IN the Library at
Castle Grant there is a picture of some significance. It
represents a noble of the time of George II. sitting in a
chair, and holding in his hand the plan of a village,
which he is eagerly examining. The noble was Sir Ludovick
Grant of Grant, and the village was Grantown. The picture
is a prophecy. By an Act of James VI., 1609, Cromdale had
been erected into a burgh. The terms of the edict are
curious and suggestive—" We, understanding that the toune
of Cromdaill lyes in ane wyld and barbarous pairt of oure
said Kingdome of Scotland, far distant from the sea, about
the quhilk thair cluellis and remnaines ruid people
wanting civilitie aild guid maneris—thajrfoir we to the
intent that the inhabitants of the saidis bounclis may be
maid the mair riche and civile, we of oure nationall
inclination quhulk we have to reduce oure people to
civilitie and guid maneris, and for policie and decoration
of oure said realm cif Scotlniid, have maid, constitute,
erectit, and creatit all and haiti, the said toune of
Crouidaill, with all and sindrie lioussis, biggingis,
tenementes, waist places, yeardis, aikeris, toftis,
croftes, by and in the territorie of the said toune, in
ane free burgh and baronie, with special free and plaine
powar to the said complainar, his aires, baillies, ane or
mar within the said burgh, with persanes of counsull,
clerkis, servands, and all other officeris necessary
within the samyn for rewling and governing thairof, &c.’~
‘The site of the burgli was the moor on which the house
and offices of the Mains Farm now stand. Here was the
village with ale house and cottages, in one of which the
late Sir James Macgregor was born. Here were the
court-house and jail, the remains of which, called the
Toll-dhubh
(Black-hole) may still be seen
at the back of the old school-house; while a little above,
to the left of the old road, was Tom-na-croiche,
the hanging hill. Cromdale did not succeed as a burgh. Its
fall is said to have been brought about by a fight at one
of the fairs between two factions of the Grants, in which
lives were lost. Be that as it may, Sir Ludovick resolved
upon a change. There had been a village near the gate of
Castle Grant, no doubt of the sort depicted so graphically
in the opening chapters of Waverley, but it was in a low
condition. Sir Ludovick looked farther afield. He was
ambitious and far-seeing, and had an eye to the
possibilities of the future. About two miles south of the
Castle, and at a lower level, there was a wide moor, part
of one of the gravel terraces, common in Strathspey,
called the Feith-mhòid. Bounded on the west by the heights
of Dreggie, sloping on the east to the mosses and
fir-woods of Anagach. and on the south opening out into
the birch clad knolls of Kirkton, the meadows of
Ballintomb and Ballieforth, and the far-stretching pine
forest of Abernethy, with the Spey gleaming in the midst,
and the Cairngorms as a grand back-ground, it formed a
model site for a Highland village. If Sir Ludovick shewed
much judgment in the selection of a site, he shewed no
less resolution and skill in the carrying out of his
scheme. It was a great advantage that Grantown was not
built at haphazard, but according to a fixed plan. The
main idea was a long street with a wide central square or
mercat place, and strips of land, called tenements,"
attached to the houses. It was called New Grantown to
distinguish it from the old village, and it still bears
this name among the Gaelic people—Am Baile-Ur. The
first advertisement as to the erection of the town was
published in 1764, and the first house was erected in
1766. The process was at first slow. From a plan made in
1768 by Mr Alex. Taylor, it appears that at that time only
about sixteen feus had been taken up. The names of the
first feuars are as follows, beginning at the north-west
corner of the square ~.----—No. 9. Delmanny, manufacturer,
where Macdougall & Co.’s establishment now stands; 10,
Minister of Abernethy; 11, Mrs Grant of Duthil 12,
Altcharn ; 13, left out for a road or street; 14, 15,
Mullochard, manufacturer; 16, John Grant, weaver; 17, John
Burges Taylor; 18, William Lyon; 19, James Grant, clerk,
Castle Grant; 21, John Clark, mason ; 22, James
Innes, schoolmaster ; 33, 34 (south side of square, at the
east end), James and Archibald Houstans ; 35, John
Mackenzie, vintner; 36, John Hastan, merchant ; 37,
Brewery Company; 38, left out for road or street; 39, Lady
Anna Duff; 40, Minister of Cromdale ; 45, Angus Cumming,
piper. Alexander Fraser had a house and smithy on the moor
to the north of the road to the Castle, and James and John
Birnie, James Grant, officer, John Mackenzie, vintner,
David Rose, John M’Grigor, and Allan Grant had houses on
the Upper and Nether Faemoit, further to the south. In the
notes to Mr Taylor’s plan, it is stated, among other
advantages, that "there is a considerable part of the moor
ground lying south and south-east from New Grantown,
plowed in by Mr Grant’s oxen, and still continuing to plow
more, which, as it is well adapted for lime, will soon be
of singular use to the town, both for corn and grass." It
is interesting to think of Mr Grant’s oxen patiently
toiling, where now the nimble golfers ply their task, and
bright—eyed maidens make the air merry with their glee!
