✓ Bog a Phiobaire-The piper's bog. Bogandurie-Bog-an-Tur-The bog of the tower. The tower is now in ruins. Bognahairn-The bog at the south side of the Skiak water, These stones have evidently been erected as a Druidical place Clais Dhaibhidh-David's hollow. Clare-Clàr—A name applied to a plane, or land having a smooth surface. There is here an area of about 200 acres of what was till about 40 years ago arable and meadow land, about 700 feet above the sea, but which cannot now, owing to the coldness and lateness of the seasons, be profitably cultivated. Caolasie-The narrow passage at the lower end of Loch Glais. Here is the ford of the old drove road that passed that way. Clyne-Claon-The slope. This is the name by which the estate, now called Mountgerald, was known till recently. Cnoc a' Mhargaduidh-Cnoc-a-Mhargaidh-Dhuibh--The hill of the black market. Supposed to have got the name from some disaster that happened there, either in loss of life or loss in business the former probably-on account of the number of tumuli at the base of the hill. This is a beautiful hill, oval in form, having its longer axis from north-west to south-east, or parallel to the valley of the Glais. Its base measures about 800 yards by 400 yards, and its summit 60 by 20 yards. Its elevation is 1020 feet above the sea, and about 250 feet above the average level of the surrounding ground. On the eastern slope can be traced out what was evidently a roadway formed to the summit. A view from the summit of the surrounding valley suggests that its form was caused by glacial action, the flow of the ice being from the valley in which Loch Glais is situated, and from the eastern corries of Ben Wyvis, along the valley of Allt-nan-Caorach, immediately north of the hill. The united glacier appears to have swept the valley on both sides of the hill, and to have left the hill itself in its present beautifully smoothed shape. How it was able to withstand the destructive flow of the glacier is not very evident, as no rock is to be seen in it. From the summit are seen the vitrified hill forts of Knockfarrel, Craig-Phadrig, and the Ord of Kessock, and also the ridge of the Black Isle from Mount Eagle to Cromarty. Though the slopes are heathery, the summit is covered with green sward on fine black mould, and on digging to the depth of 18 inches, charcoal was found, suggesting that though no remains of a fort can be traced, it was a beacon hill that might be in communication with the above hill forts and the beacon points of Resolis and Cromarty. As the name indicates, and tradition has it, markets were held at this hill in times long gone by. This is confirmed by easily traced remains of stone and turf walls at the base of the hill on the south side. They enclose an elongated area of 30 acres, sub-divided into stances by internal walls, and conspicuous in one place are the sorting fanks, of circular form, and other four-sided enclosures. More interesting, . and within the same general enclosure, are five hut circles— undoubtedly ancient-two of them joined by a passage, and another having an internal wall from the circumference to near the centre, apparently intended for partial privacy. Around and north of the hut circles are a great number of tumuli, apparently grave mounds, which, except in two instances, have not been opened. Cnoc-Rais-Reis-The hill of the race, so named on account of some person who was wanted being seen at this place, and hotly pursued, but he won in the race and escaped. Cnoc-Vabin-Mhath-beinn-The good hill. This hill, about two miles north of Mountgerald House, has been, and still is, productive in grass. Cnoc-an-Teampuill-The temple hill, north of the Clachan Biorach. Cnoc-na-Lathaich-The hill of the mire. The ground at the base of this hill is miry. Coire-na-Comhlach-The corry of the meeting place. Culbin-Behind the hill. Culcairn Behind the cairn. This portion of the parish lies to the east of the Alltgrad, awkwardly jutting into the parish of ✔ Alness It was included in the parish of Kiltearn on account of the small estate which it forms having belonged to a scion of the Fowlis family when the boundaries of the parish were fixed. Culnaskeath-A nook enclosed on one side by the Skiak water. Drummond-Drummean-The low ridge. A farm west of the village of Evanton. Dunruadh-The red mound. The ruins of an old stronghold, relating to which there is no tradition. The Eileanach-The place of the islands. The place is about a mile and a half south of Loch Glais. The ground is flat, and during floods the river spreads out so as to form a few islands. Near this place is a beautiful waterfall, called "Conas," properly Coneis-The waterfall of the dogs. Why it is called so I could not ascertain. The fall is in two leaps, about 15 feet each. first falls into a large basin, over the lips of which it has been recently observed that less water flows out than falls in. Curiosity led the observing party to try by experiment if there existed an invisible channel, and, to their astonishment and delight, small pieces of wood and other light substances thrown into the basin were sucked up by a small eddy, and they reappeared in the pool at the bottom of the fall, after having made their way through the under channel. Evanton-A village situated between the Alltgrad and Skiack, about a mile north of the Cromarty Firth. The first house was built there about the year 1800, when Mr Fraser was proprietor of Balcony, and he called the village after his only son, Evan. Before then a small village existed to the west of Skiack water, to the north of the farm of Drummond, where there are still a few houses, still called the village of Drummond; and, to distinguish the one from the other, Evanton was, and is still by old people, called "Am Baile Ur"-the