Invera'an

In the year 1711, a Commission of the presbytery of Aberlour [of which Invera'an became a part after the Reformation] described the parish of Invraven as consisting "of the countries of Glenlivet and Inveraven, being ten miles in length and having the church placed in a remote corner eight miles distant from several places of the parish, abounding with papists and scandalous persons, as also with some rivers and several rivulets." If, to these main features they had added a few castles and several burial grounds, one large hill and many smaller hills, stone circles and sculptured stones, they would have completed the list of those abiding features around and in the midst of which the drama of the life of the parish was enacted throughout the centuries. Remote from the nation's highways, Inveraven nevertheless did not sink into the obscurity of a parish without a history.^a

The local pronunciation, Invera'an, places an emphasis on the name of the river as though to signify its importance to the parish. Many spellings are to be encountered in older records, including Inveraven, Inveravon and Inverhouen. However spelt and however pronounced, the name of the river can have but one derivation, the old Celtic "aw," signifying "water." But legend would lend distinction to the Avon by tracing its designation to the sorrow of an ancient king." The story, as told in Highland Legends,^b is that Fingal's wife, "Avon of the white hands," was drowned in the river while attempting to ford it. "In bitter anguish of soul, Fingal said, 'Since my wife has there been drowned, this water shall henceforth be called "the water of Fingal,"'" supplanting the ancient Gaelic name, Aun-na-clach-bann, "the river of the white stones."

This dreadful drowning is said to have taken place at the Linn of Aven when the queen had attempted a crossing at one step, but, having failed to obtain a firm footing on the opposite bank, fell backwards and was drowned in the foaming cataract. Her body, it is said, was carried down by the force of the water as far as the ford of Bogluachrach, a distance of about two miles, where it was discovered and buried on a little dell on the bank of the river at {NGR: NJ 16395 09875}. A raised mound, 'uaigh Abhainn more than twelve feet in length, with a stone placed at each end, was pointed out as the grave of the Fingalian Queen. It lies above the river below Cnap Eas Chaorach from which the ford may have taken its name.
Perhaps it would have been better if the unfortunate queen and her entourage had heeded and old rhyme of the district:

Invera'an is, certainly, one of the more ancient settlements in Speyside. At the parish church, there is a collection of no less than four, Class 1, Pictish symbol stones, demonstrating that this was, in those days, a community of some importance. The first three stones are believed to have been taken out of the foundations of the 'old' church, but it was only in 1964 that the fourth stone [Inveraven 4] was found and added to the collection. Only recently, in 2011, the stones were conserved and then placed within what had been the entrance porch of the old church building, providing a superb new display area. (See photograph below.)Although they bear no Christian symbols, they do point to the existence of a population centre which, undoubtedly, would have attracted the attention of the early missionaries. Watson suggests that the existence of two place-names in this parish may preserve the name of Fergnæ, abbot of Iona 605-623AD : Tobair Fheargain and Cnoc Fergan (Cnoc Fheargain), both situated in the dabhach of Inverlochy.¹ There is a well called Fergan's Well on Cnoc Fergan at {NGR: NJ 14083 22980}. To the north east, just over the River Avon, lies the chapel of Kirkmichael {NGR: NJ 144238} which now bears a dedication to the Archangel but which may have born an older dedication, perhaps to Fergnæ. Within its graveyard is a most ancient stone cross.

Sir Robert Sibbald of Kippis, describing Speyside in 1680, said that the people of Strathavon were "more rude than in any other place or Waterside that runneth into Spey."^1b It has been said that in this part of the country, the attitudes and fighting ability of the ancient Pictish tribes was preserved much more strongly than in other parts after the so-called 'merging' of the Northern Picts with the Scottish nation. On the moring of the battle of Glenlivet, 3 October 1594, the Marquess of Huntly addressed his troops and, perhaps, revealed the truth when he exhorted them "to remember their quality as being all well-born gentlemen, professing and owing a more than vulgar courage." Huntly was a stallawart of the Roman Catholic faith and Glenlivet has famously adhered to that same Faith through countless generations.

Dunnet records that the first mention of a Catholic Church of 'St Peter of Strathowen' dates to the 12th-century,² but it is most probably the case that, like many other ancient Scottish churches, the one which stood originally at Invera'an would have been known by the name of some Celtic Saint before it was dedicated to St. Peter. It is possible that the first Christian settlement here was connected to that of St. Drostán at Aberlour. But it should also be remembered that only thirteen miles away is Mortlach and there is no question that there was a significant muinntir of the Early Church there which was associated with St Moluag of Lismore and his followers. It is unlikely that the inhabitants of the lands round Invera'an would have been unaware of the activities of both saints - Drostán and Moluag.

