Lunnin

To the unwary student, the name of this parish can be a source of considerable confusion. The old name, which we choose to continue to use throughout our work, was Lunnin (Lunnyn) and it is regularly found as such in the written record. However, in 'modern' times it inherited the name Moymore or simply Moy. But of course there is, in Elgin Deanery, another parish called Moy. The confusion is added to because both parishes were associated with prebends of the cathedral in Elgin in the medieval period.

The lands and parish of Lunnin came into the possession of the MacIntosh 'family' in 1163 when Shaw MacDuff, later known as MacIntosh, received the lands of Petty, Breackley (Brachelie), and the Forest of Strathdearn from King Malcolm IV as a reward for helping the king suppress 'the men of Moray' who had been in rebellion. He was also made Constable of Inverness Castle, an appointment which continued in the family for generations. The church of Petty is still, to this day, the ancestral burial place of the Chiefs of MacIntosh. This Shaw, or Sheagh, was the second son of Donnchadh (Duncan) McDuff, the second of that name, and earl of Fife, who, as a consequence, was also known as Mhic an Tòisich ('son of the Thane or Chief') hence MacIntosh. In 1179 he was succeeded by his son who was also called Shaw.

1226 Bishop Andrew de Moravia, as ordinary, created the prebend of Croy & Lunyn in the cathedral chapter. This prebend, which comprised the garbal teinds of both churches, was to be assigned in perpetuity to the Bishop's Vicar in the cathedral.¹

1226 (9 Oct) Walter de Pettyn (Moravia) declared that the lands of Lunnin had been in the hands of his family for at least 80 years and that they held them of the Bishop of Moray. The bishop, Andrew de Moravia (1222-42), agreed that Walter should continue to hold the lands of Lunnin (and Duldavie) in feu and heritage, in return for a yearly payment of 20 shillings.²

1336 In this year, William MacIntosh, 7th Chief of MacIntosh and 8th of Clan Chattan, is said to have received the Barony of Moy from John Pilmore, bishop of Moray (1326-1362), on lease.³ The Barony of Moymore was an ancient possession of the bishops of Moray and formed part of the episcopal Regality of Spynie when it was created.

Moy Castle, on an island in Loch Moy {NGR: NH 776342} , was the original caput of the barony but only slight remains of it are left to be seen. Nearby, at the northern end of the loch, is Moy Hall, a building erected after World War II to be a more comfortable home for the Chiefs of MacKintosh.

It is believed that the old church of Lunnin stood where the present church is situated, on land which for many generations has been known as Moybeg. A little distance south of the church is a small river known as Caochan na h-Eaglais ('Streamlet of the Church'). Although the church of Lunnin was united with that of Dalarossie before the Reformation (c.1500), because of the considerable distance between them and the terrible winters that they could experience, it was decided to keep both churches open.

The building shown in the photograph above, "was built in 1765 probably on the site of a pre-Reformation structure."⁴ In a survey of the church's fabric carried out in 1993 the surveyors advised that, "the rafters of the church are very old and probably date to 1680-1700, pre-dating the present church which was built in 1765. The timber is adzed and each rafter is numbered in Roman numerals."⁵ It would appear that the rafters were re-cycled after the previous structure had been demolished. A new manse was also constructed for the minister at the same time that the church was rebuilt in 1765.

Alasdair Ross made an astute observation that,

This observation may indeed point us in the right direction - a Beóán of Mortlach is noted as the first bishop known at the muinntir at Mortlach.⁷ It would not require a massive leap of imagination to place this saint, whose name can be interpreted as "lively one", in or around this district. We should remember that just to the south of Moy lies the important hill track through the Streins and onwards along the River Findhorn into Morayshire. Many an ancient saint may have followed this route, Beóán being just one.