Jump to content

Lochaber

Coordinates:57°N5°W/ 57°N 5°W/57; -5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the area in Scotland. For other uses, seeLochaber (disambiguation).

Loch Eil
The viaduct atGlenfinnan
Map of Scotland showing the historic province of Lochaber

Lochaber(/lɒxˈɑːbər/lokh-AH-bər;Scottish Gaelic:Loch Abar) is a name applied to a part of theScottish Highlands.Historically, it was aprovincial lordshipconsisting of the parishes ofKilmallieandKilmonivaig.Lochaber once extended from the Northern shore ofLoch Leven,a district called Nether Lochaber, to beyondSpean BridgeandRoybridge,which area is known as Brae Lochaber orBraigh Loch Abarin Gaelic.[1]For local government purposes, the name was used for one of thelandward districtsofInverness-shirefrom 1930 to 1975, and then for one of thedistrictsof theHighlandregion from 1975 to 1996. Since 1996 theHighland Councilhas had a Lochaberarea committee.

The main town of Lochaber isFort William.Other moderate sized settlements in Lochaber includeMallaig,BallachulishandGlencoe.

Name

[edit]

William Watsonoutlined two schools of thought on this topic. He favoured the idea thatAbarcame from thePictishandWelshfor "river mouth" and thatLoch Abarmeant the confluence of theLochyand theNevisas they flowed intoLoch Linnhe,an Linne Dhubhin Gaelic. He also conceded thatabarmight also come from the Gaeliceabar,meaning "mud" or "swampy place". Thus Lochaber could be the "loch of swamps", a historic water feature that existed on the Blàr Mòr, where the area's High School and Health Centre are situated today.[2]Other experts favour the "swamp" derivation. A Lochaber person is called an Abrach.[3]

History

[edit]
Inverlochy Castle,caputof theprovincial lordshipof Lochaber and site of a possible earlierPictishsettlement

Lochaber is first recorded in theLife of Columbawritten in c.690 byAdomnán,the Abbot ofIona Abbey.[4]Although there are no knownPictish stoneswithin the area,Ardnamurchan Pointis believed to have marked the boundary between the lands ruled by thePictsto the north and east, and those ruled by migratingIrish clansinDál Riatato the south.[5]

Archaeological evidence of earlier structures supports the tradition thatInverlochy Castlewas built on the site of an earlier Pictish settlement, described by the historianHector Boecein 1526 as a "city... much frequented with merchants of France and Spain", but destroyed by theVikings.[6]Lochaber contains no early monastic locations,[7]but the numerous placenames starting with the element"Kil-"or"Cille-"suggest earlyChristiansites dating from the period 600-900, while the placename element"annat"found nearCorpachsuggests the site of an early mother church.[8]Placename evidence also suggests the presence of Viking settlements in theMorvernandBallachulishareas, but nowhere north and east ofFort William.[9]

Lochaber formed part of theProvince of Morayfrom the early 12th century at the latest.[10]It was first recorded as aprovincial lordshipat the end of the 13th century, but a "Steward of Lochaber" is recorded witnessing a charter sealed byWalter Comyn, Lord of Badenochin 1234, suggesting that Lochaber had already been granted as a lordship by that date,[11]and had probably, likeBadenoch,been granted to Comyn byAlexander IIin 1229.[9]

It was therefore one of the seven lordships created within Moray by ca. 1230 that as well as Badenoch includedThe Aird,Glencarnie,Abernethy,Stratha'anandStrathbogie.[12]The lordship was made up of the two parishes ofKilmallieandKilmonivaigand had itscaputatInverlochy Castle.[11]

Lochaber was one of the territories that KingRobert the Brucegave to his friend,Angus Òg Macdonald,Lord of the Isles,who fought by his side during theFirst Scottish War of Independence,including the successfulBattle of Bannockburnin 1314. In turn, Angus Òg gaveArdnamurchanto his younger brother,Iain Sprangach MacDonald(first Chief ofClan MacDonald of Ardnamurchan), and he gave hisillegitimateson,Iain Fraoch MacDonaldthe Chiefdom ofClan MacDonald of Glencoe.In 1376,King Robert IIconfirmedJohn of Islay, Lord of the Islesand son of Angus Òg MacDonald, control ofColonsay,KintyreandKnapdaleand granted Lochaber to John and his new wife Princess Margaret as a part of herdowry.In turn, John of Islay's son,Donald of Islay, Lord of the Isles,gave the province to his brother,Alistair Carragh Macdonald,who became both theLordof Lochaber and the 1stChiefofClan MacDonald of Keppoch.

