Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 3

GLENLIVET
5J miles west-north-westward to the head of salt water
Loch Duich. It takes down the clear-flowing (^roe, and is
flanked on the left hand bj' Benmore (3505 feet), on the
right by Ben Attow {33S3).—Ord. Sur., sh. 72, 1880.
Glenlivet (Gael. gleann-Uobh-aite, ' valley of the
smooth place'), the southern portion of Inveraven
parish, S Banffshire, consisting of the basin of Livet
Water, a stream that is formed by the confluence of Suie
and Kymah Burns, both rising at an altitude of 2300
feet above sea-level, and winding — the former 3§ miles
southward, and the latter 5J miles north-by-westward.
From the point of their union (1100 feet), the Livet
itself flows 8| miles west-north-westward and north-
north-westward, till it falls into the Aven at Drumin
(700 feet), 5 miles S of Ballindalloch station. Its prin-
cipal affluents are Ckombie Water on the left, and the
Burn of Teevie on the right ; its waters contain abund-
ance of trout, with occasional salmon and grilse ; and
its basin is rimmed by lines of mountain watershed,
whose principal summits are Ben Rinnes (2755 feet),
Corryhabbie (2563), Carn Mor (2636), Cam Dulack
(2156), and Carn Daimh (1795). Glenlivet post office,
with money order, savings' bank, and telegraph depart-
ments, stands 5J miles S by E of Ballindalloch ; and
there are also a branch of the North of Scotland Bank,
Glenlivet quoad sacra church, and the famous Glenlivet
distillery of Messrs G. & J. G. Smith. At the close of
last and the beginning of the present century, whisky of
exquisite flavour was made in full}' 200 illicit stills, or on
almost every burn among the hills. The Distillery Act
of 1824 changed all this ; and Glenlivet's smuggling
bothies gave place to five legal distilleries — a number
now reduced to only one. Fairs fall on the daj' before the
third Thursday of May, and before the fourth Thursday
of October, April, and the six intervening months. An
ancient barony, Glenlivet belongs now to the Duke of
Richmond and Gordon, and gives the title of Baron in the
peerage of Scotland to the Marquis of Huntly. The quoad
sacra parish is in the presbytery of Aberlour and synod of
Moray ; the minister's stipend is £120. Glenlivet stiU
is largely Catholic, there being two churches at Chapel-
TO^VN and Tosieae ; whilst five schools — Glenlivet
public, Achnarrow and Crossness female, and Chapel-
town and Tombae Catholic — with respective accommo-
dation for lOi, 41, 69, 195, and 144 children, had (1881)
an average attendance of 32, 19, 40, 38, and 22, and
grants of £24, 18s., £31, 5s. 6d., £48, 15s., £28, 2s.,
and £13, Ss. Pop. (1871) 1718, (1881) 1616.
' A spot near the right bank of Alltaooileachan Bm'n,
4 miltes E by N of the post office, was the battle-field
where, on 4 Oct. 1594, the loyal Protestant army under
the Earl of Argyll was defeated by the insurgent Roman
Catholic army under the Earl of Huntl}'. Argyll dis-
posed his army on the declivitj' of a hill, in two parallel
divisions. The right wing, consisting of Macleans and
Mackintoshes, was commanded by Sir Lachlan Maclean
and The Mackintosh ; the left, of Grants, Macneills, and
Macgregors, by Grant of Gartenheg ; and the centre, of
Campbells, etc., by Campbell of Auchinbreck. This
vanguard consisted of 4000 men, one-half of whom car-
ried muskets. The rear of the army, 6000 strong, Argyll
commanded in person. The Earl of Huntly 's vanguard
was composed of 300 gentlemen, led by the Earl of Errol,
Sir Patrick Gordon of Auchindoun, the lairds of Gight
and Bonnitoun, and Captain, afterwards Sir, Thomas
Carr. The Earl himself brought up the rest of his forces,
having the laird of Clunie upon his right hand and the
laird of Abergeldie upon his left. Six pieces of field-
ordnance under the direction of Captain Andrew Gray,
afterwards colonel of the English and Soots who served
in Bohemia, were placed in front of the vanguard.
