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Kilmonivaig

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"Kilmonivaig, a large Highland parish of SW Inverness-shire, containing the hamlets of Spean Bridge or Unachan, 9¾ miles NE of Fort William; Bridge of Roy or Bunroy, 3 miles E of Spean Bridge; and Invergarry, 7½ miles SW of Fort Augustus, each with a post, money order, and telegraph office. Bridge of Roy and Spean Bridge arc each provided with a station on the West Highland railway, from which the Invergarry and Fort Augustus railway strikes off at Spean Bridge and runs through the parish, first in a westerly and then in a north-easterly direction, to Invergarry and on to Fort Augustus. It is bounded N by Glenshiel in Ross-shire and by Urquhart-Glenmoriston, NE by Boleskine-Abertarff, E by Laggan, SE by Fortingall in Perthshire, S by Lismore-Appin in Argyllshire, and W by Kilmallie and Glenelg. Its utmost length, from NW to SE, is 60 miles; its utmost breadth is 23 miles; and its area is about 276,600 acres, of which 44½ are foreshore, 26½ tidal water, and 9531¾ water. In 1891 a small portion of the parish, whose area is not stated, but which was situated on Loch Linnhe between the river Lochy and the river Ness, and that cut the parish of Kilmallie at this point in two, was transferred by the Boundary Commissioners to Kilmallie. ...

... Three battles have been fought within this parish—the ‘Battle of the Shirts,’ on 3 July 1544, between the Clan Ranald and the Frasers, when 300 of the latter were slain, along with Lord Lovat and his eldest son; the Battle of INVERLOCHY, on 2 Feb. 1645, in which Montrose’s small Royalist army surprised and routed Argyll’s Covenanters and the ‘last considerable clan battle which was fought in Scotland,’ during Charles II.'s reign, when at Mulroy the Mackintoshes were worsted by the Macdonalds of Keppoch. John Macdonald or Ian Lom, a Gaelic Jacobite poet of the latter half of the 17th century, was a native; and his songs had no little effect towards making Kilmonivaig the ‘cradle of the rebellion of ’45.’ Giving off the greater portion of GLENGARRY quoad sacra parish, Kilmonivaig is in the presbytery of Abertarff and synod of ArgylI; the living is worth £375. The parish church, near Spean Bridge, was built about 1812, and renovated in 1891. There is an Established mission at Brae Lochaber. A Free church stands 2⅛ miles WNW of Spean Bridge; and at Bunroy is a Roman Catholic church (1826; 350 sittings). Three public schools— Kilmonivaig, Roy Bridge, and Tomcharich—with respective accommodation for 90, 92, and 30 children, have an average attendance of about 55, 55, and 25, and grants amounting to about £60, £85, and £40. Pop. (1881) 1928, (1891) 2205, of whom 1627 were Gaelic speaking, and 1704 belonged to Kilmonivaig ecclesiastical parish.—Ord. Sur., shs. 62, 63, 53, 54, 72, 73, 1873-80.

From Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, 1892-96

"KILMONIVAIG, (or Kilmanwaig), a parish in the county of Inverness, Scotland. It contains the post-office station of Invergarry, and is 9 miles N.E. of Fort William, its post town. It contains 15 miles of the Great Glen of Scotland, along Loch Lochy. Its length from S. to N. is about 60 miles, and its greatest breadth 20 miles. It comprises the district of Glengarry and part of the district of Loch Aber. It is in the presbytery of Abertarff and synod of Glenelg. The minister's stipend is £289. The parish church is a modern structure, situated at the mouth of Glenspear. There is likewise a mission church of the Royal Bounty, two Free Church preaching stations, and a Roman Catholic place of worship. There are several schools. This place was termed, in 1745, the "cradle of the rebellion,' from its having taken so prominent a part in the events of that period. Salmon fishing is carried on here, and communication is maintained by means of the Great Glen road and the Caledonian canal."

Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)

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Presbyterian / Unitarian
Kilmonivaig, Church of Scotland
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