In theMiddle Ages,Clan Cameronwas the principal and dominantScottish clanin Lochaber. Other important clans included:MacDonald of Keppoch,MacDonell of Glengarry,MacMillanandMacIntosh.To enforceScots Law,the old province of Moray was also divided intoshires(areas administered by asheriff). The western parts of Moray, including the provincial lordships of Lochaber, Badenoch and the Aird were included inInverness-shire,being the area administered by theSheriff of Inverness.Over time the shires were given more administrative functions, whereas the old provinces and provincial lordships gradually lost their functions.[13]

17th to 19th Centuries

[edit]

Some historians argue the late 17th-centuryScottish Highlandswere more peaceful than often suggested, in part because chiefs could be fined for crimes committed by their clansmen. The exception was Lochaber, identified as a refuge for cattle raiders and thieves by government officials, other chiefs and Gaelic poets. Four local clans were consistently named in such accounts: theGlencoeandKeppoch MacDonalds,theMacGregorsand theCamerons.[14]In September 1688, James VII outlawed the Keppoch MacDonalds for attacking his troops at theBattle of Mulroy,shortly before he was deposed by the November 1688Glorious Revolution.[15]

Beginning in 1740, Lochaber was the residence of Fr.Alexander Cameron,anoblemanfromClan CameronandoutlawedRoman Catholic priestof theSociety of Jesus.For five years prior to theUprising of 1745,Fr. Cameron's secret residence was located under the cliff of a big boulder at Brae of Craskie inGlenannich,from which he and two other priests, Frs.Johnand Charles Farquarson, ran a highly successful vicariate in both Lochaber andStrathglassfor the strictly illegal and undergroundCatholic Church in Scotland.[citation needed]

Many local residents took part in theJacobite Rising of 1745,and the reprisals inflicted by government troops after theBattle of Cullodenis still referred to in theHighlands and IslandsasBliadhna nan Creach,or "Year of the Pillaging".[16]Thereafter, the local population was further reduced by theHighland Clearancesand voluntary emigration, including the poetAilean a' Ridse MacDhòmhnaill,who emigrated toNova Scotiain 1816. In 1900,Canadian GaelicpoetAilean a' Ridse MacDhòmhnaillwrote, "They say the best singers andSeanachiesleft Scotland. They left Lochaber for certain. "[17]

Recent history

[edit]

In 2023, Lochaber, with Ben Nevis, was put forwarded as a potential newNational Park,however it was not successful in its bid.[18][19]

Governance

[edit]

There has been no administrative area called Lochaber since 1996, but the Highland Council has acommittee areacalled Lochaber. The committee comprises the councillors representing the two wards ofFort William and ArdnamurchanandCaol and Mallaig,which together cover broadly the same area as the pre-1996 Lochaber District.[20][21]

Administrative history

[edit]

The medieval lordship of Lochaber was never explicitly abolished, but more significant administrative functions were gradually given to other bodies, particularly the Sheriff of Inverness, theCommissioners of Supplyfor Inverness-shire established in 1667,[22]and then the Inverness-shire County Council created in 1890. Lochaber's main town of Fort William was governed as apolice burghwith a town council from 1875.[23]

A local government district called Lochaber was created in 1930, when Scotland's parish councils were abolished. Instead of having parish councils, the landward (outside aburgh) area of each county was divided intolandward districts,each with a district council. The Lochaber district created in 1930 covered the parts of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig which lay outside the burgh of Fort William, plus the three parishes ofArisaigandMoidart,Glenelg,andSmall Isles.[24][25][26]Although the Lochaber district created in 1930 did not include the burgh of Fort William, the district council nevertheless established its offices in the town.[27]

Lochaber
District

History
• Created16 May 1975
• Abolished31 March 1996
• Succeeded byHighland
•HQFort William
Contained within
• RegionHighland Region

