in the Highlands subsequent to the sixteenth century, and concludes the work with a most interesting account of three townships in the Outer Hebrides, compiled by Mr Alexander Carmichael, officer of Inland Revenue at Lochmaddy, whose knowledge of Highland history and antiquities is well known. This account is of the deepest interest, and it probably gives a glimpse of the social condition of our ancestors as it existed a thousand years ago.

We have now accomplished, however imperfectly, the object we set before us at the commencement of this paper. We are conscious that we have passed over many matters of the deepest interest, and we can only hope that we have given an intelligible account of some of the conclusions which may be drawn from the learned work with which we have been dealing. To all who wish really to study the subject, we must commend the volume itself, premising that it is not a book to be lightly taken in hand, but one to be studied with care and labour. It is a nut with a hard shell, but the kernel is worth the labour of cracking it.

A NEW GAELIC SOCIETY IN DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND.

0

WE cut the following advertisement from the Dunedin Herald of 12th January:

"An la a chi's nach fhaic."-Two hundred and forty gentlemen have intimated their intention of becoming members of a Literary Gaelic Society in Dunedin, which will be conducted upon similar principles to those of the Gaelic Society of Inverness. Gentlemen desirous of becoming members (and only those who speak the Gaelic language) are requested to send their names and addresses to Mr John Maccallum Jamieson, City Treasurer, Town Hall, Dunedin; or to Mr Donald Macgregor, Lochaber Cottage, London Street, Dunedin.

We are delighted to see such a prominent part taken in this patriotic movement by an old friend, Mr Donald Macgregor, long a prominent member of the Gaelic Society of London, and one of the ablest and most enthusiastic of that noble band who had for so many years, under such serious difficulties, kept the Celtic lamp burning so brightly in the British Metropolis. Mr Macgregor is not unknown to the readers of the Celtic Magazine; and we shall be much mistaken if his ability, eloquence, and enthusiasm do not secure for him the best position among the Highlanders of New Zealand. In 1867, when Mr Colin Chisholm was elected President of the Gaelic Society of London, Mr Macgregor became Vice-President, and his speech on that occasion, quoted at p. 357, vol. ii., of the Celtic Magazine, in the advocacy of Celtic literature and the establishment of a Professorship of Celtic in the University of Edinburgh, was one of the best as well as one of the earliest in favour of that now virtually accomplished fact. We are glad to see our old friend again engaged in the good cause, and have much pleasure in extending to him, and, through him, to all the members of the Gaelic Society of Dunedin, the right hand of fellowship, and wishing him and them every possible sucBuaidh agus piseach ort a' Dhomh'uill choir.

cess.

KINMYLIES: ITS OWNERS AND TITLES-1232-1780.

By CHARLES FRASER-MACKINTOSH, M.P., F.S.A. Scot.

II.

AFTER the sale to Kinneries, the lands of Kinmylies were broken up, and before continuing the observations, which were intended to concern Kinmylies proper rather than the other portions, some account of the other two chief properties will be given.

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Muirtown was sold to Thomas Scheviz, by Simon, Master of Lovat, with consent of his father, Hugh, ninth Lord Lovat, and James Fraser, his brother, probably in 1637, as Scheviz was infeft 17th May 1638. This Thomas Scheviz was succeeded by his son, also Thomas Scheviz, whose signature as younger of Muirtown" we find witness in a deed dated in 1652. This Thomas Scheviz the second is probably the same person found as proprietor in 1691. In 1744 is found Robert Scheviz, who gave such damaging evidence in the trial of Simon, Lord Lovat. Scheviz's character stands out unfavourably, as he retails the import of conversations at Lord Lovat's table from 1733 to 1744. Lord Lovat in his defence says of him—“The only opportunity he had of hearing them (the facts sworn to by Scheviz) was at my table, when he must have starved and perished for cold, unless my money had furnished him with clothes. In evidence of this, I was till very lately possessed of many of his accepted notes for greater sums than I am afraid he is able to pay.' Lord Lovat was very free in his remarks, and the trial is altogether so interesting that it is matter of surprise it has never been published separately. Lord Lovat habitually spoke Gaelic. One of his favourite toasts, after being deprived of his offices was, "Confusion to the White Horse and all their generations," and he very frequently d-d the Reformation, and the Revolution.

Robert Scheviz in 1746-7 was in desperate circumstances, and the estate was soon thereafter seized by creditors, ultimately falling into the possession of the Duffs, offshoots of the family of Drummuir.

Another portion of Kinmylies was acquired by the family of Fairfield, who had the two Ballifearies and lands near the Meikle Green. The Frasers of Fairfield were of the family of Phopachie, and the house erected by the founder is a conspicuous object in Slezer's view of Inverness, published in 1693. The walls of this house, with the red crow steps, were only removed within the last few years. The Fairfield property was gradually dispersed, the last portion being acquired by the late Mackintosh of Raigmore.

