DUTHIL: PAST AND PRESENT.
By THE REV. DONALD MACLEAN,
MINISTER OF FREE ST. COLUMBA CHURCH, EDINBURGH

Part I

PREFATORY NOTE.

[v] Mr Maclean's book needs no commendation from me ; but as I am deeply interested in the Parish of Duthil, I gladly associate myself with him in this very interesting and valuable work on the religious history of a district with which he is intimately acquainted.

It is remarkable how soon and how largely a given type of preaching and of piety may disappear in the religious history of a nation. Let the last sixty years of the religious life of Scotland be taken as an illustration. Let the vast difference be noted. In such revolutionary times and circumstances the very essentials as well as the practice of a genuine and experimental Christian life are in danger of disappearing, and of being replaced by a lifeless formality. Hence the great importance to the religious life of our country at this critical time, not only of full and faithful Gospel preaching, but also of being conversant with, and having our religious life saturated with the knowledge, practice, and experience of the times during which religion was clothed in her fairest garments. Our youth should know [vi] well, and learn from, the past religious life of our country. That was a good practice under the old dispensation.

"We have heard with our ears, O God, and our fathers have told us,
what work Thou didst in their days, in the times of old."

As we look back to learn from the past religious history of the Highlands, we do not find absolute perfection to copy. That has not been given to the Church at any time in her history. But we find glimpses of the finest picture that can be seen on earth—true religion in a flourishing condition, and the people sitting under the vine and fig-tree enjoying its privileges. We find on earth the counterpart, in a spiritual sense, of that which may be seen in the heavens on a clear night—multitudes of stars, some of them specially brilliant and " differing from others in glory" ; men and women who were illustrious examples of the Christian life, men and women deep in Christian experience, and entitled in many instances to be called saints. We find the law preached in fruitful faithfulness by such men as Dr Angus Mackintosh, Dr Macdonald, Peter Macbride, and Peter Maclean. We find the Gospel preached in glorious fulness from Columba downwards, and embracing latterly such men [vii] as the Kennedys, Cooks, John Macrae, Macleod, Rogart, Alexander Maccoll, and very many besides. We find great communion seasons and open-air preaching in true succession to the sermon on the mount. We find the most blessed and fruitful institution of catechising, a most helpful handmaid to successful preaching. And what prayer meetings and what prayers ! We find the Sabbath kept holy and, with its fruitful and joyful service, a type of heaven. We find well-ordered homes in which religion flourished and in which the young were trained in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We find the Word of God honoured and studied in our schools, and that same Word, and our God-honoured and time-honoured Shorter Catechism, powerful in moulding the character of the youth of our land.

We find in the past history of the Highlands a great deal of all that blessedness, and we thank God for it. But it was not Paradise. Sin and the serpent were still here. The Christian life in all its depth, experiences, and realities was beautifully exemplified. But the accuser of the brethren had permission to be there, and the occurrences, which should be to us warnings against the temptations, snares, [viii] and stumbling blocks by which some of the true children of God, real " brethren in the Lord," were made to envy one another, to speak evil of one another, and to sinfully separate and set themselves in opposition to one another.

The full religious history of the Highlands has yet to be written. It is matter of great regret that Dr Aird did not accomplish that task. Mr Noble was called away when he was at the beginning of it. There are a few very competent men among our younger ministers—Mr Maclean one of them, and at least one Highland Established Church minister —who are competent for this work ; and we hope that, singly or combined, they will glean sheaves in this fruitful field. Meanwhile, this further instalment from the pen of Mr Maclean is cordially recommended to all interested in living religion and in the Highlands ; and it is especially recommended to the study of the young, that they may be stimulated to share in the saving, simple, yet deep and scriptural piety of their godly forefathers, zealous to " buy the truth" and faithful to all its interests.

K. MACLEOD.
DORNOCH, February, 1910.

Introduction

[1] What is known as the parish of Duthil lies largely within the loop formed by the branches of the Highland Railway which pass through Carr-Bridge and Boat-of-Garten. It stretches within that loop from Aviemore to Slochd-muic.

