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Glen Cannich

Coordinates: 57°20′N 4°57′W / 57.34°N 4.95°W / 57.34; -4.95
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Glen Cannich. River between Loch Mullardoch (far right) and Loch Carrie

Glen Cannich (Template:Lang-gd) is a long glen in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland and through which runs the River Cannich. Emerging from the reservoir of Loch Mullardoch, the river flows east to merge with the River Affric at the village of Cannich, their combined waters forming the River Glass.

Downstream of Loch Mullardoch are the smaller natural lochs of Loch a' Bhana, Loch Sealbhanach, Loch Carrie and Loch Craskie through each of which the river flows. Other lochs within the Cannich catchment include (from west to east) Loch an Fraoich-choire, Coire Lochan, Loch a' Choire Dhomhain, Loch a' Choire Bhig, Loch Tuill Bhearnach and Lochan a' Mhill Dhuibh. Within the narrow confines of the eastern end of the glen the river plunges over two waterfalls; Eas Maol Mhairi and Eas an Fhithich. Innumerable burns drain the mountain slopes to the north and south of the river, the largest of which are the Abhainn a' Choilich and Abhainn Sithidh which arise on the eastern slopes of the peak of Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan.

A minor public road runs up Glen Cannich from Cannich as far as the Mullardoch dam. Other than water capture for the hydro-electric scheme, the major land uses in the glen are forestry and deer stalking.[1]

History

In addition to its importance to Scottish Gaelic literature and Scottish traditional music, Glen Cannich is also an important location to the history of the Hiberno-Scottish mission, the Celtic Church, and the Catholic Church in Scotland.

The now ruined Celtic Church monastery and Christian pilgrimage site of (Template:Lang-gd) at (Template:Lang-gd) beside the holy well known as (Template:Lang-gd), is alleged to have been founded by St Bean, the second Abbot of Iona Abbey, kinsman of St Columba, and missionary, who is said locally to have spearheaded the Christianisation of Strathglass.[2][3] Beauly Priory, a 13th-century Valliscaulian monastery located in near Beauly, is alleged in some sources to have received its name from Mary, Queen of Scots.

Following the Scottish Reformation in 1560, the Chiefs of Clan Chisholm and Clan Fraser of Lovat chose, despite official denials, to illegally grant religious toleration to their clansmen.[4] Until the Suppression of the Jesuits in the late 18th-century, the large Catholic population in Glen Cannich and the surrounding region was covertly looked after by underground priests of the Society of Jesus.[5]

Between 1735 and 1746, the Glen was the home and base of operations for three outlawed Roman Catholic priests of the Society of Jesus; Frs. Charles (Template:Lang-gd) and John Farquharson (Template:Lang-gd) and future Catholic martyr Fr. Alexander Cameron (Template:Lang-gd).[6]

According to Colin Chisholm and Dom Odo Blundell of Fort Augustus Abbey, the three priests' residence and secret Mass house was inside a cave known as (Template:Lang-gd,[7][8] lit. "the hollow of the hard-life")[9][10] which was located underneath the cliff of a big boulder at Brae of Craskie, near Beauly (Template:Lang-gd) in Glen Cannich.[11][12]

According to Monsignor Thomas Wynne, "It was in the nature of a summer sheiling, a command center for monitoring the traditional activities of cattle reivers; as such it combined a civilising role with the building up of a Catholic mission outside Cameron territory in a way which must have reassured Lochiel on both counts."[13]

This secret dwelling remained the centre of the Catholic mission in Lochaber at the time, where Fr. Cameron and the two Farquarson brothers secretly ministered to the local Catholics and secretly visited the covert "Mass houses" at Fasnakyle, Crochail, and Strathfarrar (Template:Lang-gd).[14][15]

Whenever it was not possible for the three priests to safely leave the cave, their parishioners would come to the cave at Brae of Craskie for Mass, the sacraments, and, especially, for the illegal Catholic baptisms of their children. A natural cup stone known as (Template:Lang-gd) was used by the three priests as a baptismal font.[16]

According to Colin Chisholm, the cup stone had been used for performing baptisms, "from time immemorial".[17] This may mean that, similarly to what was common practice at the time among persecuted Catholic Gaels in Ireland,[18] the natural cup stone had been brought to the cave from the ruins of a local church or monastery dating from before the Scottish Reformation, such as Clachan Comar or Beauly Priory.

