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Badenoch and Lochaber in the 17th Century


Badenoch and Lochaber in the 17th Century find related items

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LOCATION: Badenoch and Lochaber
PERIOD: 1650s
OLD COUNTY/PARISH: INVERNESS:
CONTRIBUTOR: Glenurquhart Heritage Group
COLLECTION NAME: Glenurquhart Heritage Group - maps of Glenurquhart & Surrounding Area
DATE OF ORIGINAL: 1654
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This is a map of the Eastern Scottish Highlands which dates from the time of Charles II. Perhaps the most noticeable thing is that the capital of the Highlands, Inverness, is barely detailed and the name is misspelled. Whilst there would be various transliterations of the Gaelic 'Inbhir Nis', the 'v' is a vital consonant in the word. It is likely that the town was of little importance to those living in the Strathspey and Badenoch areas when Scotland was more fragmented.

It can be seen why the Scottish Highlands were fragmented. The Caledonian Canal had not been built at the time and the numerous bodies of water along the Great Glen were separated. The only method of travel was across the mountains and hills.

Perhaps it is because of this isolation that Glenurquhart is not accurately rendered. The town is only indicated by St Ninian's chapel. St Ninian was an early saint who proselytised in the area during the 3rd Century AD. The only other area of Glenurquhart which is shown is Borlum. This town is close to Urquhart Castle and less than five miles away from St Ninian's. On this map it is depicted as being close to Kilchumein, which is approximately twenty miles away. Kilchumein is now known as Fort Augustus, and was named after the Duke of Cumberland. He built a fort in the area to suppress the Jacobite uprising. Its older name is Kilchumein, which means 'Chumein's Cell'. St Chumein was an early Scottish Saint who preached in the area. There is no designation of this ancient habitation on the map.

On the top of the map there is a crest depicting a shepherd with two sheep. This represents the primarily agrarian economy of the time. Beneath this there is a Latin motto. Latin was the language of law and administration throughout Western Europe at this time. The mountains and hills are crudely drawn and give little idea as to comparative altitude. Later maps would evolve to depict topography using symbols such as contour lines.



IDENTIFIER: PC_GLENURQUHART_JANBELL_MAPS_001


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