ACCOUNT OF THE COUNTREY OF STRATHSPEY.1 (circa A.D. M.DC.LXXX.) Through this countrey runneth the famous river Spey, omnium Scotiae fluminum rapidissimum. It taketh its beginning at a great craig called Craig Ilachie, which divideth this countrey from Badenoch.

This word Craig Ilachie is the laird of Grants slugan: whenever the word is Craig Ilachie. cryed through this countrey, all the inhabitants are obliged, under a great fine or mulct, to rise in arms and repair themselves to a meeting place in the middest of

the countrey, lying on the river side, called Bellintone, and their to receive the lairds commands.

Upon the south side of the river, opposite to Craig Ilachie, lyeth the parish of Rothemurcus. Rothemurcus, which contains six dauchs of land, each dauch being four ploughs. This parish is in a crook, and a pendicle of the parish of Duthell. It holds of the regality of Spynie: it belongs to Patrick Grant, a cadet of Grants family;

in the middest

forest.

but formerly it did belong to the Schaws, who yet possess the parish, Alexander The Schaws. Schaw of Dell being the head of the tribe. The Schaws are able fighting men, and acknowledge MacIntosh to be their chieftain, and go under his banner. The Schaws killed the Cumins that dwelt here, who built a castle in the middest of a great loch called Loch Iland. This castle is useful to the countrey, in time of Loch Iland, troubles or wars; for the people put in their goods and children here, and it is with the castle easily defended, being environed with steep hills and craigs on each side, except thereof. towards the east. There is, in the body of the parish, a great firr wood of two A firr wood, into many burnes. Here saw-mill, and miles of length, but very broad in respect it runneth up is a saw mill, a great forest with deer and roe, which marcheth with the forest of Marr to the south. Upon the north side of the river, opposite to Rothemurcus, beginning at Craig Duthell. Ilachie, lyeth the parish of Duthell, or lordship of Glenchernick, which formerly belonged to the Cumins, but now to the laird of Grant, having married Beglit side of Aven, upon a rising ground amidst the corn land of Bellaviller, is such another place, where several long broad stones encompass about seventy-two square yards of ground: some of the long stones are broken, but several of them still stand whole. Such another temple there is in the lower end of Glenlivet, on the east side of Aven, upon a hillock, or small rising ground, a little below the mouth of Livet, called The Doun of Dilmore." (The Statistical Account of Scotland, vol. xiii., pp. 42, 43.) "Rude stone coffins have occasionally been discovered in the parish, under cairns removed to make way for the plough; and in trenching a wood on the farm of Kilmaichlie, the labourers found some old arms and coins. (The New Statistical Account of Numerous traces of Druidical temples are to be found." Scotland, number xi., pp. 132, 133.)]

1 [From Sir Robert Sibbald's Collections, MSS. Adv. Bibl.] 2 [G. Buchanani Rerum Scotic. Hist. lib. vii. cap. xx.]

Kipper.

Cumin, heir to lord Alexander Cumin, by whom he got this estate. This parish and parsonage is within the diocese of Murray, and sheriffdom thereof. It runneth Dullan water. five miles under the hills, from Craig Ilachie till ye come to the water of Dullan. This water is on both sides habitable, of ten miles of length, being a pleasant water, good corn land, excellent meadows, good pasturage on both sides. There comes no salmon in this water, but extraordinary much kipper, that is salmon in the forbidden time, which are in such abundance that a gentleman thinks nothing to kill two hundred and sixty in a night. They use to feast the sheriff and to escape the fine; but the commonalty pay some little thing. About the middle of the water, and at the head thereof, there are great firr woods on both sides, replenished with deer and roe: much timber from thence transported to Inverness. There is here two miles mounth, which divideth this countrey from Strath Earn to the north-west, called Kairne Lair Bane.

Firr woods.

Duthell kirk.

About the middle of the river standeth the kirk of Duthell, a large church, but a poor provision, as all the churches of this countrey of Strathspey have, not exceeding five hundred merks Scots for each minister, who serveth at two churches, and some of them having seven miles between their kirks; and in the Bands of the whole world there are not worse paid ministers, and more neglected. The bands of the kirk doors are very rare, made after the manner of a tree casting out its branches, and covering the whole door after the manner of needlework.

kirk doors.

Gentlemens houses.

The women vertuous.

There are several gentlemens houses here of the name of Grant, given to hospitality and frugality. The chief family here is that of the Clan Donichie, Mr. James Grant of Delvers, advocate, being the head of their tribe. The women here are vertuous, much given to the making of cloth, by which they yearly enrich their husbands with money.

At the foot of the water of Dullan, standeth the castle of Muckrach, belonging to the laird of Grant.

From Duthell eastwards there is a great forrest belonging to His Majesty, The Leanach. called The Leanach, which formerly was well replenished with deer and roe, but much neglected by reason that they pasture much cattel there, which brings in money to the laird of Calder, who is forester.

