Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 2

INV
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INV
humanity of Montrose, who did every thing in his
power to save the unresisting enemy from the fury
of bis men, who were not disposed to give quarter
to the unfortunate Campbells. Having taken the
castle, Montrose not only treated the officers, who
were from the Lowlands, with kindness, but gave
them their liberty on parole. Among the principal
persons who fell on Argyle's side, were the comman-
der, Campbell of Auchinbreck, Campbell of Lochnell,
the eldest son of Lochnell. and his brother, Colin ;
M'Dougall of Rara and his eldest son ; Major Menzies,
brother to the laird (or Prior as he was called) of
Achattens Parbreck ; and the provost of the church
of Kilmun. The chief prisoners were the lairds of
Parbreck, Silvercraig, Innerea, Lamont, St. M'Don-
ald in Kintyre, the young, laird of Glensaddel, the
goodman of Pynmoir, the son of the captain of Dun-
staffnage, Lieutenant-Colonels Roche and Cockburn,
Captains Stewart, Murray, Hume, and Stirling,
Robert Cleland alias Clydson, and MacDougall, a
preacher. The loss on the side of Montrose was ex-
tremely trifling. The number of wounded is indeed
not stated, but he had only three privates killed.
He sustained, however, a severe loss in Sir Thomas
Ogilvie, son of the Earl of Airly, who died a few
days after the battle of a wound he received in the
thigh. Montrose regretted the death of this stedfast
friend and worthy man with feelings of real sorrow,
and caused his body to be interred in Athole with
due solemnity. Montrose immediately after the
battle sent a messenger to the kintr with a letter,
giving an account of it, at the conclusion of which
he exultingly says to Charles, " Give me leave, after
I have reduced this country, and conquered from Dan
to Beersheba, to say to your Majesty, as David's
general to his master, come thou thyself, lest this
country be called by my name." When the king
received this letter, the royal and parliamentary com-
missioners were sitting at Uxbridge negotiating the
terms of a peace ; but Charles was induced by it to
break off the negotiation, — a circumstance which led
to his ruin.
INVERMAY, the 'Birks' of which are cele-
brated in Scottish song, a beautiful locality on the
banks of the May, in the parish of FokTeviot. See
these articles.
INVERNESS,* a parish in the shire of Inver-
ness ; bounded on the north-east by the Beauly and
the Moray friths; on the east by Petty; on the
south-east and south by Croy and Daviot; on the
south-west by Loch-Ness and the parish of Dores ;
and on the west by Urquhart, Kiltarlity, and Kirk-
hill. Its length from north-east to south-west is 14
* " Inverness was anriently written Inverness. The town
nf Inverness, frniri which the parish has its name, is situated at
the mouth of the river Ness. Inner is Gaelic, and expressive
i»f that situation. The river derives its name from Loch-Ness,
which is its source. Some promontories and headlands in our
riwn and in other northern countries, are called Ness,— as
Buchanness, the Naes of Norway, — Ness quasi nose, from its
prominency. But no promontory is in Lnchness. This led
some curious persons (Lowthorp's Abridg. of the Phil. Trans.
II. 222.) to seek for the origin of the name in the traditions of
old bards. By these traditions they were informed that Nysus,
an Irish hero, liftd settled a colony of his countrymen in Strath-
errick. The era of this event is passed over in silence. Ves-
tiges, however, of his castle and fortress are still to he seen on
the summit of Dun-Deardill, — a rock of high elevation at a
short distance from the lake. The rock had its name from
Dornadilla, the Lady of Nysus. This hero built a baree, and
was the first who sailed the hike : hence Loch-Ness. We re-
lish not the derivation from Nysus, and will hazard a conjec-
ture of our own. The two rivers which have their course
through the countryof Stratherrick, and discharge themselves
into Loch-Ness, are Carrigack and Fechloin. These rivers are
remarkable for high cataracts, particularly Fechloin, In this
river and near the mouth of it, is the Fall of Foyers, a tre-
mendous cataract. Ess, in the Gaelic language, signifies 'a
waterfall' or ' cataract. 1 The lake which is supplied with the
water of this fall, might not unaptly be called Loch-Ness,
lLoch-mi-Ess,J that is, 'the lake of the cataract.' "— Old Sta-
tistical Account.
miles ; and its average breadth 2J. It may be con-
sidered as the north-eastern portion of the Great
glen of Caledonia. The appearance of the country is
diversified, — partly flat, and partly mountainous: see
succeeding article. On the south the surface rises to
an elevation of about 400 feet ; on the north the ac-
clivity is higher and more precipitous. The eleva-
tion of Loch-Ness above sea-level is only 46 feet.