Argyll's position on the slope of the hill gave him an
advantage over his assailants, who, from the nature of
their force, were greatly hampered by the mossiness of
the ground at the foot of the hill, which was interspersed
by pits from which turf had been dug. But, not\rith-
standing these obstacles, Huntly advanced up the hill
with a slow and steady pace. It had been arranged
between him and Campbell of Lochnell, who had pro-
GLENLOCHY
mised to go over to Huntly as soon as the battle com-
menced, that, before charging Argyll with his cavalry,
Huntly should bring his artillery to bear on the yellow
standard. Campbell bore a mortal enmity to Argj'll,
who had murdered his brother, Campbell of Calder, in
1592 ; and as he was nearest heir to the Earl, he pro-
bably had directed this firing at the yellow standard in
the hope of cutting him ofl'. Campbell himself, how-
ever, was shot dead at the first fire of the cannon, and
on his fall all his men fled from the field. Macneill of
Barra was also slain at the same time. The Highlanders,
who had never before seen field -pieces, were thrown into
disorder b}' the cannonade, which being perceived by
Huntly, he charged the enemy, and rushing in among
them with his horsemen increased the confusion. The
Earl of Errol was directed to attack Argj'll's right wing ;
but as it occupied a very steep part of the hill, and as
Errol was gi'catly annoyed by volleys of .shot from above,
he was forced to make a detour, leaving the enemy on
his left. Gordon of Auchindoun, disdaining so prudent
a course, galloped up the hill with a small party of his
own followers, and cliarged Maclean with great im-
petuosity — a rashness that cost him his life. The fall
of Auchindoun so exasperated his followers that they
set no bounds to their fury ; but Maclean received their
repeated assaults with iu-mnoss, and manceuvred his
troops so well as to succeed in cutting ofi' the Earl of
Errol and placing him between his own body and that
of Argyll, by whose joint forces he was completely sur-
rounded. At this important crisis, when chance of
retreat there was none, and when Errol and his men
were in danger of being cut to pieces, the Earl of Huntly
came up to his assistance and relieved him from his
perilous position. The battle was now renewed, and
continued for two hours, during which both parties
fought -with great bravery, ' the one, ' says Sir Robert
Gordon, 'for glorie, the other for necessitie. ' In the
heat of the action the Earl of Huntlj' had a horse shot
under him, and was in imminent danger of his life ; but
another horse was straightway got for him. After a
hard contest the main body of Argyll's army began to
give way, and retreated towards the Burn of AUta-
coileachan ; but Maclean still kept the field, and con-
tinued to support the falling fortune of the day. At
length, finding the contest hopeless, and after losing
manj' of his men, he retired in good order with the
small company that still remained about him. Huntly
pursued the retiring foe beyond the burn, when he was
hindered from following them farther by the steepness
of the hills, so unfavourable to the operations of cavalry.
His success was mainly due to the treacliery of Lochnell
and of John Grant of Gartenbeg, one of Huntly 's own
vassals, who, in terms of a concerted plan, retreated
with his men as soon as the action began, whereby the
centre and left wing of Argyll's army were completely
broken. On Argyll's side 500 men were killed, includ-
ing Macneill of Barra and the Earl's two cousins, Loch-
nell and Auchinbreck. The Earl of Huntly's loss was
trifling — fourteen gentlemen were slain, among them
Sir Patrick Gordon of Auchindoun and the laird of
Gight ; whilst the Earl of Errol and a considerable
number of persons were wounded. At the conclusion
of the battle the conc|uerors returned thanks to God on
the field for the victory they had achieved. This battle
is commonly known as the battle of Glenlivet, but in
its own neighbourhood it is called the battle of AUta-
coileachan. — Ord. Sur., shs. 75, 86, 1876.
Glenlochar. See Balmaghie and Ceossmiohael.
Glenlochy, a beautiful glen in Breadalbane district, W
Perthshire, traversed by the river Loohy, which, rising
at an altitude of 2050 feet, curves 174 miles east-north-
eastward till, near Killin village, it falls in the Dochakt,
i mile above the influx of the latter to Loch Tay. On
the S Glenlochy is flanked by Meall Chuirn (3007 feet),
and lesser mountains separating it from StrathfiDau and
Glendochart, on the N by another lofty range cul-
minating towards the foot in MeaU Gliaordie (3407) ;
and it contains, 2j miles NW of Killin, a series of six
cataracts in two groups, with a deep round pool between.
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