Topographical dictionary of Scotland > Volume 2

M O Y
M O Y
with the usual branches, are taught ; the master has a
salary of £25. 13. 5., with the legal accommodations,
and about £10 fees. The remains of several border
forts are still visible, with some ancient cairns.
MOW, county of Roxburgh. — See Morebattle.
MOY, county of Elgin. — See Dyke and Moy.
MOY and DALROSSIE, a parish, partly in the
county of Nairn, but chiefly in the county of Inver-
ness, 12 miles (S. E.) from Inverness ; containing 967
inhabitants, of whom 15 are in that portion within the
county of Nairn. This place comprises the ancient
parishes of Moy and Dalrossie, which appear to have
been united at a distant period not precisely ascertained.
The former of these parishes is supposed to have derived
its name from the Gaelic term Magh, signifying " a mea-
dow or plain," which is its character ; but the name of
the latter is of doubtful origin. By some writers it is
thought to have been derived from the Gaelic Dulfer-
gussie, signifying " the valley of Fergus," of which, how-
ever, there is no corroborative evidence. With great
appearance of probability Moy is thought to have been
originally called Starsach-na-Guel, descriptive in the
Gaelic language of its position at a pass between the
Highland and the Lowland territories. This pass, which
was bordered by high mountains on both sides, was so
narrow that it might be easily defended by a few men
against the largest numbers of assailants, and was con-
sequently of great importance to its Highland proprietor,
who could at any time make predatory incursions into
the Low countries with perfect security, and prevent any
of the clans from proceeding through his territories
without his permission. So sensible, indeed, of their
dependence upon him were the neighbouring chieftains,
that they willingly agreed to pay a certain tax, consist-
ing of a portion of their booty, as often as they passed
through this defile with the spoils they had taken in
their frequent depredations. The lands, in the year
1336, were granted by the Bishop of Moray to William,
the seventh lord Mackintosh, the chief of the clan Chat-
tan, which consisted of sixteen different tribes, each
having its own leader, but all united under the govern-
ment of the chieftain, of whose baronial residence, on
an island in Loch Moy, there are yet considerable re-
mains. Deadly feuds often arose between these rival
bodies ; and numerous tumuli are still left, which were
raised over the ashes of those slain in conflict. Near
the pass previously noticed was a spacious cavern, to
which the women and children retired with their cattle
during the absence of the clan, and in which they re-
mained in safety under the protection of the very few
men whom it was necessary to leave for the defence of
the pass.
During one of these feuds, the clan Gumming had so
far prevailed over the Mackintoshes as to force them to
retreat for refuge to their stronghold on the island of
Loch Moy ; and damming up the outlet through which
a river issued from the lake, they had raised the waters
to such a height as nearly to inundate the island, and
threaten their destruction. In this emergency, one of
the Mackintoshes constructed a raft, and, furnished with
the necessary apparatus, approached the outlet during
the night, and, perforating the dam, which was of boards,
with numerous large holes, stopped them with plugs
having cords attached to their extremities, and fastened
all these to one common rope. When the whole of the
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preparations were adjusted, pulling this rope, the plugs
were all withdrawn at once ; and the accumulated
waters, rushing with irresistible impetuosity, swept
away the dam, the bank of turf which inclosed the lake,
and the entire forces of the Cummings that had en-
camped behind it. Such, in fact, was the rapidity of
the torrent that it bore down the raft with the bold ad-
venturer who had contrived it, and who, after having
thus effected the deliverance of his clan, perished in the
midst of his enemies. During the rebellion 1745-6, the
Young Pretender, on his approach to Inverness finding
that it was occupied by Lord Loudon, with an army of
2000 of the king's forces, diverted his route to the castle
of Moy, the seat of the chieftain of the clan Mackintosh,
who was at that time serving with his chief vassals
under Loudon at Inverness. On reaching the castle, he
was cordially received by Lady Mackintosh, who, mus-
tering the remainder of the clan, which had been left for
her protection, placed herself at their head, and rode
before them as commander, with pistols at her saddle-
bow, to raise the neighbouring clans for the service of
the prince. Loudon, receiving intelligence of the Pre-
tender's movements, made a sudden march to Moy during
the night, in the hope of taking him by surprise, and
making him his prisoner. At the approach of Loudon's
troops, the few Mackintoshes that remained, dispersing
themselves in different parts of the woods, fired upon
the royal columns as they advanced, and imitating the
war-cries of Lochiel, Keppoch, and other well-known
clans, threw them into the utmost confusion and dismay.
The royal forces, thinking that the whole Highland army
was at hand, and distracted by the darkness of the night,
retreated to Inverness, and in such disorder that the
event, which took place on the 16th of February, 1746,
is still recorded as the " Rout of Moy."
The parish is about thirty miles in length and five
miles in breadth; comprising an area of 150 square
miles, of which fifty are in the district of Moy ; and
containing 96,000 acres, of which 3000 are arable and
in cultivation, 1600 woodland and plantations, and the
remainder hill pasture, moorland, and waste. The sur-
face, generally elevated, is diversified with numerous
hills of various height, and intersected by mountainous
ranges dividing it into glens forming the habitable por-
tions, and watered by rivers along the banks of which
are found the small tracts of arable land. The moun-
tains are not remarkable either for their height or for
an}' peculiarity of feature : the highest has an elevation
of about 2500 feet above the level of the sea, and the
most interesting of the ranges is Monadh-lia, one of the
widest in the country ; it is stocked with deer and
every variety of game, and is marked with many glens,
through the largest of which flows the river Findhorn.
This river has its source among the hills of the range,
issuing from a chasm in a remarkable mass of rock
called the Cloven Stone ; in its course it receives tribu-
tary streams from the various glens it passes, and is
subject to extraordinary degrees of elevation and de-
pression. The swiftness of its current is so great as to
bear away before it large portions of the soil which
interrupt its progress, the stream forming for itself a
straight channel, through which it flows without devia-
tion ; and it rises frequently with such rapidity, that a
boat crossing it at low water is often carried away by
the torrent before it can reach the opposite shore. The