Boleskine

In historical charters Boleskine can be found referred to as - Bulleskyn, Stratherik or Strathfarigack. Somewhat amusingly, and certainly erroneously, Fawcett and Oram position Boleskine, "on the east side of Loch Lomond."¹ However, the site which most observers associate with Boleskine church is that near Boleskine House {NGR NH 508222} which is most definitely on the eastern shore of Loch Ness.

Very little is known about this church but it is of considerable antiquity. It is recorded that the Bishops of Moray were the patrons of the church of Boleskine² and it may be that it was a mensal church. The 'lands' of Boleskine were certainly a part of the episcopal barony of Kilmylies and so, in turn, a part of the Regality of Spynie which, after the Reformation, passed from the crown to Lord Spynie in 1590.³ There is a place-name Spital of Boleskine {NGR NH 514224} which seems to refer to a hill rather than the existence at any time of a 'hospital'.⁴

The only remnant of the church now visible is the graveyard, at the center of which, the church building once stood. It was the traditional burying-place of a number of Fraser families - of Stratherrick, Ericht, Farraline, Balnain, Knockie and Foyers - and, in later times, the patron of the church was the chief of the clan Fraser (Lord Lovat).

During the whole of the pre-Reformation period, Boleskine was a parish in its own right and it was only in 1618 that it was united with Abertarff.

However, there is a difficulty in accepting too easily that the ancient church stood on the shores of the Loch - where did the congregation live? There are very few places nearby where even a meagre croft could have existed let alone sufficient to support a township of any size. And, if there were not many people close by, then why locate the church here? It is tempting to suggest that the church was only moved here to satisfy the needs of the proprietors of Boleskine House. The archives of Historic Environment Scotland state that there are no records of when Boleskine Church was built, only that it was burned down in 1777.⁵ The location of the 'modern' parish church reflects this issue since it is some distance away, beside Loch Mor (Mhor on OS maps) at {NGR NH 507183}. So was the very early church somewhere else also?

Ballaggan: There is an intriguing and very ancient chapel site at Ballagan {NGR NH 539251} which is traditionally known as the Chapel of Moluag (also Croit Moluag or Priestfield). This points to a foundation of the Early Church. In more recent times, there is known to have been a township here, as also at nearby Balchuirn, which, along with the vitrified forts at Dun Ghairdeil and Castle Kitchie, shows that the area was reasonably well-populated from the Early Bronze and Pictish Ages through to the medieval period. If the chapel and its dedication are reliable (and we have no reason to believe that they are not) then this must have been one of the earliest churches in the area and that long before 'parishes' were introduced into Scotland.