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ARISAIG AND SOUTH MORAR.-
MODERN EVICTIONS AND LAST CENTURY RENTALS.
ARDNAMURCIIAN forms
one of the parishes of Inverness- shire, yet not an inch of the
portion in that county formed a part of the original parish. The
high-handed, uncalled for, and eccentric dismemberment of
Inverness-shire by Lord Lorne in 1632, swept away to Argyleshire the
whole ancient parish of Ardnamurchan, which comprehended most of a
great peninsula, terminating at the point of Ardnamurchan, the
western extremity of the mainland of Scotland, and commencing at a
line connecting Loch Shiel and Loch Sunart, where these lochs
approach nearest to each other. Ardnamurchan in Inverness-shire, as
now divided, extends from Loch Shiel to Loch Morar, and was included
in the Lordship of Gartmoran. Those of the original inhabitants who
interest themselves in its past history love to call it and Knoydart,
the "Rough Bounds" of old "Garbhcrioch," and it was possessed in
especial by Clanranald, with its cadets of Morar, Glenalladale, and
Kinlochmoydart, a handsome and warlike race.
Events in early life
or circumstances at that period, insignificant perhaps in
themselves, lay the basis for future action and conduct, and I may
be pardoned for recording that to the circumstance of my visiting
the Clanranald country during a memorable year much of my sympathy
towards the poorer occupants of the Highlands and Islands in after
life is due.
In the autumn of 1849
I, then a clerk in a law office, was sent on an errand of trust to
South Morar. From the estate of Arisaig, and in particular from the
Rhue, a great number of people had been evicted, who were either too
late to be deported that year, or unwilling to emigrate. Mrs
Macdonell, widow of Colonel Donald Macdonell of Scotos and mother of
Eneas R. Macdonell of Morar, was then tenant of the farm of Traigh,
South Morar, and in the extreme distress of the evicted people,
allowed them to take shelter on her farm, prompted not only by her
goodness of heart—for even amongst the universally hospitable
denizens of the west Mainland, the Rhue family were conspicuous—but
the fact that most of the people she knew thoroughly, her late
father being at one time tenant of Rhue, and I rather think she was
born there. I saw two things—the places from where the people had
been removed, also where for a time they were sheltered, and being a
makeshift in name of a temporary home, necessarily crowded, and with
flimsy protection. Yet the people were so far contented, if not
cheerful, blessing their benefactress, who scrimped herself and
household for their relief. This I saw and do not forget, though
nearly fifty years have since passed.
Another circumstance and I shall have
done with personal reminiscences. On the journey in question, at the
inn of Kinchreggan, the late Angus Macdonald of Glenalladale, who
arid his predecessors so long lived in handsome style in the fine
old house and place of Borrodale, met us and insisted on our dining
at his house, as we would in any case be passing his door. I need
not say that we were treated with true Highland hospitality, and
were not allowed to leave until late, after hearing some exquisite
music—vocal and instrumental—from the ladies, and having several
"turns" on the floor of the particularly handsome drawing-room, The
laird was specially genial, and could hardly be persuaded to abstain
from remounting his pony and giving us a bit of Highland convoy in
our progress to Traigh. Alas, alas, how Borrodale has fallen! The
Glenalladales had to leave, and the Valuation Roll tells the world
that the House of Borrodale is sub-divided, and presently tenanted
by four retainers, paying rents of £12, £8, £4, and £3 respectively.
The oldest paper among my Clanranald
collections is the service of John Macdonald vic Allan vic lain to
his father Sir Donald vic Allan vic lain of Clanranald. The Inquest
was held at Inverness on the i8th September, 1627, before Alexander
Paterson, Sheriff-Depute; and John Dougall, merchant in Edinburgh;
James Fraser of Keith- hill; James Fraser, burgess of Inverness;
Andrew Fraser, merchant, burgess there; James Abraham, David
Cuthbert, Thomas Robertson, James Cumming, and Alexander Abraham,
all burgesses of Inverness; Robert Innes, Alexander Hood, and
Patrick Hay, burgesses of Chanonry, and David Logan, burgess of
Inverness, members of Inquest. The only lands on the mainland
referred to, are 3 merks of Moydart, 7 rnerks of Arisaig, and the
superiority of the 14 merks land of South Morar, all the other lands
being in the Isles. The Retour shows that Sir Donald Macdonald was
grandson of the famous John Macallister of Moydart (lain Muidartach)
and that Sir Donald died in the month of December, 1619. The lands
in Moydart consisted of 27 merks land, and those of Arisaig seem to
have been divided into portions, one of 7 merks and the other of 24
merks of old extent. All the estates appear to have been held of the
Earl of Argyll, but Ranald Macdonald was enrolled a freeholder in
1767; his son John, in 1789; and Ranald George Macdonald, son of
John and late Cianranald, in 1809.
