brewers,  The  Presbyterians.        Mrs  Enster's  children,  High 

Episcopal  Clergy. 
Mr  Hart,        Lord  Nithsdale.  Mr  MacKie,  Macpherson, 

Cluny. 

Mr  Morton,    Glenbucket.  Mr  Red  (Reid),  Keppoch. 

Mr  Turner,    Lochiel.  Mr  John  Wallace,  Lochiel 

Junr. 

Etc.  Etc. 

Au  Caffee  de  Don  Carlos  rue  letify  (?)  a  Paris. 

Of  the  ecclesiastical  buildings  still  remaining  in 
Lochaber,  the  most  interesting  to  the  Catholics  is 
that  within  the  cemetery  of  Killechyrille.  By  the 
care  of  the  present  pastor  of  the  mission,  assisted  by 
the  laird,  The  Mackintosh  of  Mackintosh,  the  ddbris 
which  at  one  time  almost  closed  up  the  inside  has  been 
removed,  and  as  far  as  possible  replaced  in  its  original 
position.  The  result  is  that  the  walls  are  eight  or  nine 
feet  high  all  round,  whilst  one  of  the  windows  is  still 
complete.  When  this  chapel  was  last  used  is  uncertain 
— probably  a  couple  of  centuries  ago.  The  present 


190  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

chapel  was  built  in  1826,  on  a  spot  the  beauty  of 
which  it  would  indeed  be  difficult  to  equal.  Previous 
to  that  date  the  chapel  was  at  Achluachrach,  a  mile 
higher  up  the  river,  close  to  the  present  Glenspean 
shooting  lodge.  It  was  here  that  a  somewhat  unusual 
incident  occurred.  Probably  owing  to  the  long  in 
cumbency  of  Mr  Angus  Gillis,  the  Achluachrach  chapel, 
a  lengthy,  low  barn  with  thatched  roof,  continued  to 
be  used  long  after  it  had  become  a  somewhat  unsafe 
piece  of  building.  One  Sunday  during  the  first  year 
of  Father  Forbes's  residence  in  Lochaber,  the  good  folk 
were  hearkening  to  his  eloquent  words  at  the  end  of 
Mass,  when  suddenly  the  roof  was  seen  to  give,  and 
with  a  cry  of  alarm  the  congregation  made  for  the  door. 
A  fair  number  thus  made  their  exit  in  respectable 
fashion,  but  a  large  proportion  are  known  to  have  found 
the  windows  an  easier  means  of  egress,  and  to  have  cut 
their  hands  and  arms  in  the  process.  The  building  was 
scarcely  empty  when  the  roof  fell  in,  but  without 
causing  injury  to  any  one.  Now  that  the  present 
humble  chapel  of  the  Braes  of  Lochaber  has  done  duty 
for  over  eighty  years,  it  is  pleasant  to  know  that  the 
incumbent  of  the  mission  is  preparing  to  replace  it 
by  one  more  in  keeping  with  the  times.  But  if  the 
old  chapel  cannot  boast  of  architectural  beauty,  it  will 
be  difficult  indeed  to  equal  the  natural  beauty  of  the 
situation,  placed  as  it  is  half-way  down  the  charmingly 
wooded  brae,  with  the  rapid  Spean  river  rushing  through 
a  deep  gorge  immediately  below. 


STRATHGLASS 

WHEN  writing  of  Strathglass  on  a  previous  occasion1 
I  mentioned  that   "from   the   Eeformation   until  the 
beginning  of   last  century,  the  Catholics  in  the  Aird 
and   in    Strathglass   received    no   more   support   from 
the  two  chief  families  of  the  neighbourhood,  namely, 
the    Frasers    and    the    Chisholms,    than    was    to   be 
expected  from  the  heads   of   clans  who  looked  upon 
all  their  clansmen,  whatever  might  be  their  religion, 
as  members  of  their  own  family."     It  would,  however, 
appear  that,  for  some  time  at  least  after  the  change 
of  religion  on  the  part  of  the  Parliament  of  Scotland, 
the  Laird  of  Strathglass   retained  the  old  Faith,  for 
I   find   that   "in    1579    Thomas    Chisholm,    Laird    of 
Strathglass,  was  summoned  before  the  Court  for  his 
adhesion  to  the  ancient  creed."     This  fact  was  brought 
to  my  notice  by  a  pamphlet  "  A  Memoir  of  the  Mission 
of  Strathglass,"  which  is  a  faithful  reprint  of  an  earlier 
one  published  about  fifty-five  years  ago  by  the  late  Mr 
John  Boyd,  founder  and  publisher  of  the  Antigonish 
Casket.    In  the  Introduction  we  are  told  that  "  the  exact 
date  of  the  Memoir  cannot  be  ascertained,  as  the  date 
on  the  title  page  is  missing.     It  could  not,  however, 

1  "  Ancient  Catholic  Homes  of  Scotland,"  p.  96, 

191 


192  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

have  been  later  than  1851,  for  the  late  Bishop  Fraser, 
of  blessed  memory,  who  died  in  the  October  of  that 
year,  was  living  at  the  time,  as  may  be  seen  by  the 
pamphlet  itself.  The  author  certainly  knew  what  he 
was  writing  about.  The  pamphlet  was  reprinted  last 
year  in  order  to  rescue  from  probable  oblivion  a  very 
interesting  chapter  in  the  history  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland." 

It  is  pleasing  to  find  so  much  interest  taken  in  the 
country  of  their  adoption  by  the  former  inhabitants 
of  Strathglass,  who  will  no  doubt  be  pleased  to  learn 
that  the  pamphlet,  of  which  the  authorship  is  thought 
to  be  unknown,  was  composed  by  Kev.  Angus  Mackenzie, 
priest  of  Eskadale,  whose  original  notes  are  still  in  the 
possession  of  his  successor  in  the  Strathglass  mission. 
The  memoir  will  be  found  in  full  in  the  Scotch 
Directory  of  1846.1 

The  fact  that  the  Laird  of  Strathglass  suffered 
imprisonment  in  1579  is  important  as  showing  that 
he  set  the  example  of  steadfastness  to  the  ancient  faith. 
When  his  descendants  later  conformed  to  the  State 
religion,  the  inhabitants  of  the  glen  adhered  to  their  first 
resolution,  and  hence  Catholicity  has  always  prospered 
there.  Another  cause  which  favoured  the  maintenance 
of  Catholic  traditions  and  rendered  possible  the  erection 
of  churches  and  of  the  priest's  house  here,  when  they 
were  proscribed  in  other  parts  of  Scotland,  was  that 
there  is  no  main  road  through  this  glen  to  the  west 
coast.  At  Fasnakyle  the  chapel  was  situated  where 
it  could  only  be  approached  by  the  road  leading  from 

1  The  larger  part  of  Father  Mackenzie's  Memoir  is  given,  and  as 
nearly  as  possible  in  his  own  words. 


STRATHGLASS  193 

the  lower  end  of  Strathglass,  eighteen  miles  distant. 
This  will,  no  doubt,  account  for  the  fact  that  while 
the  entire  territory  northwards,  and  the  other  adjacent 
districts,  with  a  few  exceptions  of  modern  date, 
embraced  and  still  cling  to  the  innovations  of  the 
so-called  Reformation,  the  inhabitants  of  Strathglass 
should  from  a  comparatively  remote  period  form  so 
singular  a  contrast  by  their  uniform  adherence  to  the 
Catholic  Faith.  It  is  amongst  the  earliest  recollections 
of  the  oldest  people  yet  living  (1846)  that  a  native 
Protestant  could  hardly  be  met  with  in  the  district. 

During  the  interval  between  1580  and  1600 — the 
period  marked  by  the  renewed  activity  of  the  Jesuits 
in  Scotland — the  spiritual  destitution  of  Strathglass 
attracted  thither  their  zealous  attention.  The  severity 
of  the  laws,  however,  and  the  activity  of  their  pursuers, 
forced  them  to  retire  from  the  district.  From  the 
date  of  their  departure,  this  mission  must  have  been 
for  a  length  of  time  without  a  pastor.  According  to 
the  tradition  of  the  present  inhabitants,  the  interval 
between  1660  and  1680  is  the  date  of  the  revival 
of  the  Catholic  Faith  in  Strathglass.  This  revival  was 
effected  by  the  conversion  of  Colin,  son  of  the  Chisholm 
of  Strathglass  who  settled  at  Knockfin,  and  was  the 
first  of  the  family  afterwards  styled  "  of  Knockfin."  This 
circumstance  became  known  to  the  missionaries  who 
about  this  time  found  their  way  to  Glengarry,  and 
two  of  them  repaired  immediately  to  Strathglass.  They 
were  received  by  Colin  of  Knockfiu,  who  informed  them 
of  his  own  conversion  and  of  the  friendly  disposition 
of  his  father.  Finding  thus  a  confirmation  of  the 
reports  which  they  had  previously  heard,  they  deter- 

VOL.  I.  N 


194  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

mined  to  settle  in  the  country.  Of  the  state  of  religion 
in  Strathglass  at  this  period,  or  of  the  Apostolic  labours 
of  these  priests,  nothing  more  is  known  than  that 
they  opened  two  stations,  the  one  in  a  remote  locality 
near  Knockfin,  where  a  humble  chapel  must  have 
been  built,  as  the  place  to  this  day  is  called  Achada- 
na  h-eaglais  (the  Church  field),  the  other  about  the 
centre  of  the  district,  at  a  place  called  Clachan  Comar. 
The  walls  of  the  chapel  are  still  five  to  six  feet  in 
height,  whilst  the  old  holy  water  font  remains,  and 
has  been  placed  at  the  entrance  to  the  chapel.  The 
graveyard  round  about  is  most  closely  filled  with 
graves,  and  indeed  the  situation  of  the  whole  is  most 
picturesque,  being  encircled  by  a  belt  of  trees  and 
placed  in  the  centre  of  the  beautiful  fertile  strath. 

The  next  priest  who  is  known  to  have  served  this 
mission  is  a  Mr  M'Kae,  of  whose  history  we  only 
know  that  he  was  the  immediate  predecessor  of  Mr 
John  Farquharson.  Of  Father  John  a  good  deal  is 
known,  and  yet  it  is  little  less  than  a  national  calamity 
that  far  more  is  not  known.  He  was,  according  to 
Browne's  "  History  of  the  Highlands,"  the  first  person 
who  made  a  collection  of  Gaelic  poetry.  His  collec 
tion  contained  all  that  Macpherson  collected,  and 
other  pieces  besides.  In  reply  to  questions  by  Bishop 
Cameron,  Kev.  James  Macgillivray,  who  had  been  a 
student  at  Douai  under  Father  John,  stated  that  he 
recollected  very  distinctly  having  heard  Mr  Farquharson 
say  that  he  had  all  these  (Macpherson's)  poems  in 
his  collection;  that  he  never  saw  Father  John  at  a 
loss  to  find  the  original  in  the  MS.  when  any  observa 
tion  occurred  upon  any  passage,  and  that  he  heard 


<  LATHA.N     (OMAR,    STRATIH;LASS. 


CLACHAX    COMAR. 

Showing  the  walls  of  the  old  Chapel  and  Font. 

[To  ft ic t>  page  11)4. 