Reverting to Kinmylies proper, it would be seen that it and the superiority of Muirtown was acquired by Colonel Hugh Fraser of Kinneries, in 1647.

Though this person bulks largely in the history of the time, it is not clear who his parents were. All that is certain about him is that he was of the family of Culbockie or Guisachan, Mr Hugh C. Fraser, accountant, Inverness, who has made great collections in reference to the Frasers of Lovat, and the various cadets and branches of the family, and to whom the writer is much indebted for the present information regard

ing the family of Kinneries, conjectures that Colonel Hugh Fraser was son of Alexander Fraser of Culbockie, who sold Guisachan in 1590 to his brother Hugh, fourth of Culbockie. But as Alexander's son was alive in 1590, we are inclined to think that Colonel Hugh was the grandson of Alexander. Be this as it may, Colonel Fraser within a very short period made great purchases of land in the north. He purchased Kinneries, Dalcattaig, Kinmylies, and Abriachan. He is doubtless the Major, afterwards Colonel Fraser who fought under Cromwell, and in particular distinguished himself, with his Scots Regiment of Dragoons, at the battle of Marston Moor, 2d July 1644. Many of Cromwell's officers gathered a good deal of wealth in these unhappy times, and it must have been from this source Colonel Fraser was able to make these large purchases, because if the son or grandson of Alexander Fraser, who had to sell Guisachan, he could not have inherited anything.

The Wardlaw Manuscript mentions that the day prior to the battle of Auldearn (3d May 1645) Colonel Fraser embarked with his lady, Christian Baillie, at Inverness, for London, in the largest ship ever built at Inververness, and as his eldest son was in minority in 1665, it would seem that Colonel Fraser had just married. Notwithstanding his Roundhead proclivities, Colonel Fraser took part in the rising at Inverness for Charles the Second, under Mackenzie of Pluscardine, He died shortly after, his son Hugh, second of Kinmylies, being retoured in Kinmylies, at Inverness, 16th April 1650, as heir in special to his father. Upon the 22d May 1666, he is served heir in the lands of Kinneries. His contract of marriage with Barbara, second daughter of Kenneth Mackenzie, sixth of Gairloch, is dated 30th March 1677. Upon the 26th May 1676, he had feued the Mill of Bught to Thomas Scheviz of Muirtown. The estates appear by 1678 to have been greatly encumbered, and Alexander Fraser of Kinneries, apparently a brother of Hugh Fraser, from this period appears as proprietor. He sold all the Kinmylies estate to David Polson and others. The sasine on the disposition to Polson is dated 11th January 1688. The following deeds refer to David Polson's acquisitions :

Sasine in favour of David Polson of the lands of Ballifearies, Balblair, Dallanach, Muirtown, Mill of Bught, &c., dated 11th January 1688.

Charter, William, Bishop of Moray, in favour of David Polson, of said lands, dated 27th July 1688.

The acquisition of a pew in the High Church of Inverness was of old a serious affair, and attended with great formalities. On the 19th November 1689 the Kirk-Session of Inverness confirmed a disposition by Alexander Fraser of Kinneries, in favour of David Polson, residenter in Inverness, to a seat or pew of the two pews heritably belonging to him, the said Alexander Fraser, lying within the New Kirk of Inverness, on the west side thereof, betwixt the second pew disponed to Hugh Baillie, Sheriff-Clerk of Ross, on the north, and John Fraser, merchant in Inverress, on the south parts respective. Kinneries' disposition of the pew to Hugh Baillie is in similar terms, and is described as bounded by the pew disponed to David Polson on the south, and Mr William Robertson of Inshes' seat or pew on the north parts respective,

This Hugh Baillie had some transactions with Kinneries, for a charter of confirmation and novodamus by Colin, Bishop of Moray, in his favour of Easter and Wester Kinmylies is found of date 20th October 1685.

The lands of Kinmylies remained with the family of Polson for two or at most three generations, and were sold about the middle of last century to Mr George Ross, a wealthy merchant in London, in whose time great improvements were made. The estate was subdivided, roads made, a large garden and hedges formed, and a considerable portion planted. On the subject of plantations in the neighbourhood of Inverness some particulars may be interesting, and it is also of importance that they be recorded while the facts are known. The first to begin planting was President Forbes, but little was done for thirty years after the battle of Culloden. One of the first was George Ross, as appears by the advertisement after quoted, showing that in 1784 there were on Kinmylies "several hundred acres of well grown planting." When the Islands in the Ness were first planted cannot be precisely ascertained. But we find in Peter May's plan, formerly referred to, dated June 1765, the following marginal reference :-"The true extent and local situation of the island is accurately laid down as it stands at present covered with large trees and underwood." We also know that the framers of the Statistical Account of 1791 write of the Islands as having been planted thirty years before, and from this it may be deduced that the trees referred to by Peter May must have been cut soon after 1765, and that as he describes them then as large trees, they would have been planted perhaps as early as the usurpation, if not actually by Cromwell's soldiers. From May's map there does not appear to have been a tree on Torvean, Bught, Altnaskiach, or Drummond in 1765.