According to the local oral tradition, either Fr John or Charles Farquharson was interrupted by a detachment of red-coats while offering mass at Clachan Comar following the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Although the mark of an officer's sabre is still visible at the site, the Jesuit is said to have fled the scene and managed to escape unharmed.[19][20]

St Mary's Church, Beauly viewed from the cemetery on the north side.
St Mary and St Bean's Roman Catholic Church, Beauly.

Furthermore, the Bullaun, or natural cup stone, known as (Template:Lang-gd) and used by the three Jesuits to perform secret Catholic baptisms in the cave at Glen Cannich, was removed from the Cave, "in order to protect it from damage", by Black Watch Regiment Captain Archibald Macrae Chisholm and placed upon a stone column,[21][22] where it is now venerated as a relic by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen at St Mary and St. Bean's Roman Catholic Church at Marydale, Beauly, Glen Cannich.[23] Despite the depopulation of much of the countryside of Glen Cannich, Glen Strathfarrar, and Strathglass by both voluntary emigration and the 1801-1855 mass estate clearances ordered by Archibald Campbell Fraser of Lovat and Mrs. William Chisholm of Chisholm,[24] construction of the church building commenced following Catholic Emancipation in 1829. The church was completed in 1866 and solemnly consecrated in 1868.[25]

After belatedly coming into possession of the Glen in 1826, Mrs. William Chisholm of Chisholm waited until 1830 for the remaining leases to expire and then summoned every male who held land there to a meeting at the inn at Cannich. Upon arrival, they were informed by the estate factor that their farms had all been secretly let to sheep farmers from the Scottish Lowlands and that all present and their families must leave Glen Cannich with no negotiation or appeal. Upon hearing the news, Thomas Fraser, 12th Lord Lovat, offered them highly favourable terms to resettle on his own estate at Strathfarrar. Even though it meant relocating his existing tenants in the region, Lord Lovat's offer was accepted and the former Glen Cannich tenants' new leases began on Whitsunday, 1831.[26]

Writing in 1883, Alexander Mackenzie wrote, "To give the reader an idea of the class of men who occupied this district, it may be stated that of the descendants of those who lived in Glen Cannich, at one time thickly populated in the Strath, but now a perfect wilderness - there lived in the present generation, no less than three colonels, one major, three captains, three lieutenants, seven ensigns, one bishop, and fifteen priests."[27]

Currently, the ruined Celtic Church monastery at Clachan Comar is considered an important local heritage monument and is looked after by local historical preservationists. Depending on the availability of priests, outdoor masses are offered annually on the site. Furthermore, efforts are currently being discussed of building a roof upon the former monastery chapel.[28][29]

Folklore

In local Scottish folklore, Fr. John Farquarson remains a popular folk hero. He is said to have once had a face to face confrontation with the Devil upon Cannich Bridge and to have forced his opponent to dive into the River Cannich with a hissing sound.[15]