Lochin Dirb, In this mounth is the famous loch called Lochin Dirb, two miles in length, with its castle. where there is a castle that has been very great: one of the Cumins strengths. Here the Cumins lady was besieged by King Robert Bruce, the sconses being yet extant, till Edward Langshanks came and raised the siege.

The mounth.

This mounth on the south hath Strathspey, on the north Strath Earn, on the east Bray Moray, being very long. In the narrowest part it is eight miles of breadth, and runneth till it come to Lochaber, forty miles.

Opposite to the parish of Duthell, that part of it which lyeth on the river Spey,

on the other side of the river, lyeth the parish of Kincharden, anciently possessed Kincharden. by the Stewarts, who had their charter from King Robert Bruce, but, being wrested from them by Conadge, it now belongeth to Huntly.

Above this parish lyeth The Glenmore, where is a great firr wood, with much Glen More. birch. Here is a great loch, out of which runneth a water which runneth through Rothemurcus, called Druie, and runneth into the Spey. They use to bring down their timber on this water. Here is the famous hill called Kairne Gorum, which Kairne Gorum. is four miles high. Here, it is said, there are minerals; for gold hath been found Minerals. here. This hill aboundeth with excellent crystall: much deer and roe here. The Chrystall. people of this parish much neglect labouring, being addicted to the wood, which Deer and roe. leaves them poor. There is much talking of a spirit, called Ly Erg, that frequents Ly Erg. The Glenmore. He appears with a red hand, in the habit of a souldier, and challenges men to fight with him; as lately in the year sixty-nine he fought with three brothers, one after another, who immediately dyed thereafter.'

Opposite to Kincharden lyeth the parish of Inver Ellon, belonging to the laird of Inver Ellon. Grant. The chief family here is that of the Clan Phadrike; Tullochcorume being

the head of that tribe, of the name of Grant. In old there frequented this family

a spirit called Meg Mulloch. It appeared like a little boy; and in dark nights Meg Mulloch. would hold a candle before the goodman, and show him the way home; and if the goodwife would not come to bed, it would cast her in beyond him; and if she refused to bring what he desired, it would cast it before him. Excellent corns here. Opposite to Inver Ellon lyeth the parish of Abernethie. Here is a great firr Abernethie. wood, twenty four miles in compass, belonging to Grant, with an old castle, built by the Red Friars. The chief family here is that of the Clan Allan; Achernick being the head of that family. Excellent meadows here on the river side, and good corn land. Several good gentlemens houses, given to hospitality, on the water of Nethie, which runneth through the parish. This water aboundeth with kipper.

Beneath Abernethie, lyeth the parish of Cromdell. The lands here in ancient Cromdell.

:

1 ["Apparitions were everywhere talked of and believed. Particular families were said to be haunted by certain demons, the good or bad geniuses of these families such as, on Speyside, the family of Rothemurchus, by Bodach an Dun, id est, the ghost of the dune; the baron of Kinchardine's family, by Red Hand, or a ghost one of whose hands was blood red; Gartinbeg, by Bodach Gartin; Glenlochie, by Brownie; Tullochgorm, by Maag Moulach, id est, one with the left hand all over hairy. I find in the synod records of Moray frequent orders to the presbyteries of Aberlaure and Abernethie to enquire into the truth of Maag Moulach's appearing; but they could make no discovery, only that one or two men declared that they once saw, in the evening, a young girl whose left hand was all hairy, and who instantly disappeared." (Shaw's History of the Province of Moray, p. 306.) See also Sir Walter Scott's Marmion, cant. iv., st. xxii., and note.]

times belonged to the Nairns, but now to Grant. This parish is exceeding good land, and lyeth on both sides of the river. Much salmon taken here. Here is Bella castle. Bella castle, the lairds chief residence, a stately house, with parks about the same great grassings.

Bellindalloch.

'Glenlivet.

Beneath Cromdell, on the south side, lyeth the house and land of Delvey, in a crook of the river. Good land, etc. And next thereto lyeth the land of Advi. Next to it is the water of Aven, whereon standeth the castle of Bellindalloch. This water of Aven hath woods on both sides; and four miles above this castle the water divideth into two, the one half coming through Glenlivet, an excellent countrey for corns and pasturage; and it lyeth towards the south-east, where are the castles of Blairphine and Drummine. Towards the south-west lyeth the countrey Strathdown. of Strathdown: a good high countrey for corns, pasturage, woods, deer, and roe. The people here are more rude than in any other place or water side that runneth into Spey. Generally, both in this countrey and Glenlivet, they have fallen to popery. The countreys abound with all necessaries for the use of man: they are within Bamffshire.

Inver Aven.

Knockando.