Local government in Scotland was reformed again in 1975 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1973,which abolished Scotland's counties,burghsandlandward districtsand replaced them with a two-tier system ofregions and districts.One of the new districts was also called Lochaber, covering the combined area of the former Lochaber district plus the burgh of Fort William from Inverness-shire, plus theArdnamurchandistrict and theBallachulishandKinlochlevenelectoral divisions fromArgyll.The post-1975 Lochaber District Council was a district-level authority, with regional-level functions provided by theHighland Regional Council,based in Inverness.[28]

The boundaries of the district created in 1975 includedGlen Coe,Nether Lochaber,the western part of theRannoch Moor,theRoad to the Isles,Moidart,Ardgour,Morvern,Sunart,Ardnamurchan,and theSmall Isles(Rùm,Eigg,MuckandCanna).

Tweeddale (lighter building behind trees) and Lochaber House (brown building to left of Tweeddale): Lochaber District Council's offices

Throughout the district council's existence from 1975 to 1996 a majority of the seats were held byindependents.[29]The council was initially based at Tweeddale, before moving to the neighbouring Lochaber House in 1979, both being adjoining 1970s office buildings with shops on the ground floor on the High Street in Fort William. Tweeddale subsequently served as the area office for the Highland Regional Council.[30][31][32]

The districts and regions created in 1975 were abolished in 1996, under theLocal Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994and replaced with single-tiercouncil areas.The Highland region became one of the new council areas.[33]

Cultural references

[edit]

TheShakespeareancharacterBanquowas Thane of Lochaber and a kinsman of his friendMacbeth.His home is reputed to have been atTor Castleabove theRiver Lochy,near Seangan.[34]

"Lochaber No More" is a traditional folk song, first compiled in 1760[35]— with additional lyrics penned byAllan Ramsayin the 1720s — but with a melody also known in Ireland (where it may very well have originated) as "Lament for Limerick" or "Limerick's Lamentation". The melody was also popular in England — used in "Amintor's Lamentation for Celia's Unkindness", a broadside ballad from the 19th century. The phrase "Lochaber no more" is borrowed byThe Proclaimersas the start of the bridge in their hit song about the Scottish clearances "Letter From America".

According to legend, aglaistig,a ghostly woman-goat hybrid, once lived in the area.[36]

Columba

[edit]

Lochaber is mentioned byAdomnan of Ionain his biography ofSt Columbaon two occasions. Both stories are related to Columba using his saintly blessing to raise people out of poverty and make them wealthier.[37]

Infrastructure

[edit]

Hospital

[edit]

The main hospital in Lochaber isBelford Hospitalin Fort William.[38]In 2023 exploratory work began to replace the hospital, with construction expected to begin in the Blar Mhor area near Cao in 2025, with an estimated completion date of 2028.[39]In 2024 funding issues resulted in a potential delay for the construction of the new hospital with protests taking place in Fort William.[40][41]

Hydroelectric scheme

[edit]
Penstocks carrying water to the aluminium smelter at Fort William
Main article:Lochaber hydroelectric scheme