The coast-line is flat, and well-cultivated. The soil
is fertile ; the general character of it is — with some
exceptions — a black loam, rather light and on a gra-
velly bottom. Loch-Ness is partly in this parish :
see that article. The river Ness, which intersects
the parish for 8 miles, will also form the subject of
a separate article. Among the minor streams are
Inches burn, and the burns of Holm, Dochfottr, and
Aberiachan. The most remarkable hill is Tomna-
hurich, near the town, on the west side of the river.
It is a beautiful isolated mount, nearly resembling
a ship with her keel uppermost. It stands on a
base, whose length is 1,984 feet, and breadth 176 ;
its elevation, from the channel of the river, is 250
feet. A little to the west of this hill is another
gravel mount called Tor-a'-Bhean, which rises to the
height of about 300 feet. The elevation of Craig-
Phadric from the sea-level is 435 feet. The number
of arable acres in this parish, when the Old Statistical
Account was written, was supposed to be about
5,000 ; in the New Statistical Account they are
calculated at from 8,000 to 9,000, with about 1,000
improvable. The land-rent of the whole parish was,
in the year 1754, 3,268 bolls and 3 firlots victual,
and £575 7s. llj-d. sterling. The boll at that period
was valued to the tenant at 9 merks Scots, or 10s.
sterling, with customs and services, which were of
little value to the proprietor, but often of distressing
consequences to the tenant. Its present rental is
about £20,000. At the close of last century, lands
let at from 13s. to £2 an acre ; the present rent is
from £1 to £2 10s. per acre. Ground near the town
lets at from £5 to £7.f Population, in 1801, 8,732;
in 1831, 14,324; in 1841, 15,308. Assessed pro-
perty of the parish, in 1815, £14,980; of the burgh,
£13,161. Houses, in 1831, 2,125.
Two military roads pass through the parish ; and
are kept in repair by Government, There are two
bridges over the Ness in this parish. The princi-
pal of them is a beautiful structure of seven ribbed
arches, built in the year 1G85. It is a toll-bridge, by
act of parliament, and makes a good addition to the
revenue of the town. The other was built in 1808,
at an expense of £4,000. A pontage is also levied
at it. About a mile above the town an island in the
Ness has been connected with the opposite banks by
suspension bridges. There were in ancient times
several unimportant rencounters and skirmishes in
this parish. The only memorable battle was that of
f When the Old Statistical Account of this parish was writ,
ten, a ploughman had from £5 to £7 a-year, with 6 bolls, half
oat and half bear meal ; a house, kail-yard, and land for pota-
toes ; his peats carried home, and, in some instances, grass for
scow. " These servants, " it was added, "live comfortably;
their wives are employed in little manufactures for clothing
their own families and for sale, and sometimes in spinning for
the manufactures at Inverness, aivd earn about 2s. a-week."
At present their wages are from £8 to £10 with board. A wo-
man farm. servant's fee was £1 12s. with maintenance iu the
house ; and a herd's wages much the same. Atpresent female-
servants receive from £3 to £1 The wages of house-maids
average £2 per half-year. A mason's wages were from >j. 6d.
to Is. 8d. ; a Wright's from Is. to Is. 4d. ; a tailor's 6d. with
maintenance. Weavers and shoemakers worked by the piece.
The wages of these artisans are now from 2s. to 3s. a-day.
Day-labourers at ditching, digging, and other out.work, bad
from 8d. to Is. ; they have now Is. 6ii. Beef, mutton, and pork,
cost from 2^d. to <td. the pound ; the price is now from 3d. to
5d. per imperial lb. Hens and ducks were sold at6d., 8d.,or
ild. each ; chickens and ducklings, at 3d. ; a goose, Is. 4d. or Is.
6d. ; a turkey, 2s. fid. or 3s. Fowls are uow from Is. fid. to 2s.
a pair ; chickens, half-price; ducks, Is. 4d, to 2s.; geese aud
turkeys from 2s, 6d. to 3s. €d.