Urquhart
Associated Chapels: (none known).
Parish Church: OS Ref: NGR NH 581585 H.E.S. No: NH55NE 1 Dedication: St Maelrubhe
The Aberdeen Breviary says that a wooden church was built at Urquhart on the spot where St Malrubha was martyred in 721AD and scholars over the ages have added to this that this wooden church was superseded by what became the parish church. However, the Aberdeen Breviary is a famously unreliable source of history! Another tradition has St Maelrubha meeting his end far to the north of Urquhart, in Strath Naver, at a place known still as Teampull where the saint issupposed to have build a cell. His grave beside the river is thought still to be marked by a rough cross-incised stone. Yet another version, from the Irish annals, says that he died peacefully at the venerable age of 80 years at his muinntir at Applecross. His feast day is 27th August, as confirmed by Pope Leo XIII on 5th July 1898.
The ivy-covered gables of the old (post-Reformation) parish church stand intact but the north and south walls are partially destroyed by the insertion of later burial enclosures. It is believed that these remains stand upon those of the very much older church buildings that have existed here. The old bell, which is clearly dated "1630", was restored and is now inside the present Ferintosh parish church. The graveyard is still used.
The parishes of Urquhart and Logie Wester are believed to have been united as early as 1490. In 1498 King James IV. presented Master John Monroo to the vicarage of Logy Vrquhard (Logy and Urquhard) when it should become vacant by the resignation of Sir Dugall Ruresoun.
Considering the geographical location of this church it is very likely that it marked the southern 'terminus' for a ferry operating to Dingwall in medieval times. It would explain what is otherwise a peculiar choice of location for a church. This geographical 'motivator' resulted in the route of the modern Cromarty Bridge (completed in 1979) only 2km east of the old church. On the OS Six-inch 1st Edition, 1843-1882, a ferry is shown running from Alcaig to Dingwall, making a landing at a substantial boat pier a few hundred meters northwards, along the coast, from the old corn and flour mill at Easter Alcaig {NH 564576}. The route of the ferry is shown running north-eastwards from Alcaig making a landing just down the coast from the old Dingwall Harbour {NH 559581}. There would seem, then, to be a tradition of a crossing at or near this point.
A significant proportion of this parish was, for historial reasons, within the civil county of Nairnshire and was known as the Barony of Ferintosh. The church islocated in extreme north of this territory. In 1430 the king confirmed the “lands of Estirkynkelle {Easter Kinkell} and the mill of Alcok {Alkich, Alcaig}, in the county of Ross” to Donald, Thane of Caldore (Cawdor in Nairn-shire) and in 1476 the king extended the thanage, granting it the liberties and privileges of a barony, known as Ferintosh. In the modern historical period, from c.1670, this barony was the property of the family of Forbes of Cullodden. This family and its Barony are famous for being inextricably linked with the oldest (legal and free of duty) whisky distilling business in Scotland!
Four yearly fairs were held at the village of Culbokie.