References

  1. ^ Ordnance Survey Explorer map sheets 414, 415, 430
  2. ^ Clachan Comar, Strathglass Heritage Association
  3. ^ Christianity in Strathglass, Website of St Mary and St Bean's Roman Catholic Church, Beauly.
  4. ^ Odo Blundell (1909), The Catholic Highlands of Scotland, Volume I, London, p. 191.
  5. ^ "A Highland Mission: Strathglass, 1671-1777", by Very Rev. Alexander Canon Mac William, Volume XXIV, Innes Review, pp. 75-102.
  6. ^ MacWilliam, A. S. (1973). A Highland mission: Strathglass, 1671-1777. Innes Review xxiv. pp. 75–102.
  7. ^ Odo Blundell (1909), The Catholic Highlands of Scotland, Volume I, London, page 203.
  8. ^ "Rev. John Farquharson, Priest of Strathglass", by Colin Chisholm, The Celtic Magazine, Volume 7, 1882, pp. 141-146.
  9. ^ Malcolm MacLennan (2001), Gaelic Dictionary/Faclair Gàidhlig, Mercat and Acair. Page 182.
  10. ^ Collected by Fr. Allan MacDonald (1958, 1972, 1991), Gaelic Words from South Uist and Eriskay – Edited, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. Second edition with supplement, published by the Oxford University Press. p. 113.
  11. ^ Odo Blundell (1909), The Catholic Highlands of Scotland, Volume I, London, page 203.
  12. ^ "Rev. John Farquharson, Priest of Strathglass", by Colin Chisholm, The Celtic Magazine, Volume 7, 1882, pp. 141-146.
  13. ^ Wynne, Thomas (30 August 2010). The Conversion of Alexander Cameron. The Innes Review. 45 (2): 178–187.
  14. ^ Wynne, Thomas (30 August 2010). The Conversion of Alexander Cameron. The Innes Review. 45 (2): 178–187.
  15. ^ a b Christianity in Strathglass, From the Website for St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Beauly.
  16. ^ "Rev. John Farquharson, Priest of Strathglass", by Colin Chisholm, The Celtic Magazine, Volume 7, 1882, pp. 143-144.
  17. ^ "Rev. John Farquharson, Priest of Strathglass", by Colin Chisholm, The Celtic Magazine, Volume 7, 1882, p. 144.
  18. ^ Nugent, Tony (2013). Were You at the Rock? The History of Mass Rocks in Ireland, Liffey Press. p. 5
  19. ^ Clachan Comar, Strathglass Heritage Association
  20. ^ Christianity in Strathglass, Website of St Mary and St Bean's Roman Catholic Church, Beauly.
  21. ^ Odo Blundell (1909), The Catholic Highlands of Scotland, Volume I, London, page 202.
  22. ^ "Rev. John Farquharson, Priest of Strathglass", by Colin Chisholm, The Celtic Magazine, Volume 7, 1882, p. 144.
  23. ^ "Rev. John Farquharson, Priest of Strathglass", by Colin Chisholm, The Celtic Magazine, Volume 7, 1882, p. 144.
  24. ^ Alexander Mackenzie (1914), The History of the Highland Clearances, P.J. O'Callaghan, 132-134 West Nile Street, Glasgow. pp. 187-194.
  25. ^ History of the Marydale Church, From the Website "Christianity in Strathglass."
  26. ^ Alexander Mackenzie (1914), The History of the Highland Clearances, P.J. O'Callaghan, 132-134 West Nile Street, Glasgow. pp. 188-190.
  27. ^ Alexander Mackenzie (1914), The History of the Highland Clearances, P.J. O'Callaghan, 132-134 West Nile Street, Glasgow. pp. 190-191.
  28. ^ Clachan Comar, Strathglass Heritage Association
  29. ^ Christianity in Strathglass, Website of St Mary and St Bean's Roman Catholic Church, Beauly.

Further reading

Books

  • Odo Blundell (1909), The Catholic Highlands of Scotland. Volume I: The Central Highlands, Sands & Co., 21 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, 15 King Street, London.
  • Robert Forbes (1895), The Lyon in Mourning: Or a Collection of Speeches, Letters, Journals Etc., Relative to the Affairs of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. Volume I, Printed at the University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society.
  • Thomas Wynne (2011), The Forgotten Cameron of the '45: The Life and Times of Alexander Cameron S.J, Print Smith, Fort William, Scotland

Periodicals

  • "Simon, Lord Lovat's Warning", by Colin Chisholm, The Celtic Magazine, Volume 7, November 1881, pp. 49-52.
  • "Rev. John Farquharson, Priest of Strathglass", by Colin Chisholm, The Celtic Magazine, Volume 7 1882, pp. 141-146.
  • "A Highland Mission: Strathglass, 1671-1777", by Very Rev. Alexander Canon Mac William, Volume XXIV, Innes Review, pp. 75-102.
  • "The Conversion of Alexander Cameron", by Thomas Wynne, Volume XLV, Innes Review, Autumn 1994, pp. 178-187.

57°20′N 4°57′W / 57.34°N 4.95°W / 57.34; -4.95

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