STRATHGLASS  195 

Mr  Farquharson  often  regret  that  Macpherson  had 
not  found  or  published  several  poems  contained  in  his 
MS.  and  of  no  less  merit  than  any  of  those  laid  "before 
the  public;  that  Mr  Farquharson  came  to  Scotland 
in  1773  leaving  the  MS.  in  the  Scots  College  of  Douai, 
where  Mr  Macgillivray  had  occasion  to  see  it  frequently 
during  his  stay  there  till  1775 ;  but,  he  said,  it  had 
got  into  the  hands  of  young  men  who  did  not  under 
stand  Gaelic,  and  was  much  tattered,  and  several  leaves 
had  been  torn  out ;  that  the  late  Principal  of  the  College 
who  was  then  only  a  student  there,  remembered  very 
well  having  seen  the  leaves  of  the  mutilated  MS.  torn 
up  to  kindle  the  fire  of  their  stove.  When  we  remember 
that  Father  Farquharson  at  his  arrival  in  Strathglass 
did  not  know  Gaelic  and  had  there  to  begin  a  systematic 
study  of  it  with  the  assistance  of  Mrs  Fraser,  of 
Culbokie,  we  can  form  some  idea  of  the  labour  of 
forming  such  a  collection,  which  was  "in  folio,  large 
paper,  about  three  inches  thick,  written  close  and  in  a 
small  letter."  The  destruction  of  this  manuscript  was 
indeed  a  great  loss,  as  the  poems  collected  during  Father 
Farquharson's  residence  of  thirty  years  in  Strathglass 
might  have  contained  many  pieces  of  local  interest, 
besides  those  published  by  Macpherson.  During  this 
long  stay  of  thirty  years,  Mr  Grant  in  his  "  Braes  of 
Mar,"  assures  us  that  the  natives  of  Strathglass  fondly 
loved  Mr  John — Maighistir  Ian,  as  they  call  him  ;  and 
they  welcome  warmly,  even  now,  a  Braemar  man  for  his 
sake.  They  tell  many  wonderful  anecdotes  concern 
ing  him,  says  Mr  Grant  in  the  above-mentioned  work, 
p.  228,  and  he  then  relates  the  following,  which  I  will 
give  in  his  own  charming,  half -Gaelic  style. 


196  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

On  his  way  to  visit  a  sick  person,  Maighistir  Ian 
reached  the  Cannich,  a  tributary  of  the  Glass.  He 
was  accompanied  by  his  clerk — "  clerach,"  the  Strath- 
glass  folk  call  that  official.  In  order  to  ford  the 
stream,  the  father  found  that  it  would  be  necessary 
to  divest  himself  of  a  garment  that  shall  be  nameless, 
and  only  after  the  passage  discovered  that  he  had 
left  it  behind  him.  On  looking  back,  he  perceived 
on  the  other  bank  a  dwarfish,  ugly  old  carle  to  all 
appearance  about  to  cross  after  him.  "  Fhir  sin  thall," 
cried  the  father  therefore,  "  thoir  nail  mo  bhriogais  ? " 
The  carle  paid  no  heed.  "  Fhir  sin  thall,"  repeats  he, 
in  louder  tone,  "nach  toir  thu  nail  mo  bhriogais." 
"  You  fellow  there,  won't  you  fetch  over  my  trousers  ? " 
"The  nasty  old  body,"  muttered  he  to  the  clerach, 
"he  does  not  heed  me.  You  just  go  over  for  them." 
The  clerach  draws  back.  "I  don't  like  the  look  of 
that  *  bodach '  at  all,  Maighistir  Ian."  In  fine  Maighistir 
Ian  finds,  if  he  would  possess  himself  of  his  garments, 
he  must  even  go  himself.  Now  mark  what  befell. 
Just  as  he  nears  the  bank,  the  old  carle,  with  a  noise 
like  a  thousand  thunders,  and  spitting  fire,  flame,  and 
smoke,  dived  into  the  river  and  disappeared.  The 
clerach  in  terror  swooned  away,  and  did  not  recover 
till  the  good  father,  no  way  dismayed  on  his  part, 
stood  beside  him  with  his  raiment  all  properly  adjusted. 

Maighistir  Ian  had  often  enough  hard  times  of  it. 
The  clerach  would  then  sally  out  to  forage,  and  would, 
alas!  more  frequently  than  desirable,  return  empty- 
handed.  While  he  was  thus  employed  one  evening, 
a  beggar  applied  at  the  priest's  door  for  alms.  One 
small  basinful  of  meal  was  all  the  house  contained, 


STRATHGLASS  197 

but  Maighistir  Ian  would  share  to  the  last  with  the 
poor,  so,  as  he  held  the  basin  to  give  away  the  half, 
his  whole  store  some  way  fell  down  into  the  beggar's 
bag. 

"  Eo  mhath,  ro  mhath,  dar  thuit  e  ort  bhi  falbh  leis/' 
said  he. 

"  Well,  well,  as  it  fell  to  you,  be  going  with  it." 

The  clerach  by  and  by  returned,  tired  and  dis 
appointed  and  cross.  Alack !  was  ever  mortal  more 
unfortunate?  Now  "lese"  me  on  good  brose — a  sub 
stantial  dish.  The  clerach  will  regain  his  good-humour, 
and  satisfy  the  cravings  of  hunger.  But  woe  betide ! 
even  this  is  denied  him  —  the  meal  basin  is  empty 
and  desolate  like  his  own  stomach.  He  learns  with 
indignation  the  prodigal  charity  of  the  good  father, 
and  storms  dreadfully  against  him. 

"  Have  some  faith,  man,  and  confide  in  Providence," 
mildly  expostulates  Maighistir  Ian;  "we  may  yet  be 
rejoiced  by  a  good  meal." 

But  the  clerach  sits  by  the  fire  in  great  dumps, 
chewing  the  cud  of  bitter  reflection,  instead  of  masti 
cating  strong  kail  brose.  You  might  have  easily  seen 
that  he  considered  Providence's  providings  grievously 
below  the  mark.  Hark!  a  tap  is  heard  at  the  door, 
the  clerach  runs  forth,  and  finds  there  a  man  on  horse 
back,  who,  without  speaking,  hands  him  a  bag,  and 
rides  away  through  the  night.  The  bag  was  big-bellied 
and  ponderous,  the  bag  emitted  a  savoury  odour,  the 
bag  made  the  clerach's  mouth  water  as  he  emptied  it, 
tearing  out  its  contents  with  both  hands  on  the  table 
before  his  master.  And  truly  it  contained  very  many 
excellent  things  of  the  eatable  order,  and  truly  the 


198  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

clerach  regaled  himself  with  Maighistir  Ian  on  the 
rarest  viands.  "Another  time,  clerach,"  quoth  the 
priest,  "you  will  know  better."  As  to  the  purveyor 
of  the  feast  —  the  strange  horseman  —  you  will  learn 
without  any  wonder  that  he  was  never  heard  of  again. 

Father  John  Farquharson  was  twice  taken  prisoner : 
the  first  time  to  Fort  Augustus,  the  second  time  he 
was  transported  to  the  penal  settlement  of  Hanover. 
The  captain  of  the  vessel  which  carried  the  priest 
to  Hanover  reminded  Father  John  that  he  performed 
his  duty  by  landing  his  prisoners  in  Hanover,  and 
would  return  to  England  by  such  a  tide.  The  hint 
was  quite  enough ;  and  when  the  captain  cleared  the 
Hanoverian  coast,  the  priest  suddenly  appeared  at  the 
captain's  table.  He  was  brought  safely  back,  without 
incurring  danger  or  expense. 

Born  in  1699,  he  had  entered  the  Society  of  Jesus 
at  Tournay.  Towards  the  end  of  October  1729  he 
landed  in  Edinburgh,  and  presumably  passed  at  once 
to  Strathglass.  We  have  Bishop  Cameron's  authority 
that  he  worked  thirty  years  in  the  Glen,  say  till  about 
1759,  when  he  was  appointed  Prefect  of  Studies  at 
Douai.  Here  he  remained  till  1772,  when  he  went 
to  his  nephew's  residence  at  Inverey.  He  died  in 
1782.1 

It  was  but  a  few  years  before  his  death  that  the 
following  incident  occurred.  It  seems  that  at  the  Scots 
College  at  Douai,  the  sons  of  Episcopalian  Jacobites 
were  not  infrequently  received.  One  of  the  last  of 
these  was  the  amiable  Colonel  Spens  of  Craigsanquhar. 
He  died  in  1848  at  the  age  of  ninety.  When  Spens 
1  Celtic  Magazine,  January  1782, 


STRATHGLASS  199 

was  at  Douai,  Father  John  Farquharson  was  superior 
— a  man — so  my  authority  says — of  elegant  manners, 
and  much  respected  by  every  one.  He  was  an  accom 
plished  scholar,  and  so  popular  amongst  the  people 
that  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  French  Eevolution, 
when  the  clergy  were  in  great  danger,  his  escape  and 
that  of  the  Scottish  students  was  facilitated  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town.  He  escaped  with  them  in 
disguise,  and  after  many  perils  succeeded  in  reaching 
England.  Colonel  Spens  used  to  relate  that  once 
standing  at  his  own  door  he  saw  in  the  distance  a 
tall,  handsome  man  of  fine  presence  coming  up  the 
avenue.  Viewing  him  through  a  glass,  he  said  to 
his  wife :  "  If  I  thought  he  were  alive,  I  should  say 
that  that  was  my  good  old  tutor,  the  Abbe ;  but  I 
fear  that  he  has  perished."  However,  his  surmise 
was  a  true  one,  and  he  immediately  had  to  welcome 
his  ancient  instructor.  I  give  the  account  as  it 
appears  in  the  Edinburgh  Review  (January,  1846), 
although  there  must  be  some  error  in  the  dates,  as 
authentic  records  tell  of  Father  John's  death  in 
1782. 

The  late  Mr  Colin  Chisholm,  who  was  conversant 
with  all  the  traditions  of  Strathglass,  published  in 
the  Celtic  Magazine,  January  1882,  most  interesting 
details  regarding  Father  John.  From  this  we  learn 
that  "in  order  to  avoid  detection  as  a  priest,  Father 
Farquharson  used  to  dress  in  the  kilt  and  tartan  hose 
like  the  men  of  the  district,  and  was  so  dressed  on 
one  occasion  when  celebrating  Mass  in  his  sacerdotals 
in  the  old  meeting-house  at  Balanahoun,  when  a 
party  of  soldiers  entered  the  building.  Over  and 


200  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

over  again  I  heard  an  eye-witness,  at  that  time  a 
young  lad,  and  who  was  along  with  his  mother  on 
that  occasion,  describe  the  distressing  scene  as 
follows:  —  As  soon  as  the  red -coats  came  in  at  the 
door,  one  of  them,  whom  he  called  Sergeant  Eushard 
(Richard),  rushed  up  to  the  altar  and  told  the  priest 
that  he  was  his  prisoner.  At  this  moment  all  the 
men  in  the  house  started  to  their  feet  and  vowed 
that  they  would  bury  every  one  of  the  soldiers  in  the 
floor  of  the  house.  Now  came  the  priest's  difficulty  to 
keep  his  congregation  from  attacking  and  slaughter 
ing  his  captors.  By  his  great  command  over  his 
people  he  succeeded.  But  seeing  the  men  forming 
into  a  solid  phalanx  outside,  and  determined  to  release 
him,  Father  John  turned  round,  drew  an  imaginary 
line  on  the  ground,  and  forbade  any  man  present,  on 
pain  of  instant  excommunication,  to  follow  him  across 
that  line.  The  ladies  of  the  congregation  construed 
the  threat  as  directed  only  against  the  men,  and  they 
accompanied  their  pastor  for  about  a  quarter  of  an 
mile,  to  a  spot  where  they  had  to  cross  a  small  burn 
called  Alt-a-bhodaich.  Here  Mairi  ni  'n  Ian  Euaidh, 
great-grandmother  of  Eev.  Hugh  Chisholm,  now  priest 
at  St  Miren's,  Paisley,1  darted  in,  close  to  the  side 
of  Father  John,  and  took  the  maniple  off  his  arm. 
Encouraged  by  her  success,  an  aunt  of  the  late  Bishop 
Macdonell,  of  Canada  (Mairi  ni  'n  Ailean),  got  hold 
of  the  chasuble,  and  when  in  the  act  of  pulling  it 
over  the  priest's  head,  she  received  a  sabre  blow  from 
one  of  the  soldiers,  which  cut  her  head,  and  felled  her, 

1  He  died  in  1908.     As  Provost  of  the  Archdiocese  of  Glasgow,  he 
was  beloved  and  respected  of  all  who  knew  him, 


STRATHGLASS  201 

bleeding,  to  the  ground.  The  wound  did  not  prove 
fatal,  but  Mairi  ni  'n  Ailean  felt  its  effects  for  the 
rest  of  her  life.  When  her  grave  was  opened  many 
years  after  her  death  to  receive  the  body  (I  think 
of  her  husband),  her  skull  was  discovered  to  have  been 
cut,  and  the  two  edges  of  the  bone  seemed  to  have 
joined  again  as  if  dove-tailed  together  like  the  teeth 
of  a  hand-saw.  After  this  sword-stroke  the  soldiers 
crossed  over  the  old  wooden  bridge  at  Fasnakyle,  and 
handed  Father  John  a  prisoner  to  the  Chisholm  on  the 
green  at  Comar  House.  By  this  time  a  great  crowd  had 
gathered.  The  Chisholm  invited  Father  Farquharson 
to  walk  upstairs  and  join  the  ladies,  while  he  himself 
had  his  influence  taxed  to  the  utmost  endeavour  to 
keep  his  people  and  the  soldiers  from  imbruing  their 
hands  in  each  others'  blood.  The  above  statement  I 
heard  repeatedly  from  an  eye-witness — Colin  Chisholm, 
senior,  formerly  tacksman  of  Lietry,  Glencannich." 