About 1805 the superiorities were
purchased, and Clanranald shortly after began to give off freeholds,
and to split his cess valuations. No regular rental seems to have
been in possession of the family until the year 1798, when Ranald
George Macdonald and his tutors followed out what was then
common—the plan of establishing a "Judicial Rental;" that is,
witnesses and officials deponed on oath what the rents in use to be
paid were. Let us take the Arisaig rent, therefore, in its order-
The Church of Arisaig was at Kilmarie
and is now an interesting ruin. The Church-yard might be better
attended to as a whole, though some parts are very neat. Here the
Morar family are buried. The Clanranalds of old were interred at
Eileanfinnon, afterwards in Howmore, South Uist. There is notice of
Elias, Parson of Arisaig as early as 1250, and mention made of
various chaplains up to the Reformation.
EILEAN TIORAM CASTLE AND LANDS.
I visited the grand ruin of Eilean Tyrim
Castle in 1886, having the good fortune of such a cicerone as the
late venerated and loved Father Charles Macdonald of Mingarry. His
published account of the country, in which he so long lived, is most
fascinating in its vivid description of places and people within the
Rough Bounds. Peace to my deceased friend's ashes and respect to his
memory! The Castle, said to have been built by Arnie nin Ruarie, who
was buried at Eileanfinnon, witnessed many a scene. The name of
Eilean Tyrim for a time gave the Clanranalds their designation, and
under the name of "Tenandry of Castle Tyrirn" all the Clanranald
lands were erected into a Barony, rendering one sasine at the Castle
sufficient for the whole estate, including the outlying islands of
Eigg and Canna. The Castle and a small portion of land still belongs
to the family, and a good deal of the old estate could be and ought
to be reclaimed by them. The walls of the Castle have been repaired
and strengthened. On a voyage in 1892 from Drumindarroch in Arisaig,
to Eilean Tyrim, we almost flew over the water, the wind being
highly favourable. Next day, however, Morar's men had to row every
yard, first to Eigg and thence to Ardyasser in Skye, the wind dead
ahead and sails useless, occupying fourteen hours. Before the men,
whose patience and good spirits I will never forget, could have
reached their homes at Arisaig, after landing me at Ardvasser, they
must have been seventeen hours at work. And yet the West Coast men
are characterised as indolent and spiritless.
Ronald Macdonald of the '45 died in the
autumn of 1776, and was succeeded by his son John, who did not live
long, dying in 1794, leaving his son Reginald George in pupillarity.
This Reginald George Macdonald had a long minority, and succeeded to
a vast unembarrassed estate. The rent roll, from kelp and other
sources, increased greatly, yet thoughtlessness, extravagance, and
folly brought him to grief at an early age, so that by him the
estates on the mainland and in the isles were sold. He will perhaps
be best remembered from his controversy with Glengarry as to
superiority in title, which now seems to readers so foolish, though
the then combatants were desperately in earnest.
When the late Clanranald began to fall
into financial difficulties, every step was taken to put up rents,
and removals became common. I have not observed until about 18io any
evictions of consequence, except one in 1780 when 13 heads of
families—Donald Chisholm, Kenneth Macinnes, Alexander Maceachan,
Andrew Macdonald, Donald Maceachan, Angus Macdonald, Ewen Gillies,
Roderick Macdonald, Ranald Macdonald and Donald Macdonald were, with
the exception of Chisholm, evicted from Ardnafuaran alone.
A younger son of Ronald Macdonald of the
'45 named James was most unfortunate. In i8o6 he is described as 38
years of age, having a wife and son. He would therefore have been
born in 1768. Partly educated in France, he entered the army an
ensign in 1783, afterwards served as Lieutenant in the 19th
Regiment, and raising his quota, was appointed a Captain in the
73rd, in 1791. He served in the East and West Indies, and received a
dangerous wound in the head, the ball passing through his mouth and
remaining in his neck. In 1803 he became Major of the 93rd, and
latterly its Lieutenant-Colonel.
In 1805, On the voyage to Europe from
the East Indies, he seems to have incurred the ill-will of Colonel
Monypenny and some of the other officers, and he was tried by Court
Martial in 1805 upon eight charges, the seventh being for
unwarrantable and insulting language to the Adjutant of the 93rd in
calling him "a damned villainous scoundrel." Colonel Monypenny, the
real prosecutor, did not appear, though summoned as a witness by the
accused. The Court seems to have been biassed, and by a majority
found Colonel Macdonald guilty. His counsel were Mr William Adam and
Mr Randle Jackson. He was infamously used, for though he alleged
that Colonel Monypenny's presence was essential, a bogus certificate
of sickness was accepted as a sufficient excuse for his absence, and
delay of the trial until his recovery was refused.
GLENALADALE AND PRINCE CHARLES.