In approaching the parish from the south, Deisir lies on one's right and Duthil on the left. To move sunwise is deiseil and left hand wise is tuaihal. This is a common Gaelic combination of terms, and here, perhaps, is a ¦clue to the etymology of the two divisions of the parish. The exchange of letters could be accounted for according to a well-known usage in Gaelic phonetics.

Chapter I:THE REMOTE PAST.

[2] The parish is situated in the very heart of Pictland. The Picts For a fuller account see Religion a Life in Rots, p.. 1, and onward. were a race of people differing socially, though not, perhaps, linguistically, from the Celts. Their language was more akin to the Welsh branch of the Celtic family than the Gaelic branch. They continued possessors of the soil till after 600 a.d. After that date, the Gaels from the west poured over the country in the wake of their kinsmen, the Celtic missionaries from Iona. By conquest or intermingling, the Gaels gradually became the predominating people. The Picts, however, ' left behind them traces of their existence in burial grounds and place-names. About two miles from Aviemore Station, and on the Carr-Bridge side of it, is a complete stone circle. A less complete one lies nearer the station. These circles were probably erected over 2000 years ago. They belong to the bronze age, which lasted in Britain from 1200 B.C. till 200 B.C.. Arguing from analogy, it is probable that they might have been set up in the earlier part of the iron age, which began 200 B.C. These stones, so hoary with age, represent the rites of [3] a religion, the tragedies of life, and the valorous deeds of a people, who thus sought to give these a permanent expression. About them were buried—'Sometimes cremated, and as often unburnt—their dead. There are traces of animism in their religion, but even closer traces of totemism, or worshipping of animals. Thus, genealogists, who make a bid for antiquity, claim for the Clan Chattan, who are undoubtedly the oldest of present day inhabitants, that the name is derived from Catan—a little cat, which indicates that they worshipped the cat from whom, as divine ancestor, they claimed descent. Matheson is, in Gaelic, Mac Mhathg-hamhuin, the son of the bear. In Wester Ross the evening howl of the odhar chu (wolf) inspired the listener with as much awe as fear. No explanation of these names and superstitions can be satisfactory which ignores the palpable fact that our pagan ancestors ascribed such powers and potentialities to the wild beasts around them as can be understood only on the ground of their being respected and even worshipped as well as feared. But a more fully developed form of religion appears in the Druidic system, with its sacrifices, rites, ritual, and priesthood. It was common to all the Celts, It was to it that Paul refers in his [4] Epistle to the Galatians, " O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you," or put Druidism on you. The priesthood of this system had the power of controlling all forces, human and material. Hence, the still prevalent superstition connected with an unpopular marriage, where he or she is supposed to have put druidheachd on the other party to the contract. These circles are, then, of historical interest. What a story they could tell, and what a multitude of people must be buried round about them, for until recent times, young people were buried in this sacred place of sepulture !

Other traces of the existence of this ancient people are found in place-names. The most noteworthy of these are

Pityoulish, from Pictish word peit, meaning a piece of land or homestead, which has been supplanted by Gaelic baile. It means the water homestead, geldo, vostis, water-stead, N. Kelda, well, vostis, Gaelic fois, Greek astu, rest.
Aviemore, Gaelic, Agaidh mhor; Avie Lochan, Gaelic Agaidh lochan, Gallovie, Gaelic Geal-agaidh, are all from a root word agaidh, Welsh ag, meaning a "cleft or opening," and [5] mean respectively "the great cleft," " the cleft of the little loch," and "the white cleft." The root word is very probably Pictish.
Tulloch grue is Tulach-Druie, the hill of the river Druie. Druie itself is a Pictish word, like nearly all the river names of the district.
Eile, Gaelic Eel, is a Pictish word meaning water. When the Gaels migrated eastward from Dalriada, they gave new names to the old places. Their movements, and triumphant conquest of the ancient Picts, can thus be seen in place-names which as a rule are minutely descriptive of the features and characteristics of the landscape.
Craigellachie, Gaelic Craig eileachaidh, is formed from stem word eileach or aileach, from ail, a rock, and the idea is a stony or craggy hill, which is thoroughly descriptive.
Boat of Garten, Gaelic Coit a ghartain, is from coit, low Latin Cotia, a small boat, and here the ferry boat, and goirteam, a small enclosed field of corn.
Angormack, Gaelic an gormag, the little green spot.
Balvattan, Gaelic Baile bhadain; Baddan-gorm, am Badan gorm, are respectively homestead clump and the green clump.
[6] Beanaich, sometimes Beananaich, Gaelic Bianaich, is probably the place of hides, indicating that cattle died here.
Crannich is place of trees.