In 1768, a second advertisement was
issued, setting forth the advantages of the village, from
its centrical position and surroundings, and inviting
"persons of circumstance, manufacturers, and others," to
take up feus. ‘‘Ther’s nine annual mercats or Fairs holds
at Grantown, for Cattle, Horses, Sheep, Tissiker, Wool,
&c., and Weekly Mercats. Its centrical for the South
Country. Badenoch and Strathern Dealers, or Drovers in the
Low Country, as it is not above 18 miles either from
Inverness, Fort-George, Nairn, Forres, Elgin, Keith, or
Strathboggie and good patent Roads to each of them. The
Mercats are and will be for some time custome free. There
is established a good schoole, for teaching Latin,
English, Writing, Arithmetick, and Book-keeping, and two
Weemen Schools for Sewing and Knitting of Stocking, and a
fine new Church is to be built within the Town."
Sir James Grant completed what his
father had so well begun, and this policy of unity of aim,
and continuity of action, has been a characteristic of the
family to our own time. It is said that Sir James spent
more than £5000 on Grantown. He made roads, built bridges,
and erected a Town house and jail. He also did much to
foster various industries, such as baking, weaving,
dyeing, wool-combing, and brewing, "to keep people from
drinking spirituous liquors," and so forth. He also
projected a school or asylum for the education of
children, where riot only ordinary education, but
instruction in arts and trades might be given, in this
anticipating the technical education of the present day.
With regard to this latter scheme, he consulted Lord
Kames, who was considered a great authority on education.
Lord Kames suggested that a preferable mode of giving
technical instruction would be the bringing to the town ‘‘
the best artists that work in such things, for which there
was a demand in the Highlands, wheel-wrights,
plough-wrights, house carpenters, smiths, masons, weavers,
&c.," and he promised aid from the Annexed Estates Fund to
provide for apprenticing children to such trades (Letter
31st August, 1767) Lord Kames’ advice seems to have been
taken. The Rev. Lewis Grant, in the O.S. Account (1792)
says that in twenty years Grantown had increased to a
population of from 300 to 400 inhabitants, and that there
were in it ‘‘ bakers, shoemakers, tailors, weavers of
wool, linen, and stockings, blacksmiths, wrights, and
masons, and twelve merchants who kept regular shops,’’ and
‘‘ as good tradesmen as any in the kingdom." In marking
the progress of Grantown, he makes the suggestive remark
that ‘‘ herein was irresistible proof how far the country
at large was capable of improvement."
Sir James gave special attention to
education. The endeavour to establish a Strathspey Academy
at Cromdale did not succeed. It was therefore transferred
to Grantown. The first school was a low building, with one
long room, the master’s desk at the north end, with the
writing desks and forms in front. This gave place to a
much larger building, divided into four sections, with
ample space for classes and drilling in the centre. It had
a bell tower, which gave it quite an imposing appearance.
The plan, it is said, was supplied by Mr Gill, Postmaster.
In this school much good work was done, under the Rev.