On  his  return  from  his  first  imprisonment  Father 
John  withdrew  to  the  Brae  of  Craskie  in  Glencannich, 
where  a  temporary  residence  was  prepared  for  him 
under  the  cliff  of  a  big  boulder.  Here  he  was  joined 
by  his  brother  and  Father  Alex.  Cameron.  The  three 
were  priests  of  the  Society  of  Jesus. 

Their  watch-tower  commands  a  view  of  the  road 
leading  from  the  plains  of  Strathglass  to  Glencannich 
for  about  three  miles.  Here  they  were  safe,  so  long  as 
they  chose  to  remain  in  it.  Tradition  says  that  Father 
John  used  to  emerge  occasionally  from  his  domicile  to 
administer  to  the  wants  of  his  neighbours.  The  people 
residing  in  the  plains  of  Strathglass  used  in  turn  to  go 
and  receive  the  consolations  of  religion  in  Glencannich, 


202  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

It  is  morally  certain  that  Father  Farquharson,  like 
his  predecessors,  baptized  infants  about  that  time  in 
a  capacious  cup-stone  formed  by  some  freak  of  nature 
into  a  rude  baptismal  font.  This  font,  "  Clach  -  a- 
Bhaistidh,"  is  said  to  have  been  used  for  baptisms 
from  time  immemorial.  In  order  to  protect  it  from 
damage,  it  was  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Marydale 
church,  and  was  placed  on  a  stone  column  by  the  late 
Captain  Macrae  Chisholm. 

But  to  return  to  the  three  priests  in  their  shelter 
at  Craskie,  which  soon  became  known  to  their  enemies. 
At  the  time  that  the  two  priests  mentioned  above  were 
taking  shelter  with  Father  John,  two  men  were  sent 
to  apprehend  him  in  his  cave.  The  people  represent 
him  as  endowed  with  the  foreknowledge  of  coming 
events,  and  in  this  instance  he  is  said  to  have  told  his 
two  companions  that  his  pursuers  were  making  fast 
towards  him  —  that  flight  in  his  case  was  impossible, 
but  that  they  might  still  save  themselves,  as  intelligence 
of  their  arrival  had  not  yet  gone  abroad.  After  this 
conversation,  the  more  effectually  to  cover  the  retreat, 
he  set  out  to  meet  those  who  were  in  search  of  him, 
and  soon  fell  into  their  hands.  Father  Charles  returned 
to  Braemar,  and  Father  Cameron  to  his  native  country 
Lochaber.  There  he  was  soon  after  arrested  and  sent 
as  a  prisoner  to  London,  where  he  died.  It  would 
appear  that  he  had  done  good  work  as  a  missionary  in 
Strathglass,  as  is  shown  by  the  following  extract  from 
the  Dingwall  Presbytery  Kecords.1 

1  Celtic  Review,  December  1884. 


STRATHGLASS  203 

"At  DINGWALL,  27M  April  1743. 

"  The  Presbytery  do  appoint  their  Commissioners  to 
the  ensuing  General  Assembly,  to  lay  before  the  said 
Assembly  the  following  brief  representation  respecting 
the  state  and  growth  of  Popery  in  their  bounds,  par 
ticularly  that  the  Presbytery  do  find,  besides  Mr  John 
Farquharson,  a  Jesuit  Priest,  who,  for  several  years, 
resided  and  trafficked  in  the  Chisholm's  country  as 
a  Poppish  Missionary,  that  there  is  one,  Alex. 
Cameron,  brother  to  the  present  Laird  of  Locheale, 
who  hath  lately  settled  in  the  part  of  Strathglass  that 
pertains  to  Lord  Lovet,  and  is  employed  as  a  Poppish 
Missionary  in  that  neighbourhood  and  Glenstrathfarrar, 
and  trafficks  with  great  success ;  and  he  hath  great 
advantage  by  his  connection  with  the  inhabitants  of 
Lochaber,  which  gives  the  people  in  these  corners, 
wherein  he  is  employed,  occasion  to  suppose  that  it 
is  in  his  power  to  protect  them  and  their  cattle  from 
the  invasions  of  the  people  of  that  country,  or  to 
avenge  himself  upon  them  by  their  means,  ly  which 
the  few  Protestants  that  are  there  are  much  dis 
couraged,  and  kept  in  perpetual  terror;  that  several 
arguments  and  methods  are  said  to  be  used  by  him 
that  would  more  become  a  country  where  Popery  had 
the  advantage  of  law  in  its  favours  than  places  that 
are  under  a  Protestant  Government,  by  all  which  means 
the  Presbytery  do  find  that  a  greater  number  have 
been  perverted  to  Popery  in  those  parts  within  these 
few  months  than  thirty  years  before.  The  Presbytery 
do  instruct  their  Commissioners  to  urge  the  Assembly 
to  take  the  matters  above  mentioned  to  their  serious 
and  reasonable  consideration,  and  endeavour  to  procure 


204  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

the  Assembly's  particular  recommendation  to  the  Com 
mittee  for  Eeformation  of  the  Highlands  to  take  special 
care  for  providing  these  corners,  not  only  with  a  well- 
qualified  preacher,  such  as  is  there  presently  employed, 
but  also  with  a  Catechist  and  schoolmaster,  and  that 
the  Assembly  give  proper  order  for  executing  the 
laws  against  the  said  Messrs  John  Farquharson  and 
Alexander  Cameron,  and  that  the  assembly  use  their 
interests  with  the  superiors  and  heritors  of  the  parishes 
of  Killtarlitie  and  Kilmorack,  to  protect  the  Protestant 
religion  in  their  bounds,  and  discourage,  by  all  reason 
able  and  likely  means,  the  Roman  Catholic  religion." 

As  we  have  already  heard  of  Father  Cameron  under 
Lochaber,  of  which  he  was  a  native,  let  us  now  see 
Father  John  Farquharson  in  a  new  rdle,  that  of  poet 
at  the  expense  of  the  notorious  Simon,  Lord  Lovat. 
Again  Mr  Colin  Chisholm  is  our  authority,1  who  says, 
"  it  is  evident  from  the  very  plain  terms  in  which  he 
addressed  and  warned  his  neighbour  (Lord  Simon) 
that  he  had  no  very  high  opinion  of  him.  His  lordship 
had  incarcerated  the  priest's  clerk  in  the  "Ked 
Dungeon"  at  Beauly  for  fishing  salmon  in  the  river 
Glass,  at  Fasnakyle,  about  twenty  miles  above  the 
Falls  of  Kilmorack.  His  reverence  went  to  obtain  the 
release  of  his  clerk,  but  my  Lord  Simon  was  obdurate, 
and  refused  to  open  the  door  of  the  cell.  It  will  be 
seen  that  the  priest  was  very  displeased,  but  he  was 
not  to  be  foiled  by  any  old  or  young  sinner;  con 
sequently,  he  fulminated  the  severe  censure  embodied 
in  the  subjoined  verses  against  his  lordship. 

"  Soon  after,  Lord  Simon  attended  a  dinner  party  at 
1  Celtic  Magazine  t  November  1881, 


s 


STRATHGLASS  305 

Eskadale,  on  which  occasion  one  of  the  gentlemen 
present  recited  the  verses.  Lovat  at  once  attributed 
them  to  Mrs  Fraser,  of  Guisachan,  a  well-known  poet, 
but  being  assured  that  the  author  was  no  other  than 
Eev.  Mr  Farquharson,  his  lordship  appeared  much 
confused,  scarcely  uttered  another  word  at  the  party, 
and  soon  went  on  his  way  to  Beaufort  Castle.  Self- 
willed  as  he  is  said  to  have  been,  it  seems  that  he  had 
no  wish  to  call  forth  any  more  disagreeable  prophecies, 
for  he  immediately  released  the  clerk."  It  is  noticeable 
that  the  good  priest  clearly  foretells  that  Lord  Simon's 
body  would  be  without  its  head  —  no  very  difficult 
matter,  perhaps,  seeing  how  he  was  on  all  sides  suspected 
of  being  traitor  "  to  both  Kings." 

It  must  have  needed  no  little  pluck  on  the  part  of 
the  good  priest,  himself  an  outlaw  eagerly  sought  after 
at  the  time,  thus  to  risk  the  anger  of  so  reckless  a 
nobleman.  Pluck,  however,  Father  John  certainly  had, 
as  was  but  fitting  for  the  son  of  old  Lewis  Farquharson, 
of  Auchindryne,  of  whom  the  story  is  told  that  being 
very  aged  at  the  time  of  the  Eising  of  1715,  he  yet 
insisted  on  taking  the  field  with  his  kindred,  saying  :  "  I 
am  old  now,  and  of  little  use ;  but  what  reck  ?  If 
my  lads  should  no'  do  their  duty,  can  I  no'  'sheet' 
them  ? " 

Mr  Farquharson,  in  the  words  of  our  Memoir,  was 
soon  enlarged,  and  returned  once  more  to  Strath- 
glass,  where  he  continued  for  several  years  serving  the 
mission.  At  length  he  retired  to  his  native  country, 
Braemar,  where,  according  to  the  charming  inscription 
on  his  tombstone,  "he  spent  the  evening  of  his  days 
as  chaplain  to  his  nephew,  Alexander  Farquharson, 


206  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

of    Inverey,    and    died    at    Balmoral,    22nd    August 
1782." 

