National Gazetteer, 1868

"ALVIE, a parish in the district of Badenoch, in the county of Inverness, Scotland, 11 miles to the N.E. of Pitman. It is situated at the foot of the Monadlia mountains, which bound it on the N.W., and it extends southward to the Grampians. It is intersected by the river Spey, which rises in the Braes of Badenoch, 30 miles from Alvie. Alvie contains the quoad sacra parish of Insh, and the village of Lynchat. Most of the surface is barren and mountainous, rising at the southern end of the parish to a height of 4,500 feet. There is one small lake, Loch Alvie, about a mile long and half a mile broad. Perch are caught in it. Granite and limestone are obtained in the mountains. The living is in the presbytery of Abernethy, value £158, in the patronage of the Duke of Richmond. The parish church was built in 1798, and repaired in 1833. There is a government church at Inch, within 4 miles of the parish church, and a Roman Catholic chapel. Kinrara, in a romantic glen 2 miles from the village, was the favourite summer seat of the late Duchess of Gordon, whose remains were, by her own desire, interred there. Belleville was the seat of James Macpherson, the author of Ossian's poems. It has since been the residence of Sir David Brewster."

"INSH, a quoad sacra parish in the parishes of Alvie and Kingussie, county Inverness, Scotland, 8 miles S.W. of Aviemore Inn."

"LYNCHAT, a village in the parish of Alvie, county Inverness, Scotland, 13 miles N.E. of Pitmain. It is situated under the Monadlia mountains, near the river Spey."

Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003