The Lochaberhydroelectricscheme is a hydroelectric power generation project constructed in the Lochaber area afterWorld War I.[42]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^Donald B. MacCulloch (1996).Romantic Lochaber Arisaig and Morar.Spean Bridge: Lines Publishing. pp. 1–2, 168.
  2. ^W.J.Watson (1973).The History of the Place Names of Celtic Scotland.Shannon: Irish University Press. pp. 78–79.
  3. ^Iain Taylor (2011).Place Names of Scotland.Edinburgh: Birlinn. p. 110.
  4. ^Martin 2005,p. xix.
  5. ^Martin 2005,p. 12.
  6. ^Miers, Mary (2008)."Inverlochy Castle".Canmore.Historic Environment Scotland.Retrieved1 February2022.
  7. ^Martin 2005,p. 14.
  8. ^Martin 2005,p. 13.
  9. ^abMartin 2005,p. 15.
  10. ^Ross 2011,p. 77.
  11. ^abRoss 2015,p. 98.
  12. ^Ross 2015,p. 93.
  13. ^Shaw, Lachlan (1882).The History of the Province of Moray: Volume 1.London / Glasgow: Hamilton, Adams and Co. / Thomas D. Morison. p. 47.Retrieved21 August2024.
  14. ^MacInnes 1986,pp. 174–176.
  15. ^MacInnes 1986,pp. 193–194.
  16. ^Michael Newton (2001),We're Indians Sure Enough: The Legacy of the Scottish Highlanders in the United States,Saorsa Media. Page 32.
  17. ^Effie Rankin (2004),As a' Braighe/Beyond the Braes: The Gaelic Songs of Allan the Ridge MacDonald,Cape Breton UniversityPress, pg. 49.
  18. ^"Park status suggested for Ben Nevis and Lochaber".BBC News.Retrieved25 July2024.
  19. ^"Mixed reaction as Lochaber National Park bid fails".West Coast Today.Retrieved25 July2024.
  20. ^"Lochaber Committee".The Highland Council.Retrieved27 August2024.
  21. ^"Election Maps".Ordnance Survey.Retrieved27 August2024.
  22. ^Brown, Keith."Act of the convention of estates of the kingdom of Scotland etc. for a new and voluntary offer to his majesty of £72,000 monthly for the space of twelve months, 23 January 1667".Records of the Parliament of Scotland.University of St Andrews.Retrieved25 February2023.
  23. ^Souter, Mary (2020).A Peculiar Diversity: Public Health in Inverness County 1845–1912 (thesis)(PDF).University of the Highlands and Islands. p. 8.Retrieved27 August2024.
  24. ^"No. 14632".The Edinburgh Gazette.7 March 1930. p. 256.
  25. ^"No. 14596".The Edinburgh Gazette.1 November 1929. p. 1305.
  26. ^"Quarter-inch Administrative Areas Maps: Scotland, Sheet 4, 1969".National Library of Scotland.Ordnance Survey.Retrieved27 August2024.
  27. ^"No. 18901".The Edinburgh Gazette.28 July 1970. p. 646.
  28. ^"Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973",legislation.gov.uk,The National Archives,1973 c. 65,retrieved26 August2024
  29. ^"Compositions calculator".The Elections Centre.Retrieved30 November2022.
  30. ^"Shopping complex cracks probed".Aberdeen Press and Journal.26 November 1975. p. 15.Retrieved27 August2024.
  31. ^"Lochaber Council's new home 'baptised'".Aberdeen Press and Journal.5 June 1979. p. 32.Retrieved27 August2024.
  32. ^"No. 23805".The Edinburgh Gazette.23 June 1995. p. 1590.
  33. ^"Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994",legislation.gov.uk,The National Archives,1994 c. 39,retrieved17 April2023
  34. ^Donald B. MacCulloch (1996).Romantic Lochaber Arisaig and Morar.Spean Bridge: Lines Publishing. p. 78.
  35. ^"Lochaber No More - The Traditional Tune Archive".tunearch.org.3 September 2021.
  36. ^Ash, Russell (1973).Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain.Reader's Digest Association Limited. p. 442.ISBN9780340165973.
  37. ^Adomnan of Iona (1995).Life of St Columba.Penguin Books.
  38. ^"Belford Hospital (Fort William)".NHS Highland.Retrieved25 July2024.
  39. ^"Ground investigations begin at proposed site for new hospital".NHS Highland.Retrieved25 July2024.
  40. ^"Further delay to new Lochaber hospital 'depressing'".BBC News.Retrieved25 July2024.
  41. ^"Hundreds protest over delays to new hospital".BBC News.Retrieved25 July2024.
  42. ^Historic Environment Scotland."LOCHABER HYDROELECTRIC SCHEME AND ALUMINIUM SMELTER, LOCH TREIG DAM (LB30029)".

Further reading

[edit]
  • MacInnes, Allan (1986). "Repression and Conciliation: The Highland Dimension 1660–1688".The Scottish Historical Review.65(180): 167–195.JSTOR25530202.
  • Martin, Paula (2005).Lochaber: A Historical Guide.Edinburgh: Birlinn.ISBN1841582417.
  • Ross, Alasdair (2011).The Kings Of Alba: c.1000-c.1130.Edinburgh: John Donald.ISBN9781906566159.
  • Ross, Alasdair (2015).Land Assessment and Lordship in Medieval Northern Scotland.Turnhout: Brepols.ISBN9782503541334.
[edit]
  • Media related toLochaberat Wikimedia Commons

57°N5°W/ 57°N 5°W/57; -5

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lochaber&oldid=1246495183"