Father  John  Farquharson  was  followed  by  Father 
Norman  M'Leod.  Further  than  the  recollections  of 
his  holy  and  edifying  life,  the  history  of  the  mission 
during  his  incumbency  affords  no  other  facts  than  that 
he  built  a  rude  chapel,  but  suited  to  the  circumstances 
of  the  times  in  which  he  lived.1  At  an  advanced  age 
he  retired  to  Edinburgh,  and  was  succeeded  by  Father 
John  Chisholm,  a  native  of  Strathglass.  He  was  born 
in  Inchully  in  February  1752,  and  was  early  sent  to  the 
Scots  College  of  Douai,  then  directed  by  the  Jesuits. 
On  their  expulsion  from  France  he  went  to  the 
novitiate  of  the  Order  at  Tournay.  When  the  Jesuits 
were  suppressed  in  1773,  he  returned  to  Douai  College, 
which  by  that  time  had  been  entrusted  to  the  secular 
clergy.  Kegarding  his  stay  at  the  Jesuit  Novitiate,  he 
thus  writes  to  a  friend  in  1807,  fifteen  years  after  his 
consecration  as  Bishop :  "  I  wish  I  was  allowed  once 
more  to  begin  my  novitiate ;  the  only  year  I  had  of  it 
was,  I  believe,  the  best  of  my  life."  From  1775  till 
1792  he  laboured  with  great  fruit  in  the  Strathglass 
mission,  where  his  kinship  with  the  laird  was  of  great 
advantage  to  him.  Indeed,  very  soon  he  so  ingratiated 
himself  with  the  Chisholm  that  it  was  no  longer  a 
matter  of  toleration  to  have  a  priest  in  the  country. 
He  successfully  procured  the  respect  of  all  the  families 
of  distinction  in  the  surrounding  districts,  and  was 
the  first  who  made  a  breach  in  the  rampant  bigotry 
which  had  till  then  continued  to  strain  on  every  side 

1  So  great  was  the  attachment  of  the  people  to  him  that  they  called 
their  sons  after  him. 


STRATHGLASS  207 

the  Strathglass  mission.  At  length  his  increasing 
popularity  began  to  awaken  the  jealousy  of  the  parsons, 
who  now  began  to  consult  among  themselves  "what 
was  to  be  done  with  the  popish  priest  ?  "  when  a  favour 
able  circumstance,  as  they  thought,  presented  itself. 
Father  Chisholm  had  opened  a  station  in  the  low 
division  of  Strathglass.  The  place  which  he  was 
obliged  to  fix  upon  was  in  the  immediate  neighbour 
hood  of  a  barn  in  which  the  Presbyterian  missionary 
who  came  occasionally  to  that  quarter  preached.  This 
was  construed  by  the  local  Presbytery  into  a  piece  of 
effrontery  that  required  an  immediate  check.  They 
met,  therefore,  and  it  was  resolved  that  the  members 
of  the  meeting  should  head  a  party  to  seize  the  priest. 
But  an  untimely  observation  by  one  of  the  brethren, 
hinting  "  that  they  might  set  out  on  such  a  mission, 
but  that  would  not  warrant  the  safety  of  their  bones 
till  they  returned,"  daunted  them  not  a  little.  The 
expedition  was  abandoned,  and  Father  Chisholm  was 
left  unmolested. 

Regarding  the  several  small  chapels  at  Fasnakyle, 
Clachan,  Aigas,  and  Inchully,  I  find  an  interesting 
piece  of  evidence  from  a  most  unexpected  source.  A 
Mr  John  Knox  in  1786  published  "  A  Tour  through 
the  Highlands  of  Scotland."  It  is  written  with  a  strong 
anti-Catholic  bias,  yet  at  one  point  he  says  "  that  the 
(Protestant)  clergy,  when  they  do  arrive  at  the  preach 
ing  station,  find  the  people  in  the  same  situation  as 
themselves,  drenched  with  wet,  shivering  with  cold,  and 
alike  exposed  to  all  the  inclemencies  of  weather  during 
the  time  of  service,  and  on  their  journey  back  to  their 
comfortless  huts."  He  further  informs  us  that  "  while 


308  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

the  Protestant  clergy  are  in  this  wretched  condition, 
having  neither  dwelling-houses  nor  places  to  preach  in, 
those  of  the  Catholic  persuasion  in  the  Highlands  have 
both,  and  which  are  kept  in  excellent  repair."  To 
which  we  might  add  that  the  Protestant  clergy  had 
always  their  stipend,  small  though  it  may  perhaps 
have  been,  but  that  the  Catholic  clergy  depended 
entirely  on  the  alms  of  the  faithful.  Without  doubt  it  is 
a  most  remarkable  fact  that  despite  so  much  discourage 
ment — not  to  mention  absolute  persecution — on  the 
part  of  those  in  authority,  the  Catholic  Faith  has  been 
maintained  in  so  many  of  the  glens  of  Scotland  in 
almost  primitive  simplicity.  There  is  a  charm  about 
this  simple  religious  faith  which  was  a  striking 
characteristic  of  both  people  and  pastors  as  recently  as 
fifty  years  ago,  and  of  which  the  remains  are  still  often 
to  be  seen. 

In  1791  Father  John  Chisholm  was  appointed  Bishop 
of  the  Highland  district,  and  was  consecrated  by  Bishop 
Hay  on  the  12th  February  1792.  He  left  the  entire 
charge  of  the  Strathglass  mission,  which  he  had  served 
for  seventeen  years,  to  his  brother,  Mr  Aeneas.  Bishop 
John  having  fixed  his  episcopal  see,  like  his  predecessor, 
at  the  small  seminary  at  Samalaman,  thence  transferred 
both  his  residence  and  seminary  to  Killechiaran,  in  the 
island  of  Lismore,  where  he  died  on  8th  July  1814. 
Father  Aeneas  came  to  the  Strathglass  mission  in  1789, 
and  at  first  resided  chiefly  at  his  father's  house  at 
Inchully,  where  he  built  a  small  chapel,  which  stands 
to  this  day,  but  is  now  occupied  as  a  dwelling-house. 
In  1793  he  obtained  the  appointment  of  Father  Austin 
M'Donell  to  the  lower  portion  of  the  mission,  whilst 


STRATHGLASS  809 

he  himself  retained  the  upper  district,  in  which  he  built 
at  Fasnakyle  a  chapel  on  a  far  more  elaborate  scale  than 
had  been  hitherto  possible.  Father  Aeneas  also  extended 
his  missionary  zeal  as  far  as  Inverness,  where  in  1810  a 
room  was  procured,  and  as  the  congregation  increased 
the  work  of  attending  to  it  was  transferred  to  the 
priest  at  Aigas.  Here  Father  Austin  M'Donell  was 
much  assisted  by  Mr  Fraser,  of  Moulie,  a  convert  to 
the  Catholic  Church,  on  whose  property  at  Aigas  a 
chapel  was  opened  in  1801. 

Bishop  Aeneas  Chisholm  was  succeeded  at  Fasnakyle 
by  Mr  Philip  Macrae,  who  had  been  appointed  to  the 
Aigas  mission  in  1812,  where  he  was  now  succeeded 
by  Mr  Evan  Maceachen.  These  two  continued  to  super 
intend  their  respective  missions  under  the  paternal 
guidance  of  Bishop  Aeneas,  who  ever  remained  devoted 
to  his  first  flock.  In  1818  Mr  Maceachen  was  removed 
from  Aigas  to  Braernar,  and  was  immediately  succeeded 
by  Mr  Duncan  Mackenzie. 

During  the  incumbency  of  these  two  missioners, 
Thomas,  Lord  Lovat,  desirous  to  provide  better  accom 
modation  for  the  congregation  of  the  lower  district, 
"built  a  chapel  at  Eskadale  on  a  scale  of  grandeur 
hitherto  unknown  in  the  Highlands."  It  was  opened  in 
1826,  and  here,  at  his  death  in  1875,  he  was  laid  to  rest. 
His  tomb  may  be  seen  on  the  left  of  the  chancel. 

Mr  Duncan  Mackenzie  died  at  Eskadale  in  1828, 
and  Mr  Macrae  in  1842.  In  1827  Mr  Alexander 
Macswein  had  charge  of  the  whole  of  Strathglass  in 
consequence  of  the  ill-health  of  Mr  Macrae,  but  in 
1833  Mr  Thomas  Chisholm  was  appointed  to  the 
mission  of  Fasnakyle,  where  he  remained  until  1848. 

YOL.  l?  Q 


210  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

The  ranks  of  the  Catholics  in  the  Upper  Mission  of 
Strathglass  had  been  for  some  time  becoming  thinner, 
when  Mr  Angus  Mackenzie  wrote  his  Memoir;  still 
the  parent  mission  can  look  with  complacency  on 
the  congregations  to  which  it  gave  existence,  namely, 
Eskadale,  Inverness,  Marydale,  and  Beauly.  Of  the 
two  last  named,  Marydale  is  the  successor  of  the 
Fasnakyle  chapel  mentioned  above.  It  stands  at  the 
junction  of  Glencannich  and  Strathglass,  and  was 
opened  in  1868.  The  church  at  Beauly,  which  was 
opened  in  1864,  was,  like  that  at  Eskadale,  built  by 
Thomas,  Lord  Lovat,  and  is  situated  on  land  adjoining 
the  venerable  ruins  of  Beauly  Priory. 

In  1814  Father  Aeneas  Chisholm  succeeded  his 
brother  as  Vicar  Apostolic  of  the  Highland  district, 
and  removed  to  the  seminary  at  Lismore,  where  he 
died  in  1818.  An  interesting  link  between  the  old 
country  and  her  Canadian  daughter  is  afforded  by  a 
relic  of  these  two  holy  bishops.  It  is  thus  described 
in  the  Tablet,  18th  January  1908.  "  In  Antigonish,  an 
old  woman  brought  out  from  her  breast  a  beautiful 
pectoral  cross,  a  peculiar  cross  with  two  cross-bars, 
like  an  archiepiscopal  processional  cross,  with  the 
inscription,  '  S.  Ignati,  ora  pro  me ' ;  on  the  reverse 
was,  'Sine  peccato  originali.'  I  asked  if  she  knew 
anything  of  the  history  of  the  cross,  She  replied, 
'No,'  only  that  she  had  heard  that  it  once  belonged 
to  the  Easbuigean  bana,  '  the  fair  Bishops.'  Now  the 
'  fair  Bishops '  were  Bishops  John  and  Aeneas  Chisholm, 
Vicars  Apostolic,  who  are  buried  in  the  island  of 
Lismore,  near  Oban.  She  had  it  from  her  mother-in- 
law,  a  Mrs  M'Quarrie,  from  the  island  of  Eigg,  in  the 


STRATHGLASS 

Old  Country,'  whose  maiden  name  was  Macdonnell. 
With  these  data,  I  wrote  to  the  parish  priest  of  Indique, 
Cape  Breton,  the  Kev.  Archibald  Chisholm,  who  seems 
to  have  the  Highland  traditions  at  his  fingers'  ends.  I 
asked  him  if  he  could  help  me  to  trace  the  beautiful 
relic  back  to  the  'Easbuigean  bana/  Mrs  M'Quarrie 
being  a  Macdonell.  I  got  a  reply  by  return  of  post, 
stating  that  he  had  no  doubt  but  the  cross  belonged 
to  the  '  fair  Bishops.'  They  had  a  sister,  who  married 
a  Macdonell  of  Glengarry.  She  had  three  daughters: 
one  married  a  man  in  Skye,  another  married  a 
M'Quarrie  in  Eigg,  and  a  third  came  out  with  Father 
Macdonell,  who  was  afterwards  first  Bishop  of 
Kingston,  Ontario.  She  was  not  more  than  six  weeks 
in  America  when  she  married  an  Allan  M'Nab,  who 
was  later — or  his  son—  Sir  Allan  M'Nab,  Prime  Minister 
of  Canada,  at  Ottawa.  This  same  priest  has  in  his 
possession  the  book  of  the  spiritual  exercises  of  St 
Ignatius,  as  also  a  flask,  which  were  once  the  property 
of  Father  John  Farquharson  in  Strathglass."  In  the 
same  letter  to  the  Tablet  the  writer  mentions  his 
pleasure  at  finding  "in  the  diocese  of  Antigonish 
80,000  Catholics,  of  whom  no  fewer  than  45,000  are 
Gaelic  -  speaking.  .  .  .  There  are  sixty  Gaelic-speaking 
priests  and  fifty  Gaelic-speaking  nuns,  at  the  head  of 
whom  is  the  venerable  Gaelic-speaking  bishop,  Eight 
Eev.  John  Cameron,  D.D.  What  is  equally  satisfac 
tory  is  that  the  best  Highland  Catholic  traditions  are 
nurtured  and  fostered  by  the  people.  Home  Highland 
Catholicity  cannot  hold  a  candle  to  the  sturdy  Gaelic 
Catholicity  of  Nova  Scotia." 