There are several Dails. The word Dail is Norse Dalr, a dale. It is difficult to understand how Norse names would have penetrated so far inland, for the Norsemen confined their marauding exploits to the fertile soil of the seaboard. Yet the Rock of King Harold is near Lash, where it is traditionally believed there was a battle fought between the Norse and natives. There is also Eilean (Loch an Eilean), Norse eyland, island, pointing unmistakably to Norse influence. Dail may,however, have been borrowed from Norse or it is more probably a native Pictish word, a locative form of which appears in Dulchrag in Stratherrick; Dail-nahaitnach, Gaelic Dail na h-aitean-aich is the dale of the place of Juniper, Dalbuiack is the dale of the buttercups; Dalrachny with y equal to locative aidh is difficult.
Dalfaber, Gaelic Dail-phabair, may probably be the dale of the river silt or drift ; pab, refuse, papp, Celtic bobbu, from bhobh, Latin faba. It is a Godelic word.
[7] Docharn and Dochlaggie are both from Davoch, the only land measure used in Pictland, and mean the davoch of the heap of stones and the davoch of the hollow.
Drumuillie, Gaelic Druim-ulaidh, is the ridge of the treasure. The treasure is supposed to be in the loch below.
Dulnan, Gaelic Tuilnean. The root word is tuil, a flood, and the idea is its liability to sudden spates. This is a true description.
Foirigean, a moor at the west side of which is a series of ridges with deep clefts called na h-eagan, the notches. Foirigean thus means "below the eagan or notches." Foir is from foter, fother, the opposite of uachdar, meaning under; compare Fodderty.
Granish, Gaelic Greanais, Grein innse, from innis, the real Gaelic name for island, means the sunny haugh.
Inverladnan, Inbher-laideanan, from lod, lodan, a puddle, means the mouth or confluence of the muddy pools.
Lag dheigh, Lag gheidh, the goose hollow.
Lynchurn, from loinn, locative of lann, a field, and chuirn, gen. of earn, a heap.
Lethendry, from Leitir-direabh, means the sloping untilled land.
[8] Torspardan, the roost heap, from the roost-like ledges of rock.
Sluggan, slug an, the throat or gorge.
Glencarnoch, Gleann-ceatharnach, is the glen of the heroes or caterans.
Slochd-muic, from slochd, a gully, and muic, gen. of muc, a pig. It derives its name from the pig-like appearance of a hill in the gully.
Spey, Celtic squeas, cognate with Irish sceim-W. chwyd, vomit. The change of squ into sp indicates that the name is Pictish.

The place-names, of which the above are perhaps the most difficult to explain, are very old. Their number seems to point to a large population being in the district in these far off days.

The Church of Duthil was dedicated to St Peter. This is a Roman Catholic dedication (for the dedications in the Celtic Church were to Celtic saints), and cannot be earlier than the 12th century, when the Celtic Church had practically disappeared, and the Church in Scotland became Roman Catholic in all respects. Of the Roman Catholic domination, the only trace that now remains is at Baile an-t-seipeil (Chapeltown) at Deshir, probably the original site of the church settlement and burying [9] ground. It is now a cultivated field included n the glebe land of the parish. But in the neighbouring parishes of Cromdale and Alvie the churches are dedicated to the early Celtic saints, Moluag and Drostan respectively. It is quite safe, however, to infer that the people of Duthil were Christianised by those zealous missionaries at least 600 years before the Roman Catholics had established themselves among them and dedicated the church to St Peter.

