Gairloch in North-West Ross-Shire: Its Records, Traditions, Inhabitants, and Natural History, with a Guide to Gairloch and Loch Maree, and a Map and IllustrationsDixon, John H. (John Henry)
History
Gairloch in North-West Ross-Shire: Its Records, Traditions, Inhabitants, and Natural History, with a Guide to Gairloch and Loch Maree, and a Map and Illustrations
Dixon, John H. (John Henry)
Gairloch (Scotland) -- Guidebooks; Gairloch (Scotland) -- History; Ross and Cromarty (Scotland) -- History
places as Kenlochewe and Clive [Poolewe] are not named on this old map.
The names that are given are very instructive when compared with the
names in the old records just quoted. Ruymakilvandrich is not found
elsewhere; it seems to be intended for Rudha Mac Gille Aindreas, or "the
point of the son of Gillanders," _i.e._ of the servant of Andrew, and is
applied to a small headland near Boor; it doubtless had reference to
some incident long ago forgotten. Dunast [Dun Naast] is still the name
of a rock close to Naast; from this name being given instead of Naast,
it may be inferred that in the seventeenth century there was some part
of the dun that stood there still remaining The names Heglis Gherloch,
Heglis-loch-ew, Knokintoull, and Achanaloisk, do not occur elsewhere,
either in old descriptions or modern nomenclature. Viroill seems to be
the same as Udroll in the description of 1638. The map shows it where
Lonmor now is. The other names are easily identified. The place called
Ingadill on this old map, Hamgildail in the retour of 1566, and
Oyngadellis in 1638, has now entirely disappeared; it seems to have been
at the mouth of the river Kerry. The map gives only two churches in
Gairloch parish, viz., Heglis Gherloch, near where the present Gairloch
church now stands, and Heglis-loch-ew, at the head of Loch Maree. The
names of places given on the map most likely indicate the most populous
localities at that date. Some of the names are spelt phonetically; thus
Bin is the Gaelic pronunciation of Beinn, and Finn is still the
pronunciation by the natives of the name of Fionn loch.
Alexander Mackenzie, seventh laird of Gairloch, bought the second half
of the water of Ewe and Mellon Charles in 1671. The precise extent of
this purchase does not appear. Mellon Charles still belongs to the
Gairloch Mackenzies, as well as Isle Ewe, and the whole right to the
salmon fishings of Loch Ewe, the River Ewe, and Loch Maree. To finish
with the Gairloch estate of Sir Kenneth Mackenzie, the present baronet,
it may be mentioned that the Kernsary estate was purchased from the
Seaforth family in 1844, very early in Sir Kenneth's minority, and was
resold by his trustees to his half-brother Mr Osgood H. Mackenzie, in
1862, with the exception of the strip of territory extending from
Inveran to Londubh on the north-east bank of the river Ewe, which, with
Gairloch proper, Kenlochewe, Mellon Charles, and the Isle of Ewe,
completes Sir Kenneth's possessions in the parish of Gairloch. They form
a noble estate, which comprises more than three-fourths of the whole
parish.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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