Two  interesting  lists  are  now  before  me,  the  one 


CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

contains  the  names  and  birthplaces  of  twenty-five  priests 
(including  four  bishops),  friends  of  the  late  Mr  Colin 
Chisholm,  who  had  all  been  born  in  Strathglass,  but 
had  died  previous  to  the  date  at  which  he  wrote ;  the 
other  contains  the  name  and  birthplace  of  seventeen 
Strathglass  priests  (including  two  bishops),  who  were 
still  living.  From  Canada  a  further  list  of  twenty- 
seven  Strathglass  priests  in  that  country  has  been  sent 
me ;  little  wonder  that  Mr  Mackenzie  could  write  in 
1846  —  "as  a  nursery  of  priests,  Strathglass  is  not 
less  deserving  of  note." 

And  now  for  another  matter  of  less  ecclesiastical 
interest — the  sufferings  in  the  Glen  after  the  '45. 
Eegarding  the  former,  the  Celtic  Magazine  for  May  1881 
has  the  following : — The  people  on  the  farm  of  Tombuie 
in  Glencannich  were  shearing  corn  on  the  dell  of 
Tombuie,  when,  to  their  terror,  they  saw  a  party  of 
red-coated  soldiers  just  approaching  their  houses. 
Immediately  they  took  themselves  to  the  hills.  But 
the  frantic  screaming  of  an  unfortunate  wife,  who  had 
gone  to  the  field  to  assist  her  husband  and  family, 
reminded  them  that  the  baby  was  left  asleep  at  home. 
There  was  no  way  of  reaching  the  house  or  extracting 
the  poor  infant  before  the  soldiers  could  reach  it.  So 
the  terrified  people  at  Tombuie  made  all  haste  to  the 
rocks  at  the  east  side  of  Glaic  -  na  -  Caillich.  While 
thus  concealed  in  the  cliffs  of  the  rocks  eagerly  watch 
ing  every  movement  on  the  plains  below,  they  saw  one 
of  the  soldiers  enter  the  house  where  the  little  one 
was  peacefully  asleep.  It  afterwards  transpired  that 
in  drawing  his  sword  out  of  its  scabbard  to  despatch 
the  innocent  occupant  of  the  cradle,  the  rays  of  the 


STRATHGLASS 

sun  flashing  on  the  polished  metal  reflected  a  blaze  of 
light  around  the  cradle.  The  innocent  little  creature 
clapped  his  tiny  hands  and  laughed  at  the  pretty  light 
playing  round  its  crib.  At  the  sight  of  the  baby's 
smiles  his  would  -  be  executioner  stood  awed  and 
hesitating  between  the  orders  he  had  received  and 
the  dictates  of  conscience ;  he  put  his  sword  back  into 
its  scabbard,  and  was  turning  out  of  the  house  when 
he  was  met  by  a  comrade,  who  questioned  him  as  to 
whether  he  had  found  any  person  inside.  He  answered 
in  the  negative.  This  suspicious  comrade,  however, 
dashed  into  the  house,  and,  horrible  to  relate,  emerged 
out  of  it  triumphantly  carrying  the  mangled  body  of 
the  infant  transfixed  on  the  point  of  his  sword.  Not 
satisfied  with  this  brutal  act,  the  monster  threatened 
to  report  his  comrade  who  had  spared  the  life  of 
the  infant.  His  more  humane  companion,  however, 
incensed  at  the  fiendish  spectacle  before  him,  instantly 
unsheathed  his  sword,  planted  the  point  of  it  on  the 
breast  of  the  cowardly  assassin,  and  vowed  by  heaven 
and  earth  that  he  would  in  another  moment  force  the 
sword  to  the  hilt  through  his  merciless  heart  if  he 
did  not  withdraw  his  threat,  and  promise  on  oath  never 
to  repeat  it.  Thus  the  dastardly  ruffian  was  instantly 
compelled  at  the  point  of  the  sword  to  beg  for  his  own 
execrable  and  diabolical  life. 

It  is  wonderful  that  only  twelve  years  after  these 
and  similar  atrocities  spread  fear  and  terror  through 
the  Highlands,  Hon.  Simon  Eraser  should  be  able  to 
raise  800  men  for  the  service  of  the  Crown,  and  that 
at  a  time  when  he  was  not  possessed  of  an  inch 
of  land.  To  the  above  number  were  added  700 


214  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

more  brought  by  the  gentlemen  to  whom  he  gave 
commissions.  A  large  proportion  of  the  whole  were 
men  from  Strathglass.  The  memory  of  their  deeds 
in  Canada  is  still  fresh  in  the  Dominion,  where  they 
greatly  distinguished  themselves  under  the  command 
of  their  natural  leader  Hon.  Simon  Fraser.  In  con 
sequence  of  his  services,  the  English  Government 
promoted  him  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-General,  and 
restored  to  him  the  family  estates  of  Lovat,  forfeited 
in  1746.  Again,  in  1775,  General  Eraser  raised  two 
battalions  of  2,340  men,  known  as  the  Fraser  High 
landers — the  old  71st  Kegiment.  The  General  himself 
was  a  great  favourite  with  all  the  men  under  his 
command,  as  also  in  Strathglass.  Here  are  two  tales 
from  the  pen  of  Mr  Colin  Chisholm,  whose  account 
I  have  followed  in  the  preceding.  John  Macdonell, 
tenant  on  the  Fraser  estates,  left  Inchvuilt,  in  Glen- 
strathfarrar,  to  join  the  Fraser  Highlanders.  He  was 
distinguished  from  his  neighbours  by  the  patronymic 
of  Ian  Buidhe-mor.  The  men,  on  the  eve  of  their 
departure  for  the  north,  were  assembled  at  Inverness, 
the  transports  riding  at  anchor  in  the  Sound  of  Kessock 
ready  to  sail.  They  were  all  mustered  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Ness,  and  answered  to  their  names.  All 
were  ordered  to  be  in  readiness  to  embark  the  follow 
ing  morning,  and  every  precaution  was  taken  to  carry 
this  order  into  effect ;  but  under  cover  of  night,  our 
hero,  John  Buidhe-mor,  eluded  the  vigilance  of  the 
guards  and  patrols  in  town.  He,  however,  felt  that 
it  was  of  no  use  to  attempt  crossing  the  old  stone 
bridge — the  only  one  at  that  time  in  Inverness ;  the 
river  was  in  high  flood,  but  John  was  not  to  be  foiled. 


li 


STRATHGLASS  215 

He  went  down  to  the  large  ferry-boat  which  in  those 
days  busily  plied  between  the  Maggot  and  the  Merkinch. 
When  he  reached  the  boat  he  found  it  firmly  secured 
by  a  strong  iron  chain,  fixed  in  a  large  stone,  and 
locked.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  Neither  chain  nor 
lock  could  be  broken  without  making  a  noise  which 
might  betray  him.  At  last  the  happy  thought  occurred 
to  him  to  try  whether  he  could  not  move  the  stone 
into  the  boat.  John,  a  man  of  herculean  size  and 
strength,  succeeded  in  lifting  it,  arid  placing  it  in 
the  craft,  and  having  rowed  himself  quietly  across, 
he  left  boat  and  stone  in  that  position  to  sink  or 
float  as  they  pleased.  With  all  the  speed  he  could 
command,  John  went  off  to  Inchvuilt,  a  distance  of 
more  than  thirty-two  miles  from  Inverness.  He  gave 
his  wife  and  children  some  important  instructions 
about  the  farm,  bade  them  an  affectionate  farewell, 
and  retraced  his  steps  to  Inverness. 

As  the  muster  roll  was  being  called  over  next  day, 
John  was  found  missing.  This  led  to  unfavourable 
comments  on  his  non-appearance,  but  General  Eraser 
would  not  listen  to  the  supposition  that  he  had 
deserted.  Just  as  the  men  were  about  to  embark,  a 
man  in  kilt  and  shirt  was  seen  coming  in  great  haste 
towards  the  camp,  who,  on  approaching  nearer,  was  dis 
covered  to  be  no  other  than  the  missing  Ian  Buidhe- 
mor,  having  walked  over  sixty-four  miles  during  the 
night.  "  John,"  said  General  Eraser,  "  where  have  you 
been  ? "  "  Only  to  see  my  wife  and  children ! "  was 
John's  reply.1 

Another  Strathglass  man  in  this  distinguished  regi- 

1  Celtic  Magazine,  July  1881. 


216  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

ment  was  Alexander  Macdonell  from  Invercannich 
known  by  the  patronymic  of  Alastair  Dubh.  His 
courage  and  daring  seem  to  have  been  the  admiration 
of  the  whole  regiment.  By  the  united  testimony  of 
his  countrymen  who  served  in  the  Eraser  Highlanders 
and  afterwards  returned  to  Strathglass,  it  was  recorded 
in  the  district  that  Alastair  Dubh  was  one  of  a  camp 
of  British  soldiers  occupying  some  outlying  post  in 
Canada,  where  some  of  the  contents  of  the  military 
stores  under  their  charge  were  disappearing  in  a 
mysterious  way  ;  and  the  officers,  determined  to  detect 
and  punish  the  culprit,  ordered  the  soldiers  to  watch 
the  stores  every  night  in  turn  until  the  thief  was 
discovered.  Strange  to  say,  the  first  sentinel  placed 
on  this  duty  never  returned.  Sentry  after  sentry 
took  his  turn  and  place,  not  one  of  whom  were  seen 
again.  One  night  the  duty  fell  to  the  lot  of  some 
faint-hearted  man,  who,  firmly  believing  that  he  would 
never  return,  was  much  disconcerted.  Alastair  Dubh, 
as  compassionate  as  he  was  brave,  pitied  the  poor  man, 
and  bade  him  cheer  up,  asking  him  at  the  same  time 
what  he  would  be  disposed  to  give  him  if  he  would 
mount  guard  that  night  in  his  place.  "Everything 
I  have  in  the  world,"  was  the  reply.  Alastair  did 
not  ask  for  more  than  the  loan  of  his  bonnet,  his 
top-coat,  and  his  gun  for  that  night  only,  all  of  which 
were  readily  placed  at  his  disposal.  Alastair  began 
his  preparations  for  the  night-watch  by  crossing  some 
pieces  of  wood,  on  which  he  placed  his  neighbour's 
top-coat  and  bonnet.  He  proceeded  to  examine  the 
gun,  and  loaded  it  with  two  bullets.  He  then  primed 
and  loaded  his  own  gun  with  a  similar  charge,  re- 


STRATHGLASS 

marking  that  such  was  his  favourite  shot  when  deer 
stalking  in  Strathglass.  Alastair  mounted  guard  at 
the  appointed  time,  took  his  two  guns  along  with 
him,  one  bayonet,  and  the  dummy  in  top-coat  and 
bonnet.  He  stuck  the  dummy  in  the  snow  within 
some  fifty  or  sixty  yards  of  the  sentry-box  in  which 
he  stood.  Ordering  the  man  he  relieved  to  retire,  he 
expressed  an  opinion  that  the  contents  of  his  two 
muskets  would  give  a  warm  reception  to  the  first  two 
thieves  who  approached  the  stores,  and  that  the  bayonet 
would  probably  satisfy  the  curiosity  of  a  few  more  of 
them.  During  the  night  he  noticed  a  huge  object, 
under  cover  of  a  thick  shower  of  snow,  coming  towards 
the  stores  by  a  circuitous  route,  apparently  with  the 
view  of  getting  behind  the  dummy.  In  this  the 
monster  succeeded,  and  getting  within  a  few  paces 
of  it,  he,  tiger-like,  sprang  upon  it,  when  both  fell  on 
the  snow.  The  strange  object  was  soon  on  its  legs ; 
but  no  sooner  was  he  up  than  a  couple  of  bullets 
from  Alastair  brought  him  again  to  the  ground.  After 
a  minute's  moaning  and  rolling  on  the  snow  he 
managed  to  get  up,  and  attempted  to  reach  the  sentry- 
box,  but  Macdonell  fired  at  him  a  second  time,  send 
ing  two  more  bullets  through  his  body,  which  brought 
the  monster  again  to  the  ground,  this  time  to  leave  it 
no  more. 