Chapter II: HISTORICAL TIMES

[10] There is evidence that the Clan Chattan were the native Celtic inhabitants of these parts. This clan consisted of the Mackintoshes as chief family, with the Shaws, Davidsons, Macleans, Cattanacbs, and twelve other septs. If the name is derived from catan, the little cat, they are Pictish and very ancient. Others, however, who prefer a superior descent, connect the clan with a church-derived name. These claim Gillicattan, who lived in the 11th century, as their progenitor. This Gillicattan means servant of St Catan. Catan was a saint of the Celtic Church, whose name is perpetuated in Kilchattan in Argyllshire. If this descent be accepted—there is good reason why the former should be preferred—then the Cattans were Gaels who migrated eastward from Dalriada through Lochaber on the routes already opened by the self-sacrificing missionaries. This would make the Mackintoshes, etc., incomers and not natives. They were a powerful clan, and held sway until the arrival of the Cummings.

The [11] Cummings, Cumyns, or Comyns, were a Norman family who came across with William the Conquerer, to whom they were traditionally believed to be closely related. The cruelty and the treachery of the Cummings connected with their suppression of the Mackintoshes and Shaws have passed into a proverb:—

" Fhad bhitheas craobh 'sa choill
Bithidh foill 's na Cuiminich." The English variant is—
" While in the wood there is a tree,
A dimming will deceitful be."
The supposed character of the Lochcarron and Skye people shines forth in an almost identical proverb.

This tradition finds substantial support from the fact that the Red Cornyn was a claimant to the throne of Scotland. The Cummings were widely distributed over Scotland and the North of England. About 1210 William Comyn married Marjory, heiress to the Earldom of Buchan. In 1234, his son Walter, as Lord of Badenoch, is settling a dispute over Church lands with the Bishop of Moray. Walter was an ardent patriot, and stoutly resisted the English party during the minority of Alexander III. He was succeeded by his nephew, who was titular head of the whole Cumming clan. During his lifetime (from 1257) the Comyns were at the height of their power. " They could muster two earls, the powerful Lord of Badenoch, and at least thirty belted knights."

They began to decline [12] after the treacherous assassination of the Red Comyn by Bruce, and in 1313 their property was handed over to Thomas Randolph, a friend of Bruce. But thev still continued to hold some lands in the parish, the seat of which was Tom Bigla, near Boat of Garten ; for in 1534 Bigla—after whom the place is named—married Sir John Grant of Freuchie, now Castle Grant, Grantown. Bigla, or Matilda, was the daughter of Gilbert Comyn (Gibban Mor). Her father, having no male issue, transferred his lands to his grandson—son of Matilda and Sir John Grant—and thus the once-powerful Cornyns became landless, and the Grants are henceforth the principal proprietors in the parish. The Grants are an English family, which settled about Inverness in the 13th century. The first of them who settled in Strathspey was John le Grant (1296-1325). There have been thus three great clan names in the parish—Mackintosh, Cumming, and Grant. The name Cameron is common in the parish. Traditionally these Camerons are said to be descended from the retainers of a daughter of Cameron of Glen-Nevis in Lochaber, who, some 300 years ago, accompanied her as her personal body-guard on her marriage with one of the Grant lairds or chieftains. These retainers, as the habit was in such cases, settled down in the district where their superior's home was, and their name is now firmly rooted not only in Aviemore, but throughout the parish. Tehy are locally known amongst themselves and by their neighbours as the mugaieh or the sullen. The epithet was originally intended as a term of contempt. The habit of natives to hurl contemptuous names at new comers was quite common in the Highlands. It was a fruit of jealousy. The term has ceased long ago to be applied with its original purpose and meaning! The change of name does not mean a change of population. It was the custom of the retainers to adopt, frequently under compulsion, the names of [13] feudal lords, so that these are, after all, the one and the same people.