Lieutenant Alexander Godsman, Doer for the Duke of Gordon over the castle lands, writes to the unfortunate Colonel William Baillie of Dunain (who died at Seringapatam), under date Dochfour, 23d September 1775 (doquetted, "received the 1st May 1776, at Madras ")"We have got the craig to the northward of the House of Dunain enclosed, and mean to have it planted directly with firs; and as some few places will be fit to receive ash, beech, birch, elm, or any other kind of wood, we are to plant them accordingly where it is thought they will grow. The enclosure is a dyke and ditch very well execute, and measures 31841 Scotch ells, at 3d per ell, which amounts to £39 16s 0ąd. There is besides a little bit of enclosure round Tomaluack, which is not yet finished. I imagine what ground is comprehended in the enclosure of the craig will be considerably above 100 Scots acres. The acre generally plants about 5000 firs, Planting and the price of plants will be about two shillings the thousand, so that the expense of planting a hundred acres with firs would be about £50, besides any utensils that may be necessary. I fancy the expense of this job will be about 100 guineas or something above it, but this is only my conjecture at present. When this planting is grown up it will be a most beautiful ornament to the place, as well as very useful."

One of the elms referred to by Godsman still remains, situated near the garden, and is one of the largest and shapeliest in the north. When Colonel John Baillie (brother of Colonel William) returned to Dunain he completed the planting of the wester hill of Dunain, and many readers will recollect with regret the disappearance of the bonnet on Craig-an-Eoin, which was a part of the original planting of 1776.

Godsman in the same letter says-"The spirit of planting has seized the neighbouring gentlemen to a high degree." And with reference to

Alexander Baillie of Dochfour, who had just then acquired the feu right to that estate, adds-" He (Mr Baillie) proposes to build a fine house and offices on the lands of Dochcairn, preferring a situation there to Dochfour, and proposes laying out £3000 or £4000 in the improvement of them both jointly. He is just now enclosing the hill above Dochcairn and Dochfour, and is to have it planted this month, or I should have said this autumn.' The only natural fir woods we know of near Inverness were those of Borlum. These are found referred to in description "the fir woods of Borlum " as early as 1651. It is pleasant to record that the hill of Borlum, unfortunately bared some years since by Lord Saltoun, has been planted by the present owner.

The affairs of Mr Ross having got into confusion, Kinmylies was sold to Mr Alexander Baillie of Dochfour. The state of the property in 1784 is fully seen by the following advertisement, taken from the Caledonian Mercury newspaper of 30th August 1784:

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Farm near Inverness.-To be let on lease, for such number of years as may be agreeable to the tenant, and entered upon at the term of Whitsunday next, the lands of Kinmylies, in the parish and county of Inverness, consisting of 502 acres of arable land, and several hundred acres of well grown planting. One half of the arable land is enclosed and subdivided, and the proprietor will enclose and subdivide the other half, or make a proper allowance to the tacksman for doing it. These lands have a fine southern enclosure, and come close to the west suburb of the town of Inverness. The whole of them lie within a mile of the town, which makes the carriage of dung and other manure very easy to the tacksman; and as the planting is well grown and forms a ring round the farm, it not only affords considerable shelter, but will enable the tacksman to winter a number of cattle. There is a convenient farmhouse and offices answerable. Proposals for a lease may be given to Major Fraser of Belladrum, or Alex. Baillie, Esq. of Dochfour, near Inverness; to Lachlan Duff, Writer to the Signet, Edinburgh; or to Robert Webster, at Fowlis, near Dundee, and every offer will be kept secret, that is not accepted of."

About 1812 the extensive woods of Kinmylies having come to maturity were cut down; and the late Mr Evan Baillie of Dochfour writing to the late Mr Fraser, Dochnalurg, wishes him to encourage the reclamation of the Leachkin, and to offer facilities to crofters to settle. This was carried out, and the whole of the upper part of Kinmylies was lotted out and reclaimed by a numerous and hardy race. The intention to throw the whole into one farm some years ago, if ever seriously contemplated, has been happily abandoned.

Before closing this paper, some reference may be made to the stone of Clachnahalig, the upper boundary of the Four Coble Fishings. In May's map it is pointed out, and the following reference made :-" Up the river and on the north or left side thereof, but towards the lower end of the plan, is 4 stones standing near one another, at the placed marked 1, 2, 3, 4, the eastmost of which was said to be the stone called Clachnahielet or Clachnagaick, and was also said to be the bounding of the salmond fishings at the upper end." The same plan indicates that Bught is the low land lying behind the mill lead and tail race, and the river. What is now known as Bught proper, is termed "arable lands of the Bught, called Keill-a-vean, belonging to Clerk Fraser."