John Wink, Mr James Weir, M.A., and other successive
masters. The present splendid building, with its admirable
staff and equipments, is the product of the School Board.
The Speyside Charity School, commonly
called "The Hospital," was established by a Deed of
Covenant, dated 10th August, 1795, from bequests made by
Dame Jane Grant and Dr Gregory Grant of Burnside. Various
benefactions have been since made to the institution. The
female school was established from bequests made by the
late Captain Grant, Congash, and others. In 1890 it was
transferred to the School Board of Cromdale. The Parish
Church of Inverallan was originally at Kirkton, and the
remains of the foundation are still to be seen in the
Churchyard. In 1803 a new church was built at Grantown. It
was for some years occupied as a Royal Bounty Station, but
in 1869 it was erected into a parish quoad sacra.
In 1886 the present handsome church was built in the place
of the former Parish Church. On a brass slab within the
church there is the following inscription : This Church
was erected to the glory of God by Caroline Stuart,
Countess of Seafield, in memory of John Charles, 7th Earl
of Seafield, K.T., 26th Chief of the Grants, who died 31st
March, 1884. Presented by her to the Church of Scotland as
the Parish Church of Inverallan. Consecrated to the public
service of God, 1st May, 1886. The Rev. John Thomson, D.D.,
Minister. Alex. Smith, Architect.’’ Besides the church,
Lady Seafield erected and endowed the "lan Charles
Hospital," which was opened 19th May, 1895, and has proved
an immense benefit to the country.
The Highland and Speyside Railways were
opened in 1863, and since then Grantown has made great
progress, and the number of visitors coming to the town in
summer and autumn is very large, and increasing every
year. The contrast between Grantown as it was in the first
half of the century, and as it is now, is very striking.
Sixty years ago, the square was the place where the fairs
and trysts were held, and at George and Figgat Markets, it
presented a gay and lively appearance, from the lines of
tents amid the crowds of people. Now it is better kept,
with a broad roadway, bordered by ornamental trees, and
open spaces on each side, with seats, and pleasant runs
for children. Sixty years ago, the houses were mostly of
one storey, and many of them thatched with heather; now
the dwelling-houses are handsome and substantial, and
provided with all modern comforts. Sixty years ago, there
was but one bank, the National, well known as Culfoichs.’’
It was next the Charity School, a little dingy hole, with
hardly room for two people to stand together, and where
the attention of the agent was divided between the bank
and the shop, with which it was connected. Now there are
three banks—-the National, the Caledonian, and the Royal,
with excellent accommodation and ample business. Sixty
years ago, there were but few shops, and the trade,
chiefly in cloth and groceries, was of a very limited
kind. Now there are hotels, large and well equipped, and
establishments such as those of Macdougall & Co.’s, A. C.
Grant, G. Anderson, and others, well lighted and spacious,
amid with supplies of cloth, ironmongery, house
furnishings, and all sorts of goods, equal to what could
he obtained in any of our large towns. Sixty years ago
letters were few, and newspapers fewer, the mails being
brought by a postrunner from Forres. Now there is a large
post-office, with three deliveries daily, and the
Edinburgh, Aberdeen, amid other newspapers are received by
the morning mails. There is also telegraphic communication
and despatches daily to different parts of the country.
Sixty years ago it was managed as part of the Grant estate
under a Baron Bailie, now it has been erected into a burgh
with the new designation of Grantown-on-Spey, and the
Provost and Councillors have already made some
improvements, and much more is expected of them, as they
come to the full knowledge of their powers and duties.
Sixty years ago Grantown was a "quiet habitation," with
little signs of life and progress, now it is visited by
thousands, and, amply provided as it is with shops,
hotels, villas, and lodging-houses, with churches and
schools, with Parish Council and Town Council, with
railroads and telegraphs, and the attractions of a
Christian institute and a beautiful Golf course, with free
access to the woods and mountains, it is no wonder that
its popularity is growing from year to year, and that it
promises to reach and rival the fame of "Sweet Auburn,
loveliest village of the plain."