It would appear that the first 'medieval' church was built here between 1108 and 1114, replacing the chapel that would have served the community in ancient times. It is known also that there was a Holy Well (St Peter's Well) close by the church which was once considered an effectual cure for most diseases. There used also to be held on the nearby lands St. Peter's Fair and a piece of croft land called Peterfair is marked on the old Ordnance Survey maps at {NGR: NJ 19349 37261}.⁸ Presumably the fair was held at Petertide on or near St. Peter's Day (29th June). In later times, the fair was moved from this site to one at Dalnashaugh {NGR: NJ 18366 35539}. It is said that three other fairs were also held in the parish - in honour of Our Lady, St Machald[us], and St Stephen.^8b

Within the parish, that part known as Glenlivet was one of the ancient homes of the Roman Catholic religion. "It is one of those districts, far removed from the main stream of current movements, which was not immediately affected by the Reformation."^8c However, this did create tensions within the parish in that many of the lands of Glenlivet were held by the notoriously catholic family of the Gordon family of Huntly, whilst those areas closer to the Spey, that were firmly of the Protestant persuasion, were under the superiority of the Lairds of Grant who were not ever inclined to eschew the 'new' religion. This was exacerbated when the Lairds of Ballindalloch, who held the northern part of Glenlivet [Morange], determined to adopt the reformed religion. 

It is often asked why the church of Invera'an is situated so far from the main road. But the present main road is a new construction, running for the most part where there was once only barren moorland. The main thoroughfare of older times, and for many centuries, ran from the point where it joined the road from Aberlour below the Drum of Carron {NGR: NJ 21794 39068} , until it ran across the moor at Lochinoir on its way to the Boat of Cromdale.

As a consequence of the substantial area covered by the parish of Invera'an, burial-places were numerous. Apart from the one at the parish church (Kirkton of Invera'an), there were others at Chapleton, Haugh of Kilmaichlie, Lagmore (at Bridge End), and possibly also at Bhuternich, and at Downan. Dr Dunnet recorded that "some years ago, when the grave-digger was digging a grave" at the parish church, "he came upon the clay floor, six inches deep, of the old school."^8d

At some date c.1206x1215AD the church of Invera'an was gifted to the Bishop of Moray by Malcolm, earl of Fife.^9. Shaw stated that it had been erected into a prebend by Bishop Bricius de Douglas, at the same time that he had settled a constitution for the cathedral that he had founded at Spynie between 1208-1214AD¹⁰ and this is confirmed in charters where it is spoken of as "the Church of St Peter of Strathouen with its chapels and 1 dabhach of land." In 1226AD the chapter of Moray was re-organised by Andrew de Moravia when he moved his cathedral from Spynie to Elgin, and from this time Invera'an formed part of the prebend of the Chancellor of the diocese¹¹ (along with the parish church of Urquhart beside Loch Ness). It may surprise some readers to learn that, as late as 1624AD, the then minister of Invera'an was still drawing the revenues of the Chancellery - a not inconsiderable 'income' - but in that year the Synod obliged him to demit them!¹²

There are some records which give us an idea of the pre-1809 church. The Old Statistical Account, dated 1794, tells us that there was an aisle, which at one time was joined to the church but was afterwards disjoined from it and [was] at that date in ruins, but it is said that it had contained an inscription in stone above the door, dated 1586. This church was a plain structure "built in accordance with the anti-Catholic bias of the age." It was originally, like so many others, thatched with heather and lit with small windows. In 1633 the traditional thatch gave way to slate and, in 1637, as well as building a suitable pulpit, a gallery was erected at the west end in order to provide a prison and also a resting place for the stool of repentance.

The present church was built in 1809, but the building was so environed by a burn on one side [the Burn of Slack] and the River Spey on the other, that it threatened to yield to the fate that had been predicted - that "the Kirk of Inveravon would gang doon the Spey fu' o' folk."^12b Mr Dunnett records that the south wall of the 'new' church was what had been the north wall of the previous one, which, if true, might imply that the old church was used right up until the new one was completed. Beneath the somewhat elevated site of the church itself lies the Island of Pitchaish which was, the Ordnance Survey warns, "liable to flooding"! Directly opposite, on the western bank of the Spey, lies Pit-chroy, and the close proximity of these two placenames suggests that they are worthy of further study by prospographers (placename specialists).¹³ There is also a stone circle on the Pit-chroy lands at {NGR: NJ 17820 38219}, only some 782m. north-west across the Spey from the Invera'an church site.

Also, and at only a short distance - some 400m. east - from the church, lie the lands and farm now called Wester and Easter Ballehiglash. In older times this was surely Baile na h-Eaglaise (the farmstead/township of the church). 

Lest we imagine that the 'pagan' world is only a distant memory, perhaps we should consider the following extract taken from the

It would appear that certain 'customs' took a long time to die out in the remoter parts of the country and one can imagine the glee with which the younger members of the parish would have raced around with their blazing branches, thumbing their noses at the Kirk Session!