new town. This village is laid out with regular streets, its sanitary condition is good, and, a few years ago, the present superior-Mr Ferguson of Novar-introduced water at considerable expense to himself. Fannyfield-The name given by the late Mr John Munro of Swordale, in 1859, to a portion of the estate of Swordale, formerly known by the name of Bog-Riabhach—the brindled or greyish bog. Ferrindonald-Fearann Donuill-The country of Donald, which includes the parishes of Alness, Kiltearn, part of Dingwall, and part of Kincardine. Buchanan relates that, about the beginning of the eleventh century, King Malcolm the Second of Scotland feued out the lands in the country to great families in it, on account of their eminent services in assisting him to extirpate the Danes out of the kingdom. And, according to the records of the Fowlis family, it was on that occasion that the lands between the Borough of Dingwall and the water of Alness were, in 1025, given to Donald de Bunroe, progenitor of the family of Fowlis, from whom all the Munros in this country are descended. Part of these lands were afterwards, by the king, erected into a barony, called the Barony of Fowlis. From this Donald de Bunroe is lineally descended the present Sir Hector Munro, bart., who is the thirty-second baron of Fowlis. The surname of Bunroe (now softened to Munro), is said to have originated in the fact that Donald came to assist King Malcolm II. with a band of trusty followers, from the foot of the river Roe (Bun Amhainn Roe), which falls into Loch Foyle, in the north of Ulster, and hence we have a few place names of Irish origin still existing in Ferrindonald, the most prominent of which is Fowlis, Ben-Wyvis, and Loch Glais. When the first charter was granted by the Crown is not known. The earliest I could get at is the one granted by James the Sixth of Scotland, dated 8th March, 1608, granted to Sir Robert Munro. Fluchlady-Fliuch Leathad-The wet hill-side. Fowlis-Fodh-'n-Lios-Beneath the fort. The word lios is now applied to a garden, but originally in the Irish language it meant the enclosure of the garden, or that which defended the garden from the inroads of cattle or other animals. It meant also a wall of defence surrounding a dwelling. Hence we have Lismore in Ireland, and the island of that name in Argyleshire, both meaning the big fort or stronghold. Now, on the top of the hill above Fowlis Castle, there is to be traced the foundation of what appears to have been an oval fort, and the late Sir Charles Munro told me that the site of Fowlis Castle derived its name from its being situated beneath this old fort. Hugh Munro, first of the family, authentically designated of Fowlis, died in 1126, and he seems to have been the grandson of Donald de Bunroe. Hugh's grandson built the first tower of Fowlis on a piece firm grond surrounded by a bog about 1150 or 1160. It is only in the present century that the last of this bog has been drained. The present Castle of Fowlis is built upon the foundations of the old tower, greatly extended in area, and the dates upon it are 1754, 1777, and 1792. The barons who successively occupied the fort and castle are eminent in the history of our country, and to do justice to their memory would be the writing of volumes. I cannot, however, refrain from mentioning an anecdote which is told of Sir George Munro of Culcairn, uncle of Sir John Munro, known as the "Presbyterian Mortar-piece," and from whom the present Baronet of Fowlis has descended. He was a soldier of fortune, and was engaged in the thirty years' war. He was called the "Presbyterian Mortar-piece" on account of his firm adherence to Presbyterianism during the twenty-eight years of Prelacy in Scotland from 1660 to 1688. He was too powerful a man for Bishop Paterson to take before the Commission for nonconformity, but his dependants did not always escape. The Bishop was informed that two men on the Fowlis estate, John Munro (Caird), and Alexander Ross (Gow), were in the habit of holding conventicles, and caused them to be summoned before a Commission which sat in Elgin in December, 1684, or January, 1685, on nonconformity, "to fine, confine, banish and hang, as they should see cause." The Commission consisted of the Earls of Errol and Kintore, and Sir George Munro of Culcairn. Sir George was a friend to the oppressed. He was told by his lady that John Caird and Alexander Gow were summoned to appear before the Commission, and he desired her to tell them when called not to answer to their names of "Munro" and "Ross," but "Caird" and "Gow." He then, on the Court day, when the men were before them, said that their Lordships did not understand Gaelic, which he did, and that the names of the men meant "tinker" and "blacksmith;" that such characters never troubled themselves about religion-they rather eugaged in drinking, swearing, and fighting, and that the Court was really disgraced by the Bishop bringing such characters. before them, and he moved that the men be ordered out of Court, never to appear before them again, which was agreed to, and the Bishop was censured. At the same meeting Sir John Munro of Fowlis was ordered to be imprisoned in Tain, and his son in Inverness, for nonconformity. Sir John was a man of great physical power. Here is the whisky bottle out of which he used to give his tenants a dram when paying their rents, and this is the glass. The bottle contained 5 gallons, and the glass 2 large wine glassfulls. It is said that Sir John could, with ease, lift the bottleful in his right hand and steadily fill the glass. From other anecdotes related of him he must have weighed over 30 stones. He died in 1696. Many of his dependants also were strong men. It is said that about this period an English champion came to Fowlis and |