On the death of Randolph in 1332, the Countess of Dunbar succeeded to his estates. In 1372 her son became Earl of Moray, but not Lord of Badenoch. In 1371, however, King Robert vested the Lordship of Badenoch in his son Alexander, who was without question one of the most notorious personages that have appeared in Scottish history.

The rest of the history of its distant past has much in common with that of most Highland parishes. In the drama of life the mingling of tragedy and comedy adds pictur-esqueness to what would otherwise be wan and dreary. The sufferers in the wild conflicts were nearly always the common people. They were the pawns in a game in which, however, they seemed to have had genuine pleasure. The religious element formed but a small and unimportant feature of the ordinary life. Protected with thicket, swamp, and a rampart of gigantic hills, the place afforded an impregnable [14] retreat to Alexander Stewart, the notorious Wolf of Badenoch. For a full account of Alexander Stewart, see Wolfe of Badenoch, by Sir Thomas Dick Lauder ; and Badenoch : its History, Clans, and Place-Names, by the late Dr Macbain, Inverness ; and any standard History of Scotland. Here he thundered defiance to King and Pope. In Loch an eilean, Loch an d'eirb, and Torr na mallachd (the heap of the curse), he left behind him traces of his power which hold secrets of his savage instincts. Much later, Ian beag Mac Andra (little John, son of Andrew), near Eilean Uaine (green isle —the sacred isle of Gaelic mythology), showed such dexterity with the bow and arrow that any hostile approach to his dwelling meant certain death to the intruder. The story of his deeds has much in common with that of William Tell, except that his undoubted achievements gave no room for questioning his existence. The rise of clanship, following the decay of tribalism, brought in its train conflicts that were none the less sanguine and fierce. Beum a' chlaidheimh, a mountain pass on the borders of the parish, and the scene of fatal struggles, holds the bones of many combatants. Lochaber men made many raids on the parish. Clach nan ceann marks the spot where the heads of seven raiders are said to be buried, [15] and Cnoc na croiche (the hill of the gallows) tells its own tale of feud and gore. Padruig mac an t-sagairt (Peter, the son of the Priest), with the blood of many innocent natives on his hands and head, was finally disposed of in a summary fashion immediately behind the present village of Carr-Bridge. It was not until the dispersion of the clans after the '45 that the common people had peace to apply their hands to useful industry, and their hearts to the weightier concerns of the soul..

Chapter III: EVANGELICAL INFLUENCES.

[16] The reformed faith was slow in reaching those parts, principally for the reasons already given. Before the '45 most of the Highlanders were neither good Episcopalians, nor were they Presbyterians at all. They opposed Presby-terianism from political as well as religious motives. In fact, from the religious viewpoint, they were more pagan than Christian. A revival in religion towards the end of the 18th century sprang up, and slowly spread over the country, with the result that Presby-terianism became firmly established among the people. Many factors were at work in effecting the change, but about the first influence of importance in the parish of Duthil was that exercised by the saintly Rev. John Graham of Cawdor, who, as a probationer, preached in Rothiemurchus, in the immediate neighbourhood of the parish. A' Bhan-tighearn bhan (the Laird's fair lady) of Rothiemurchus, herself a noted Christian, secured Mr Graham's services for her parish for a short period. People from far and near waited on his ministrations, and among them many from the neighbouring [17] parish of Duthil.

The spiritual success of his labours here may be illustrated by one striking incident. Three young women were sitting under the same plaid as he preached in the churchyard of Rothiemurchus from the text, "My son, give me thine heart." All three were there and then truly converted, and became exemplary Christians. Of these three Elizas John MacDougall, to whose memory this book is dedicated, was .the¦grandson of Eliza Grant, one of the three.—for they bore the same name—William Grant (of whom more later on) used to say that "they excelled all others he knew in Christian graces." Many of their descendants are still in the parish.