The mainland cadets of Clanranald, Morar,
Kinlochmoydart, and Glenaladale, were all strong Jacobites, and so
intimately mixed up with the movements of Prince Charles from first
to last that they are inseparably and most honourably connected with
the Rising of the '45. Glenaladale fortunately stands stronger than
ever, but it is much to be regretted that the name of Macdonald of
Kinlochmoydart has but quite recently disappeared from among the
landowners of Inverness-shire. The memoirs of Lochgarry stale that
in the capture of Edinburgh, a notable event, the attacking
detachment consisted of Lochiel, Glengarry, Keppoch, and Clanranald,
and while Lochiel led his own clan, Lochgarry commanded Glengarry;
Tirindiich, Keppoch; and Glenaladale, Clanranald. Lochgarry mentions
with satisfaction that they obtained possession without the stroke
of a sword. In
the Prince's wanderings after the battle of Culloden, Lochgarry
notes— "That
after landing from Skye, at Mallaig, in July, most of Cumberland's
army was detached, and a line made of them near the coast and
parties put on every pass, so that it appeared impossible he (the
Prince) could get through them undiscovered. At this time, H.R.H.
had sent for or accidentally met with Macdonald of Glenaladale and
two or three more, and luckily made their escape through the guards
in the night time. They travelled two or three days through the
hills, till at last Glenaladale lost knowledge of the ground, and
knew not where he was going. They were then on the hills which march
betwixt Glengarry and Seaforth, when luckily they met four Glengarry
Macdonalds, who had been obliged to shun the enemy and take to the
hills with their wives, children, and cattle. They, notwithstanding
of their Prince's disguise, knew him, though he appeared quite a
different person from what they had seen him at the head of his army
; and with tears in their eyes, they fell on their knees and thanked
God that his Royal person was safe. They knew also Glenaladale, who
told them he had lost his way and did not know where to go, and
asked them which was the safest route for H.R.H. They immediately
said they would abandon their wives and everything that was dear to
them, and as they knew the hills, they would do what was in their
power to find out for H.R.H. a safe lurking place, and bring H.R.H
what provision the country can afford ; upon which they conducted
H.R.H. to a cave, in one of the greatest hills in Scotland, within
15 or 16 miles of Cumberland's camp at Fort-Augustus. One of these
four men vent day about for intelligence and necessaries for H.R.H.,
and so secret and cautious they were in their office that they never
vent near their wives and families from the minute they met their
Prince, and their poor wives concluded they were either killed, or
taken by the enemy. They knew well the reward declared to give for
apprehending or destroying H.R.H.; but all the bribes in the world
could not make them betray that trust. I believe no other nation in
the world can produce common men who would do the like. H.R.H.
enquired if they could send one out and bring me to him. At this
time the enemy lay behind me and them, and rendered it impossible
for mc to cross over the waters, which were prodigiously high, by
the great falls of rain about that time. There were three different
attacks made upon me, as the enemy knew where I skulked. I faced
them fairly every time, and beat them off, by which they lost
several killed and wounded. This was but a small affair, but the
only blood drawn from the enemy, after the battle of Culloden.
"The Prince had stayed between twenty
days and a month in this cave, and by this time your four men who
were with him got intelligence of this and where I skulked, upon
which H.R.H. came directly near that place, and sent one of them for
me. This was in August, I cannot remember the day of the month. I
came directly where H.R.H. was, and was overjoyed to kiss his hand;
it gave me new courage to see H.R.H. safe, and I really believed
once I had the happiness to meet H.R.H. he would be afterwards safe
in spite of his enemies. This night we had no kind of provision, but
a wild deer one of your men killed near the hut. Next day
Glenaladale kissed H.R.H. hand, took leave, and went home to his
own house near the West Coast: H.R.H. entrusting him that in case
there came ships from France, he should acquaint him, and give him a
trace to find him, in case that happened."
In 1805, the total rental was, as would
have been already seen, only about £130, but the Glenaladale estate
is now large and valuable. From the sources of the Finnon to the
march on Lochshiel side with Lord Howard, is an extensive stretch,
and some of the mountains, particularly Ben Odhar mor, Ben Odhar
beg, and Ben Chaoirinn, make a grand appearance, viewed on a clear
autumn afternoon, from the Terraces of Torlundy.
The propriety of a
late "outing" to Prince Charles' monument is open to question, but
if it does good in calling attention to the renovation of the
monument, it will have done some good. The needful restoration falls
properly on the public, and it would be unfair to saddle this on the Glenaladales. [Since the above was written, it has been announced
that Glenaladale has, much to his credit, undertaken to do what is
necessary.] I
subjoin a copy of one of Mr Alexander Macdonald's letters, not that
it is of the least interest in itself, but as coming from the true
hearted gentleman who, 86 years ago, erected this monument, which
has been visited by thousands, and oft depicted by pen and pencil.
Alexander was cut off in the flower of his age, in 1814, aged 28
years:- Drimnin
House, 28th October, 1809.
"Dear Sir,—Would you
have the goodness to pay the enclosed sum to the collector of the
cess. "I shall
be answerable for the same amount to your order at Dalness on
demand. "Having
no convenient way of remitting the within mentioned sum to Inverness
induces me to put you to this trouble.
"My mother unites in best wishes and
believe me always, dear sir, your obedient servant. (Signed) ALEXR.
MACDONALD." |