By  this  time  the  whole  garrison  beat  to  arms,  and 
soon  crowded  round  the  body  of  a  gigantic  Eed  Indian. 
A  strong  party  was  sent  on  the  track  made  in  the  snow 
by  the  wild  savage  in  his  approach  ;  they  thus  managed 
to  trace  and  reach  his  cave,  which  was  found  guarded 
by  a  fierce  Eed  Indian  squaw  and  a  young  man,  both 


218  CATHOLIC  HIGHLANDS  OF  SCOTLAND 

of  whom  prepared  to  give  battle.  The  woman  was 
killed  in  the  struggle  to  capture  them  which  ensued. 
The  soldiers  ransacked  the  cave,  and  found  every  cask 
of  rum,  box  of  sugar,  and  other  articles  that  had  been 
stolen  from  the  camp,  either  wholly  or  partially  con 
sumed,  in  the  cave.  Horrible  to  relate,  they  also  found 
the  heads  of  every  one  of  their  missing  comrades  in  the 
dreadful  place.  Just  as  if  exhibited  like  trophies,  each 
head  was  suspended  by  the  queue,  or  pigtail,  then  worn 
by  the  British  soldier,  from  a  peg  round  the  inside  of 
this  charnel-house. 

Events  like  these  are  but  incidents  in  the  history 
of  a  corps  which  gained  great  praise  for  its  soldier 
like  bearing  from  so  fine  a  commander  as  the  gallant 
General  Wolfe. 

But  such  a  body  of  men  could  never  be  raised  in  the 
same  circumscribed  area  now,  for  even  of  so  popular 
a  corps  as  the  Lovat  Scouts  only  one  squadron  of 
120  men  comes  from  Strathglass.  It  was  not, 
however,  without  some  hesitation  that  at  the  begin 
ning  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  clearances  were 
effected  in  this  district.  We  have  heard  of  the 
"  Easbuigean  Bana  "  ;  it  was  the  "  Bhantighearna  Bhan," 
— the  fair  lady — who  long  resisted  the  idea  prevailing 
at  that  time  of  clearing  off  the  smaller  tenants  and 
letting  large  tracts  of  land  to  farmers  from  the  south. 
As  a  widow,  she  had  the  rental  of  part  of  the  late  Laird 
of  Chisholm's  lands,  and  so  long  as  she  lived  the  small 
tenants  were  safe  in  their  holdings.  At  her  death, 
however,  the  best  farms  were  let  secretly,  and  half  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Glen  were  left  without  house  or 
home,  whilst  later  on  only  two  farmers  of  the  name  of 


STRATHGLASS  219 

Chisholm  were  left,  where  before  almost  the  whole 
strath  had  been  farmed  by  them.  For  some  years  the 
Lord  Lovat  of  the  day  received  many  of  these  on  to 
lands  in  Glenstrathfarrar,  but  later  this  most  fertile 
valley  was  devoted  to  deer  also,  and  these  are  still  in 
possession.  Well  may  we  look  forward  to  the  day 
when  another  "  fair  lady  "  may  arise  to  give  preference 
to  the  good  people  who  long  ago  were  such  faithful 
Christians,  such  devoted  tenants,  and  such  sterling 
soldiers,  as  were  those  of  whom  the  surviving  tradi 
tions  in  Strathglass  tell. 

Having  opened  this  present  chapter  by  a  reference 
to  the  close  union  which  exists  between  the  High 
landers  at  home  and  their  relatives  in  Canada,  I  may 
perhaps  be  permitted  to  close  it  with  a  verse  of  the 
favourite  Canadian  boating  song,  the  authorship  of 
which  has  been  so  frequently  discussed  of  late.  The 
immediate  reference  is  to  the  Isle  of  Arran,  but  the 
sentiments  expressed  have  just  as  often  been  those  of 
the  Highland  emigrants  from  Strathglass  across  the 
sea. 


"  Come  foreign  rage — let  discord  burst  in  slaughter  ; 
Oh  then  for  clansmen's  true  and  stern  claymore 
The  hearts  that  would  have  given  their  blood  like  water, 
Beat  heavily  beyond  the  Atlantic  roar." 

Antigonish  Casket,  21st  November  1907. 


END   OF   VOL.   I. 


DOOR-HANDLE    AT    SCALAN. 


INDEX 


ABERARDER,  122,  123,  137 

Aberdeen,  28,  30,  46,  62,  102,  111, 
152,  187 

Chapel,  74 

College,  104 

Abergeldie,  89,  90 

Aberlour,  18-21,  34 

Aboyne,  22,  103 

,  Lord,  152  ;  Lady,  10 

Achdalieu,  159 

Achluachrach,  190 

Achnacarry,  175,  187,  189 

Achnashellach,  144 

Adamson,  9 

Aigas,  chapel  at,  207,  209 

Aird,  The,  191 

Airly,  Earl  of,  157 

Alasdair  nan  Cleas,  148-150 

Dubh,  216 

Aldern,  battle  of,  154 

Alford,  battle  of,  154 

Allan-nan-Creach,  125 

Alltacoileachan,  23 

Anecdotes,  14,  18,  66,  73,  82,  96- 
98,  111-115,  119,  126, 133,  134, 
139,  142,  143,  150,  180,  196, 
197,  205,  215,  216,  etc. 

Antigonish  Casket,  191,  219 

Statistics,  211 

Aquhorties,  36,  39,  49 

Ardearg,  111 

Ardichi,  Ardoch,  76,  79,  110 

Ardkenneth,  129 

Argyle,  Earls  of,  23,  24,  146,  151- 
154,  157 

Argyllshire,  153,  154 


Auchanachy,  18 
Auchenraw,  42 
Auchindoune,  20 
Auchindryne,  99,  117,  205 
Auchlichry,  Glenlivet,  58 
Auchriachan,  59,  63,  64 
Australia,  emigration  to,  136 
Avochie,  Gordon  of,  11 
Avon,  river,  55 

BADENOOH,    122-144,  147,  148, 

154,  156,  185,  186 

,  Rev.  Alex.,  65 

Chapel,  17 

Baillie,  General,  154 

,  Mr  Robert,  136 

Balanahoun,  199 
Ballater,  77 
Ballindalloch,  55,  56 
Balmoral,  81 
Balnacraig,  35,  78 

,  Gordon  of,  22 

Beauly  Chapel,  210 

Beldornie,  11,  18 

Bellesheim,  quoted,  56 

Ben  Alder,  "The  Cage,"  137 

Benbecula,  129 

Ben  Macdhui,  55,  122 

Ben  Nevis,  158 

Berthier,  General,  46 

Bhantighearna  Bhan,  218 

Blackball,  Rev.  Gilbert,  4,  8,  10, 

103 

Blairs  College,  53,  66 
Blar  nan  leine,  148 
Bochle,  41,  53 


222 


INDEX 


Boecillo,  80 

Bohuntan,  Glenroy,  178 
Boyd,  Mr  John,  191 
Braco,  Lord,  100 
Braemar,  77,  78,  88-121,  195,  202, 
205 

Castle,  100,  101 

Chapel,  17,  117,  120 

Gathering,  101 

,  legends  quoted,  92 

Braggan,  Rev.  Dominic,  42 
Brockie,  Rev.  Mr,  17,  18,  34,  58 
Browne's  History  of  the   High 
lands,  194 
Buiternach,  53 
Bulloch,  J.  M.,  quoted,  6 
Burghers,  Anti- Burghers,  18 
Burnet,  Rev.  Mr,  17 
Burns,  quotations,  44,  69 
Byrne,  Rev.  Will.,  185 


CAANAKYLE,  42 
Cabrach,  15-22,  34 
Ca'logan,  General,  26 
Cairnborrow,  8,  13 

,  Gordons  of,  11,  26 

Cairngorm,  55,  119 
Cameron,  Alan,  176 

,  Alex.,  34,  35 

,  Rev.  Alex.,  187,  188,  201- 

204 

,  Bishop,  65,  194,  198,  211 

,  Clan,  146,  147,  151 

,  Donald,  176 

of  Krracht,  177 

,  Sir  Ewan,  158,  164 

,  James,  35 

,  May,  82 

"Volunteers,"  176 

Campbell,  R-v.  Alex.,  132,  133 

,  Clan,  146,  154,  157 

of  Lochnell,  24 

Canada,    Fraser  Highlanders  in, 

216 
Canadian  Boating  Song,  219 

Catholics,  190,  210-212,  219 

Candacraig,  Gleng*irn,  86 
Caudlemas  Day,  71 


Candles,  manufacture  of,  71 
Cappach,  171 

Cardinals,  the,  in  cipher,  189 
Carlisle,  prisoners  at,  41,  167-172 
Carmichael,  Rev.  Donald,  65-67 
Carruthers,  Rev.  James,  42,  52 
Castleton  of  Braemar,    40,    109, 

110 
Celtic  Magazine,  199,   204,    212, 

215 

Chambers'  Annals,  6 
Chapel  Christ,  40 
Chapeltown,  Glenlivet,  17,  52,  53 
Chapman,  Mr  James,  64 
Charles  I.,  King,  4,  5,  151 
II.,  King,  5 

Stuart,    Prince,    137,    164, 

165,  169,  173-176 

Chisholm,    Bishop  Aeneas,   184, 
185,  208-211 

Rev.  Arch.,  185,  211 

Bishop,  of  Aberdeen,  53 

Colin,  of  Lietry,  201 

Mr  Colin,   193,  199,  204, 

212,  214 

Rev.  Hugh,  200 

Bishop  John,  206-210 

Laird  of,  201,  206,  218 

Captain  Macrae,  202 

Rev.  Thomas,  209 

Rev.  William,  130,  185 

Christie,  Rev.  William,  4,  9 
Clachan  Comar,  194,  207 
Clanranald,  129,  147,  165,  178 
Clashendrich,  81 

Clashmore,    Clashnoir,    etc.,   34, 

44,  52,  58,  61 
Clement  XII.,  Pope,  35 
Cluny  Castle,  135,  140,  143 

Macpherson,  134-137,  142, 

143,  189 

Cockfighting,  76 
Coil-an-Tuin  Chapel,  126 
Comar,  201 
Conglass,  63 
Cope,  Sir  John,  174 
Corgarff,  61,  75,  80-83 
Corryarrick  Pass,  130,  138 
Coul,  Laggan,  123,  139,  140 


INDEX 


Covenant,    Covenanters,    5,    56, 

146,  151-155 

Craig  Choinnich,  101,  111 
Cranachan,  Glenroy,  182,  184 
Craskie,  201,  202 
Crathie,  95,  103,  123,  144 
Crichtons  of  Frendraught,  3 
Crombie  Burn,  27,  28,  42,  54 

,  Rev.  J.,  88 

Culloden,  31,  79,  164,  172,  176, 

188 

Cults,  Strathavon,  67 
Cumberland,    Duke   of,    18,    31, 

166 
Cumming,  James,  74 

DALCHULLY,  123,  135,  142 
Dalfad,  75,  79,  84 
Dawson,  Rev.  Mr,  18 
Dee,  Bridge  of,  152 
Devoir,  Rev  James,  26 
Dingwall   Presbyterian    Records, 

203 

Distaffs,  St,  Day,  70 
Donald  Dubh  Epiteach,  98 

Glas  of  Keppoch,  159 

Douai.    See    Scots    College,    171, 

184 

Downan,  Dunan,  24,  33,  40,  53 
Drumgask,  22,  77 
Drumgeldie,  Church  of,  8 
Drummond  Castle,  31 
Norie's  "  Loyal  Lochaber," 