The memory of these early trophies of redeeming love is still fragrant, and the name of Mr Graham is held in special esteem. On a certain Communion Sabbath at Duthil Mr Graham preached the Gaelic action sermon in the churchyard. Intimation was somehow made that he was to preach the simultaneous English service instead. The church was crowded, but when the minister of the parish, Mr Grant, was seen to ascend the pulpit stair, the congregation trooped out, leaving behind them only the precentor and a gentleman in the front seat of the gallery. Mr [18] Grant, addressing this gentleman, asked what should be done. "What," replied the occupant of the gallery, " but go out with the others." So they did.

The proprietrix of Rothiemurchus secured a suitable successor to Mr Graham in the Rev. William Ross, who was afterwards (18th August, 1788) settled in the Gaelic chapel of Cromarty. Earnestly evangelical, he continued the good work begun by his predecessor, and was instrumental in extending the kingdom of God in the surrounding districts. Signally eminent was the Rev. Donald MacKintosh (1695-1708) who, for his allegiance to evangelical tenets, and for his insistence on righteousness and holiness in life and heart, was persecuted from the parish of DuthiL There was also the Rev. Robert Grant from Kinchurdy (1758-59). He was held in great repute for the saintliness of his life. He died young, having served the Lord for only one year in the ministry of the Word.

The rest of the ministers of Duthil1 were closely akin to [19] the prevailing type of "moderates." (17) William Watson (1626-1652) having confessed giving lodgings for a night to James, Earl of Montrose, he made a humble submission for the offence in 1646 ; in the following year he was imprisoned in a vault at Rothieinurchus by William Mclntosh, and censured by the Synod in October for marrying that person to Lady Rothiemurchus a year or two before. He was, by the Synod, 4th October, 1648, "thought silent in those things that concern the publick affairs of the kirk, which maks some suspitione of his affection to the Covenant, and that his sone Mr James was of the lyke mynd as himself," and he was (19) " gravlie admonished for being silent in preaching," and recommended " to preach boldly against the unlawful courses and grosse sinnes of the kingdom and to promote the Covenant in his preaching to the uttermost of his power."
James Watson (1652-1664), son of the preceding, made verses in 1646 in praise of James Graham's victories.
William Fraser (1664-5). William Smith (1667-1673), deposed for drunkenness, had the sentence removed and " his mouth opened." Sueton Grant (1683-1693) would not pray for King William and Queen Mary. Francis Grant (1719-1739). Patrick Grant (1740-1755). Lewis Grant (1759-1778). Patrick Grant (1778-1809). After his death, his wife kept a boarding academy in Inverness and published Sketches of Intellectual Education and Hints on Domestic Eeonomy, two volumes, Inverness, 1812. Her house at Auchterblair was destroyed by fire, January, 1819. John Grant (1809-1820). William Grant (1820- ). —(Scott's Fasti, part v., pp. 233-4). The depth, or rather shallowness, of their faith can easily be gauged by the reply given by one of them to his own elders, who waited on him to appoint a day of humiliation and prayer during a wet harvest, which was seriously affecting the crops. " You may pray," said he, " but as long as the wind comes from Beum a' chlaidheimh there will be rain."

It should be noted here that at this time (the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century) the Rev. Peter Grant, farmer and Baptist minister of Grantown, but more widely known as a religious poet, was making an impression on the young in the portion of the parish skirting Grantown and Cromdale. He was an ardent and [20] enthusiastic Evangelical. The number of converts to his denomination were few, but his sweet and melodious poems gave an impulse to devout thinking, and helped to clarify the religious atmosphere. " Between the stilts of the plough," like Scotland's great secular poet, this farmer poet composed many of his tenderest and most winning pieces, which at once raised him to the first rank of Gaelic poets. He composed altogether thirty-nine poems,1 which passed through eighteen editions and many reprints.See Dain Spioradail, le Padruig Grannd; any edition. One of the most popular of his songs was "Gloir an Uain" (''The Glory of the Lamb"), three translated verses of which are here given:

As sweetly as Zion may she singeth,
She singeth the praise of the Lamb;
She praiseth His love that never changeth,
That saveth her fully from shame.
Hallelujah sing ever the dwellers in heaven,
That compass the throne of the King ;
And those that still follow the Lamb, forgiven,
Are melted in heart as they sing.