On the south side of the river lyeth the church of Inver Aven, being the chancellour seat of Murray. This parish is within Bamffshire, and diocese of Murray. Opposite to it is the parish of Knockando, belonging to the laird of Grant. It is five miles of length on the north side of the river, being good land; and a great mounth that divideth it from Murray land. There are several gentlemens houses Here endeth the Irish language.

here the people civil.

:

Sciant presentes et futuri quod hec est conventio facta inter dominum
R episcopum Moraviensem et Duncanum comitem de Fif scilicet quod

[From the Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, p. 12.

The church of St. Peter of Strathouen was erected into a prebend of the cathedral church of the Holy Trinity at Spyny, by Bricius bishop of Murray, between the year 1208 and the year 1214: "quinta canonia ecclesia Sancti Petri de Strathouen cum capellis suis et una dauacha terre et cum aliis justis pertinentiis suis et ecclesia de Hurchard ultra Inuernys cum omnibus justis pertinentiis suis." (Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, pp. 40-43.) The erection was confirmed by Pope Innocent III. on the twenty-second of December, 1214. (Id. pp. 43, 44.) By the constitutions of Bishop Andrew de Moravia, enacted in a synod of his clergy held at Elgin in the church of St. Giles the Abbot, on the fifth of May 1226, the prebend of Strathouen was assigned to the chancellor of the diocese: "ita tamen ut prebenda de Strathouen juxta quod de consilio et consensu capituli nostri est provisum et statutum sit perpetua canonia ad cancellariam pertinens . (Id. pp. 73-76, 90-94.) The duties of the office of chan

predictus Comes et heredes sui tenebunt de predicto Episcopo terras suas quas habet in Strathouen dimidias dauachas in vita predicti Episcopi Inueraldem Duninbride. Letheni Michel Neuechincrist Tulachtarum. Donenald Kyref Martin Fithelmore Abberbrandolthin. Brenin. Daskinnuchel cum omnibus rectis divisis suis reddendo annuatim predicto Episcopo pro unaquaque dimidia dauach duos solidos dimidietatem ad Pentecostem et dimidietatem ad Festum Sancti Martini Et preterea prefatus Comes et heredes sui tenebunt de predicto Episcopo in vita sua duas dimidias dauachas de Inuerouen post decessum Bricii persone. reddendo annuatim iiijor solidos ad terminos predictos Preterea predictus Comes et heredes sui tenebunt de predicto Episcopo in vita sua Adauin cum omnibus rectis divisis suis reddendo annuatim xl petras casei ad Festum Sancti Martini. Et Episcopus abducet homines suos qui presentes fuerunt in die conventionis in terra illa quocunque voluerit. Alios vero homines qui naturales sunt ad terras predictas quos Episcopus non diracionavit adquiret predictus Comes consilio et auxilio Episcopi ad prefatas terras inhabitandas. Et predictus Comes et heredes sui tenebunt plenam curiam de domino Episcopo in predictis terris vitium domini Regis de terris illis plenarie facient abbate de Abberdrodoch R abbate de Scona Cupre Wice abbate de Lundors G. Auenel

Willelmo de Haia Hugone de Moravia Willelmo de Rameseia A.

cellor are minutely described in the same register, pp. 57, 58, 270. The chancellor of Murray was bound to find a priest to serve as his vicar in the cathedral church at Elgin. (Id. pp. 94, 361, XVIII.) Andrew is chancellor of Murray between the years 1203 and 1224. (Id., pp. 16, 60.) William is chancellor of Murray in the year 1232. (Id., pp. 89, 96.) He subscribes the constitutions of Bishop Andrew de Moravia between the years 1224 and 1248: "ego Willelmus cancellarius Moraviensis subscribo. " (Id., pp. 94, 97, 107, 110, 133, 275, 277.) William of Creswell was chancellor of Murray in the year 1294. (Id., pp. 144, 145.) In the year 1345 John of Inuernys was chancellor of Murray, (Id., p. 157) and in the year 1351. (Id., pp. 297, 298.) Henry of Pluscardine was chancellor of Murray in the year 1391. (Id., p. 128.) Alexander Stewart was chancellor of Murray in the year 1473 (Id., p. 256); in the year 1487 (Id., pp. 257, 259); and in the year 1489. (Id., p. 262.) William Gordon was chancellor from 1541 to 1543; James Gordon, from 1547 to 1557; Robert Gordon, from 1566 to 1571. (Id., pp. XXIII, XXIV.) There was preserved, until the end of the last century, in the library of the Scots College at Paris, a manuscript Missal, which, says Father Thomas Innes, "had belonged to Mr. James Gordon, the last chancellor of the church of Murray, and in that quality the last catholic pastor of St. Peter of Inerawin, which was the parish where I served in Scotland three years." (The Miscellany of the Spalding Club, vol. ii. p. 366.)]