165 

Duff,  Sir  Alex.,  118 
Dufftown,  18,  21,  22 
Duffus,  Rev.  James,  58 
Dunbar,  Rev.  Mr,  56,  79 
Duncan,  Rev.  George,  41,  42,  52, 

172 
Dundee,  4,  154 

,  "Bonnie,"  95,  164 

Durward,  Chas.,  74 

Duthie,  Rev.  Will,  12,  30-33 

EASBUIGEAN  bana,  211 
Edinburgh,   3,  5,  6,  13,  78,  84, 

149,  155,  157 
Eigg,  Isle  of,  210 


Emigration  to  Australia,  87,  131 

to  Canada,  182 

Enzie,  Earl  of,  1 

,  St  Ninian's,  7 

Episcopal  Church,  8,  146,  151 

clergy,  189 

Errol,  Earl  of,  23 
Eskadale,  192,  209,  210 

FALKIRK,    battle    of,   100,   137, 

166,  167,  174 
Farquharson,  Rev.  Alex.,  36 

Alex.,  116,  206 

Rev.  Charles,   78,  79,   86, 
91    103,  111-116,  201,  202 

Donald,  64,  92,  103 

Francis,  100 

Gregory,  30 

James,  100 

Rev.  John,  65,  115,    187, 
188,  194-206,  211 

John,  35 

,  of  Inverey,  92,  103 

Lewis,  103,  205 

Peter,  of  Inverey,  93 

Robert,  59,  60 

William,  92 

of  Allancuaich,  98 

of  Invercauld,  96,  100,  111 

Fasnakyle,    192,    201,   204,    207, 

209,  210 
Fife,  Earl  of,  21,  114,  118 

,  Duke  of,  101 

Forbes,  Rev.  Donald,  75,  130,  185 

Leith,  24 

Forsyth,  Rev.  Mr,  78,  103,  106- 

109,  115 

Fort  Augustus,  76,  84,  140,  165, 
175,  184,  198  . 

Macdonald,  137 

William,  1,   147,  164,  166, 

175,  184,  185 
Fraser,  Bishop,  184,  192 

,  Clan,  147,  191 

Highlanders,  176,  214-218 

,  Mrs,  of  Culbokie,  195 

, ,  of  Guisachan,  205 

of  Moulie,  209 

,  Rev.  Peter,  52,  58 


INDEX 


Eraser,  Hon.  Simon,  213-215 
Frendraught  Castle,  3 
Fyvie,  154 

GAELIC  studies,  120,  194 

Gall,  Rev.  H.,  67,  68 

Garvabeg,  123,  138,  144 

Garvamore,  123 

Geddes,  Rev.  Alex.,  33 

,  Bishop,  9,  14,  18,  25,  34-36, 

44,  45,  53,  63,  110,  171 
Gellovy,  122,  136 
General   Assembly    Reports,   34, 

183,  203 
George,  King,  III.,  37,  38,  80 

, ,  IV.,  47 

Gibston,  9 

Gilleasbuig  Urrasach,  95-97 

Gillis,  Rev.  Angus,  120,  182,  190 

, Eneas,  128,  182 

Gladstanes,  2 

Glasghoil,  83 

Glasgow,  155 

Glass  river,  196,  204 

Glencairn,  Earl  of,  158 

Glencannich,  201,  210,  212 

Glencat,  Aboyne,  79 

Glencoe,  162,  163 

Glenfinnan,  165,  173,  187 

Glengairn,  26,   69-87,   103,   110, 

111,  120,  184 

chapel,  17,  86 

Glengarry,    64,    130,    179,    182- 

186,  193 
,  Chief   of,    138,    160,    164, 

165 

,  Lady,  138 

Glenlivet,  13,  17,  23-68,  107 

,  Baron  Gordon  of,  1,  2 

,  battle  of,  2,  90,  149 

Glenmoriston,  130,  186 
Glennie,  Rev.  James,  52 
Glenspean,  184,  190 
Glenstrathfarrar,  203,  214,  219 
Gordon  of  Abergeldie,  90 

of  Aberlour,  29 

,  Rev.  Alex.,  30,  79 

,  Alex.,  Earl  of  Huntly,  147 

? ,  of  Minmore,  34 


Gordon,  Baron,  of  Glenlivet,  Bade- 
noch,  Lochaber,  Strathavon,  1 

of    Beldornie,   Alex.,     11  ; 

Jean,    Marie,    Arthur,    James, 
Charles,  11 

,  Bishop  James,  9,  25,  27-31, 

60,  61,  120 

of  Cairnborrow,  11  ;    Car- 

mellie,  56 

Castle,  1,  6,  107,  109 

,  Chas.,  67  ;  Rev.  Chas.,  52 

,  Cosmo,  Duke  of,  30 

of  Craig,  11 

,   Dukes  of,   134,   176,  189  ; 

I.  Duke,  5,  6,27;  II.,  7;  III., 

64  ;  IV.,  20;  V.,  50,  142 

,  Duchess  of,  7,  59,  60,  61 

,  Dr  J.  F.  S.,  quoted,  16,  18, 

185 

,  Duke  of  Richmond  and,  52 

,  General,  164 

,  George  E.,  of  Huntly,  147 

, ,  Rev.,  20,  21,  25,  29, 

30,  35 

,  ,  of  Drumin,  28 

,  Giles  (Sheelah),  12 

of  Gight,  10 

of  Glastirum,  19,  30 

of  Glenbucket,  41,  63,  67, 

189 

Highlanders,  137 

,    James,    43.      See    Bishop 

Gordon. 

,  Lady  Jean,  6 

,  Rev.  John,  12,  13,  26,  27, 

32,  33,  58 

,  John,  Curator  of,  59,  60,  65 

, .  Wardhouse,  10 

,  ',  of  Lettoch,  34 

,  Dr,  of  Keithmore,  18,  22 

of  Letterfourie,  30 

,  Lord  Lewis,  153 

of  Littlemill,  56 

of  Minmore,  50 

,  Rev.  Peter,  110 

,  Rev.  Robert,  7 

of  Tullochallum,  Alex.,  19 

,  John,  20 

,  William,  11,  29,  34,  62 


INDEX 


225 


Grant,  Rev.  Alex.,  27,  68,  59 

of  Ballindalloch,  62 

,  Bishop  James,  14,  15,  28, 

31,  37,  187 

,  "Captain,"  119 

,  Clan,  154 

,  Rev.  Colin,  120 

,  George,  64 

of  Glenmoriston,  148 

,  Sir  James,  64 

,  Rev.  John,  40 

,  Mr  John,  92,  111,  195 

,  John,  factor.  64 

,  Rev.  Kilian,'  58 

,  Lewis  Maurus,  58 

,  Mrs,  of  Laggan,  12,  140 

,  Rev.  Peter,  120 

,  Robert,  58 

of  Strathspey,  148,  149 

of  Tomnavoulin,  27,  28,  34 

,  Rev.  William  Erhard,  58 

, Will.,  59-65 

Gray,  Miss  M. ,  8 

,  Rev.  Will.,  33,  34 

Grierson,  Calam,  77,  79,  84 
Guthrie,  Rev.  Mr,  42 

HAMILTON,  Mr  John,  65 

Hanover,  Elector  of,  189 

Hawley,  General,  167 

Hay,  Bishop,  16,  19,  36,  37,  40, 
45,  53,  65,  208 

Highbridge,  165 

Highland  anecdotes,  See  Anec 
dotes. 

chapels,  description,  9,  10, 

20,  21,  42,  66,  73 

customs,  20,  70-77,  91 

funerals,  119 

outfit,  96 

priest's  life,  59 

schools,  44,  75,  76 

Hippesley,  Sir  J.,  47 

Hobb,  Richard,  143 

Hooke,  Nath.,  5 

Huntly,  9 

Castle,  2,  10.  See  also 

Strathbogie 

,  Earl  of,  2,  23,  24,  149,  151 

VOL.  I. 


Huntly,  Marquis  of,  3, 4,  5,  10,  11 

,  Marchioness  of,  4 

,  Mission  of,  9,  12,  14,  48 

Hurry,  General,  154 
Husk,  General,  167 

IAIN  Lorn,  159-161 

Moirdartach,  148 

Ian  Buidhe-mor,  214 
Inchully,  206,  207,  208 
Innes,  Alex.,  35 
Chas.,  77 

Rev.  George,  26,  27 

James,  22 

Rev.  John,  77,  78 

Rev.  Thomas,  57 

Rev.  Walter,  77 

Insch.  Lochaber,  180 
Inveravon  parish,  55 
Invercauld,  89,  91,  106 
Invercharron,  155 
Inverey,  89,  92,  121,  198 
Inverlair,  160 
Inverlochy  Castle,  147 

,  battle  of,  145,  154-160 

Inverness,  79,  147,  188,  214 
chapel,  210 

JAMES  II.,  King,  5 

III.,  90 

IV.,  147 

VI.,  2,  23,  149 

VIII.,  35 

Johnstone,  Tom,  19 

KEILOCH,  Braemar,  91 
Keith,  21,  22 
Keithmore,  18,  22 
Keithock,  20,  21 
Kempcairn,  21 
Kennedy,  Rev.  Alex.,  33 

,  James,  26,  57 

Keppoch,  Hard  of,  159-161 

candlesticks,  150 

,  Castle  of,  147 

chiefs,  146-166,  172-189 

,  House  of,  138,  157 

murder,  159 

Kerr,  Lord  Robert,  167 


226 


INDEX 


Killechiaran,  Lismore,  208 
Killechyrille,  160,  183,  185,  189 
Killiecrankie,  5,  160,  164 
Kilmallie,  184 
Kilmonivaig,  "papists"  in,  183, 

184 

Kilmoraoh,  "papists"  in,  204 
Kiltarlitie,  "papists"  in,  204 
Kindrochit,  110 
Kingston,  Ontario,  129,  211 
Kingussie,  142 

,  chapel  at,  132 

Kirkmichael,  55 
Knock,  Castle  of,  90 
Knockfin,  193,  194 
Knox,  John,  207 

LAGGAN  chapel,  17 

parish,  134,  140,  144 

Loch,  122 

in  Glengairn,  74 

Laman,  John,  110 

Lament,  Rev.  Mr,  81 

Lang,  Mr  And.,  172 

Laud,  Arch.,  151 

Leeds,  Duchess  of,  119 

Lent,  observance,  72,  73 

Leslie,  General,  155 

Lettoch,  34,  50 

Lindsay,  Rev.  E.,  103 

Lismore,  seminary  of,  133,  185, 

208,  210 
Lochaber,  96,  98,  122,  128,  130, 

145-190,  203 

Mission,  178-188 

Loch  Arkaig,  175 

Eil,  146 

Lochiel,   Cameron  of,   136,   146- 

159,  164,   175,   176,  187,  189, 

203 

Loch  Lochy,  148,  184 
Lochnagar,  119 
Loch  Oich,  160 
Lord  of  the  Isles,  161 
Lovat,  Lord,  148,  149 
, Simon,  188,  189,  203- 