Right worthy is God's own Son of honour,
'Twas He that suffered the death;
'Twas He that saw all our sorrow, and on Him
He took all our burden of wrath.
He bore all alone Himself the bruising,
That bringeth us healing of soul;
And His wounds and His stripes call upon us to worship
The Lord that maketh us whole.

[ 21] On Calvary drank He our cup of sorrow,
And poured His blood on the earth;
And our foes that were many He vanquished for ever,
And victory won by His worth.
We were all Godless, shelterless, homeless,
With nothing to shield us from wrath;
And the curse evermore was driving us home
To an ocean of fiery death.

His aim was to combine the doctrines of the Gospel with the sweetest melodies of his countrymen, and thus find an entrance for the truth into the hearts and affections of the people. One of the most touching of his poems is the " Young Child in Heaven " (" Oran mu leanabh og "). It throbs with the finest human feeling, as the verse in which the mother wakens to find her child dying shows :—

Dhuisg mo mhathair le gaoir,
'S thuirt i m'ailleagan gaoil.
Ciod dh'fharaich thu, cha'n fhaod thu falbh,
'S rinn i mo ghreimeach cho teann,
'S cha bhitheadh an dealachdain arm
Ged bha mo chridhe cho fann 's mi balbh.

Translation.

She woke with a start,
Crying, " Love of my heart!"
What ails thee? Thou art not dead!
And she fondled me so,
She would not let me go,
Till my life, ebbing low, had fled. (Maclean).

[22] The passage of the child through the dark valley of death to the region of eternal bliss is thus graphically described :—

'S nuair dhuin iad mo shuil,
Thainig aingiean na cuirt,
'S thug iad mis leo cho dluth 's cho luath.
'S aim am priobadh na sul',
Bha gach ni dhomh cho ur,
'S ann bha mis' an Jerusalem shuas.
Translation.
When they closed my young eyes,
Angels came from the skies,
And they made me to rise above.
Oh ! swift was our flight
Through the valleys of night,
And I now dwell in light and love. (Macbean )

The poet's unhesitating belief in the child's salvation, and his allusion to her blameless innocence, were viewed by the "men" as tainted with error. This led to the weakening of the preacher's influence. But it was his enthusiasm for his denomination in the midst of a community rigidly Presbyterian that proved to be his fatal error.

Baptisms were then performed in an open pond. A confession of faith was required of every candidate to whom the sacrament was to be administered. On one occasion an old man was brought forward by Mr Grant, [23] to whom he put the usual question, "Am bheil thu creidsinn?" (Do you believe?), and to which an answer in the affirmative was expected. He dipped him once, twice, and no response. After the third dipping the man replied, " Tha mi' creidsinn gu'm bath thu mi mu'n sguir thu " (I believe you will drown me before you are done).

On another occasion an irreligious wag plunged a black dog into the pond while a noted sinner was being baptised. The dog was seen swimming to the other side by some, who were deeply impressed with this singular case of exorcism. The bulk of the people, however, knew the trick. With this burlesquing of sacred things began the rapid decay of Baptist influence in that quarter, and many who acknowledged their indebtedness to the poet-preacher looked elsewhere for spiritual food.Peter Grant was succeeded in Grantown by his son, Rev. William Grant, who was transferred to the Bristo Place Baptist Church, Edinburgh. He was highly esteemed and respected, not only by his own denomination in that city, but by the larger Christian public outside of it. He died 13th September, 1902. And so it came to pass that these, along with others, serious - minded and devout, trudged, summer and winter, through wild Slochd-muic to attend the ministrations of the Rev. Hugh Mackay of Moy (himself the fruit of a north [24] country revival). For the convenience of the people of Duthil, this zealous and faithful servant of God held open-air services near the old Findhorn Bridge, Tomatin, which were attended by many tokens of divine favour.

Part I