205 

Scouts,  218 

,  Thomas,  209,  210 


Lovie,  Rev.  Mr,  22,  118 

M'BEAX,  Lachlan,  184 
M'Callum,  Donald  Roy,  106 
M'Corry,  Rev.  John,  120 
Macdonald,       M 'Donald,      Mac- 

donell,   etc. — 

,  Allan,  137 

,  Miss  Alice,  145 

,  Alastair  Ban,  137 

,  Alex.,  137, 138, 146, 181, 216 

,  Rev.  Alex.,  129 

,  Angus,  137,  181 

,  Rev.  Angus,  50,  120,  131 

,  Archibald,  137,  176,  181 

,  Rev.  Austin,  208,  209 

,  Bishop  of  Kingston,    200, 

211 

,  Bishop,  53 

,  Charlotte,  138 

,  Rev.  Chas.,  131 

of  Clanranald,  146,  176 

,  Colin,  181 

,  Coll,  162 

of  Coul,  139 

,  Dr,  165 

,  Rev.  David,  129 

,  Donald,  137,  146,  147,  165, 

178,  181 
5  Rev.  Dougall,  30 

— ,  Francis,  29 

of  Garvabeg,  138 

of  Garvamore,  138 

of  Gellovy,  136 

,  Giles,  111 

of  Glencoe,  162,  163 

of  Glengarry,  146,  147,  162 

,   Bishop  Hugh,  18,   25-37, 

187 

,  Rev.  James,  13,  14,  49 

,  Sir  James,  149 

,  Jessie,  138 

,  Bishop  John,  187 

,  Rev.  John,  120,   128,   178- 

181 

— ,  John,  Inohvuilt,  214 

,  John,  Cranachan,  181 

of  Kinlochmoidart,  41,  171 

,  Mary,  166 


INDEX 


227 


Macdonald,  Rev.  Ranald,  80 

,  Bishop  Ranald,  184-187 

,  Ranald,  of  Keppooh,  137, 

147,  156,  176,  181 

,  Colonel  Reginald,  139 

,  Rev.  Roderick,  129 

of  Sherrabeg,  139 

ofSleat,  160 

of  Strathmashie,  143 

of  Terndriech,  41,  166-172 

of  Tulluchrom,  137 

Maceachan,  Rev.  Evan,  120,  129, 

209 
MacGillechallum,    Neil   Stewart, 

149 

Macgillivray,  Rev.  James,  42, 194 
Machar,  St,  83 

,  Feille,  87 

Mackay,  General,  57,  90 
Mackenzie,  Rev.  Angus,  192,  210 
, Chas.,  185 

, Duncan,  209 

,  James,  72,  73,  75 

-^— ,  Luis,  83 

Mackintosh,    Rev.    Lachlan,    73, 
80-86 

,  Laird  of,  149,  151,  161-163, 

176,  189 

,  Clan,  148,  149 

,  Rev.  Will.,  67 

Macneill  of  Barra,  24 

Macpherson,  Mr  John,  77 

,  Abbe  Paul,  1,  16,  19,  43-53 

,  Cluny,  134,  176 

Macpherson's  poetry,  194 

Macrae,  Rev.  Philip,  209 

,  Rev.  Donald,  120 

,  Rev.  Mr,  194 

Macswein,  Rev.  A.,  209 

M'Gregor  Anne,  110 

,  Calam,  77 

,  Rev.  Gregor,  79 

, James,  185 

,  Margaret,  74,  75 

of  Scalan,  39 

M'Guire,  Rev.  Terence,  13 

M'Hardy,  Rev.,  83,  111,  116 

M'Kenna,  Rev.  Mr,  128,  182 

M 'Lachlan,  Rev.  James,  13 


M'Lean,  Captain,  24 
M'Lennan,  Rev.  Murdoch,  95 
M'Leod,  Rev.  Norman,  83,  206 

,  Rev.  Will.,  Ill,  116 

M'Nab,  Sir  Allan,  211 

,  John,  127,  128,  138,  142, 

143 

,  Rev.  Mr,  132 

,  Major  A.  H.,  124 

M'Naughton,  Rev.  Mr,  52 
M'Q.uarrie,  Mrs,  210 
Mairi  ni  'n  Ailean,  200 

Ian  Ruaidh,  200 

Malcolm  Canmore,  101 
Mar,  Braes  of.     See  Braemar 

,  Earl  of,  91,  109,  165 

Marston  Moor,  153 
Marydale,  202,  210 
Mass  houses,  9,  42,  64 

,  in  the  open,  57,  128 

Matrimony,  definition  of,  82 
Maxwell,  Rev.  C.,  9,  12 

,  Rev.  Francis,  77 

Memoir  of  Macdonald  of  Keppoch, 

165 
of  Mission  of  Strathglass, 

191 
Menzies,  Rev.  Mr,  18 

of  Pitfodels,  111 

Mercy,  Sisters  of,  67 
Michie,  Mr  James,  39 

,  John,  76,  84-86 

Minmore,  26,  34,  40 

Minto,  Lord,  62 

Monaltrie,  89,  92 

Monie,  Jimmy,  119 

Monk,  General,  158 

Montrose,   Marquis  of.   92,    123, 

152-159 
Morar,  26,  182 
Moray,  Earl  of,  149 
Mordaunt,  Lady  Henrietta,  7 
Mortlach,  12,  13,  14,  18,  29,  34 
Muirhead,  Mrs  Agnes,  70 
Mulroy,  161-163 
Mungo,  St,  Cemetery,  84,  87 
Munro,  SirH.,  135 
Murray,  Robert,  4 
of  Broughton,  172,  173 


228 


INDEX 


NAPOLEON,  Wars  of,  138 

Nevie,  40 

Nicolson,  Bishop,  25,  120 

, ,  St  Ninian's,  7 

Nithsdale,  189 

ORANGE,  House  of,  160 

Ordachoy,  83 

Owenson,  Rev.  John,  77,  102 

PARIS.     See  Scots  College 
Paterson,  Rev.  Alex.,  9 

, John,  34,  36,  39,  42 

Peat  casting,  71 
Perth,  153 

,  Duke  of,  6 

,  Duchess  of,  6,  30 

Peter,  Father,  179 
Peterkirk,  8,  40 
Philiphaugh,  92,  155 
Pius  VI.,  plan  for  delivering,  46, 
47 

VII.,  48 

Pole  Inn,  52 

Pope,  the,  in  cipher  of  1745,  189 

Presbyterianism,  8,  152 

Presbyterians,  189 

Preshome,  14 

Preston,  capitulation  of,  95 

Prestonpans,  137,  166,  174 

Propaganda,  report  to,  59 

RABELLICK,  123 
Radet,  General,  48 
Ramsay,  Rev.  Mr,  77,  110 
Ranald  Galda,  147 
Rankin,  Rev.  Ronald,  131 
Ratisbon,  111 
Rattray,  Rev.  Will.,  13 
Reid,  Rev.  John,  65 

, Peter,  9 

1 Will.,  12-19,  29 

Rines,  Robert,  8 

Rising  of  1715,  31,  91,  94,  136, 

205 
of  1745,  41,  79,  100,  137, 

166-176,  212 
,  cipher  of  that  date, 

189 


Ritchie,  Willie,  72,  73 

Robertson  of  Stralooh,  161 

Robieston,  9 

Rome,  46,  and  see  Scots  College 

Rosary  beads,  51 

Rupert,  Prince,  153 

Russell,  Rev.  J.,  67 

ST  ANDREWS  CROSS,  77 

St  Cyril,  Lochaber,  125 

St  Kenneth's,  Badenoch,  125 

St  Michael's,  Badenoch,  124,  126 

Samalaman,  208 

Scalan,  13,  17,  24-40,  53,  80 

Scots  College,  Douai,  171,  184, 

194,  198,  199,  206 
,  Paris,  26,  29,  30,  33, 

35,  57,  78 
,  Rome,  29,  30,  35,  44, 

48,  49,  50,  178 
,  Valladolid,  25,  44,  80, 

120,  129,  131,  159 
Directory,  10,   44,  65,   78, 

178,  192 

Monastery,  Ratisbon,  58 

Scott,    Captain,    165,    166 

,  Sir  Walter,  173 

,  Rev.  A.,  12 

Seton,  Rev.  Robert,  77,  109 
Shand,  Rev.  Will.,  13,  30 
Sharp,  Rev.  James,  36,  49 
Sheep  and  shepherds,  84,  126 
Shennagart,  138 
Shenval,  15-22,  41,  45 
Sheriffmuir,  95,  136 
Sherrabeg,  123,  138 
Sherramore,  123,  144 
Shirts,  battle  of  the,  148 
Shrove  Tuesday,  76 
Sibbald,  Sir  Robert,  57 
"  Siberia  of  Scotland,"  16 
Skirdeston,  34 

Smith,  Bishop,  14,  25,  32,  54,  41 
Society  for  Promoting  Christian 

Knowledge,  9 

Spalding,  4,  157  ;  Club,  103,  110 
Spardan,  Badenoch,  124 
Spens,  Colonel,  198 
Spey  river,  55,  123 


INDEX 


229 


Spinelli,  Cardinal,  35 

Stewart  of  Appin,  175 

Stobhall,  7,  30,  46 

Strachan,  Rev.  Hugh,  77,  110 

Strathavon,  17,  27,  30,  40,  55- 
68,  107 

Strathbogie,  1-22,  33 

Castle,  2-10 

,  conversions  in,  56 

,  minister  of,  8 

,  Raws  of,  8 

,  Synod  of,  11 

Strathdown,  57.  See  also  Strath 
avon 

Stratherrick,  130,  186 

Strathglass,  185,  187,  191-219 

,  Laird  of,  191,  192 

Strathisla,  18,  21 

Stron-an-duin,  125,  129 

Stuart  papers,  47 

Royal  family,  37,  38,  62 

Prince  Charles,  37,  41,  79, 

135-138 

Rev.  Donald,  63,  65 

Rev.  James,  120 

Rev.  Robert,  43 

Sutherland,  Rev.  John,  13 

TERNDRIECH,  Macdonald  of,  165- 

172 
Thomson,    Rev.    John,    14,    36, 

42,65 


Thornhill,  31 
Tirrim,  Castle,  148 
Tombae,  Glenlivet,  17,  41,  48 
Tomintoul,  17,  55,  63-68 
Tomnavoulan,  42 
Traquair,  171,  188,  189 
Trayner,  Rev.  Mr,  57 
Tullich,  Reel  of,  93 
Tullochallum,  19,  20 
Tullochrom,  122,  137 
Tyrie,  Rev.  John,  9,  27,  32,  41, 
63 

UIST,  Isle  of,  30,  129,  184 

VALLADOLID,  Scots  College,   25, 

80,  120,  129,  131,  159 
|    Vicars  Apostolic,  meeting  of,  13 
i    Victoria,  Queen,  89,  101 

I    WADE,  General,  130,  138,  189 

|    Wallace,  Bishop,  6 

!    Wardhouse,  10,  11 

i    Warwick  Hall,  171 

;    Waterloo,  137,  140,  177 

i    Wellington,  Duke  of,  80 

West    Indies,     Cameron    High 
landers,  177 

William,  King,  163,  164 

Wolfe,  General,  218 

YULETIDB,  70 


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The  First  Part  of  King  Henry 

IV. 
The  Second  Part  of  King  Henry 

The  Life  of  King  Henry  V. 
The  First  Part  of  King  Henry 

The  Second  Part  of  King  Henry 

The  Third  Part  of  King  Henry 

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The  Famous  History  of  the  Life 

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Troilus  and  Cressida. 
Cpriolanus. 
Titus  Andronicus. 
Romeo  and  Juliet. 


Timon  of  Athens. 

Julius  Cajsar. 

Macbeth. 

Hamlet,  Prince  of  Denmark. 

King  Lear, 

Othello,  the  Moor  of  Venice. 

Anthony  and  Cleopatra. 

Cymbeline. 

Pericles. 

POEMS 

Venus  and  Adonis. 

The  Rape  of  Lucrece. 

Sonnets. 

A  Lover's  Complaint. 

The  Passionate  Pilgrim. 

The  Phoenix  and  the  Turtle. 

Glossary  and  Notes. 


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pared  to  cheap  editions  in  smaller  type." 

Scotsman.—"  .  .  .  One  wonders  how  such  a  '  bulk  of  wit  and  wisdom '  as  this  Falstaff  Edition  can 
be  put  out  at  the  price."  


SANDS  &  COMPANY 


BX  1499  -B56  1909  v.l  SMC 

Blundell.  Frederick  Odo 
The  Catholic  Highlands 
of  Scotland 
AKE-2446    (sk)