Strathnaver: Home of the Aberach Mackays

   Gaelic name: MacAoidh 
                (son of fire)

"The sportsman now roams o'er the Sutherland hills
And down where the Naver runs clear;
And the land a brave race had for centuries owned
Is now trod by the sheep and the deer.

They had the reputation of being the most fearless section of Clan Mackay and were known for their honesty and fair play to their allies. The expression Ceartas nan Abrich, "The Justice of the Aberachs", was a well known slogan in their rich history.

It was in honour of justice that Ian Aberach Mackay first obtained the lands of Strathnaver. In 1433, when the Reay Country was invaded by the numerically greater force of the Earl of Sutherland, Angus Dhu Mackay was growing old and his son and heir, Neil, had been imprisoned by King James I of Scotland on the Bass Rock.

Ian Aberach, half brother of Neil, took command of his father's troops and, at the Battle of Dhruim na Cupa on the slopes of Ben Loyal, the Sutherlands were beaten. At the end of the battle Angus Dhu was killed by the arrow of a Sutherland hiding in the bushes. Ian Aberach assumed the chieftainship, but refused all persuasion to claim the position permanently. Although no one knew whether Neil was alive or would ever be allowed to return to Strathnaver, Ian Aberach maintained that he was only holding the title in his absence. When Neil did escape from prison four years later, Ian Aberach gave the chieftainship back to him.

In appreciation of his excellent service, Neil gave Ian Aberach all the heights of Strathnaver, from Mudale to Rossall, on both sides of the River Naver. In a short time, Ian Aberach married. Within a hundred years his descendants had multiplied until they occupied the whole of Strathnaver. This branch of Mackays was famous for excellence of character and prowess in war.

Strathnaver Before the Clearances

And then came the Clearances. Patrick Sellar, who had purchased Rhilosk farm in Strathnaver, waited until the beginning of June 1814 when the able-bodied men were away after their cattle or otherwise engaged at a distance. Those left at home - the aged and infirm, the women and children - could offer the least resistance.

The Last Sabbath in Strathnaver Before the Burnings
[Rev. Donald Sage]

The Last Sabbath in Strathnaver Before the Burnings
A Poem by Annie Mackay, formerly of Strathnaver

The Clearances began on Tuesday. The people were given half an hour to pack and carry out their furniture before their houses were set on fire. Some elderly, ill and infirm people were still within the houses when the buildings were torched.

"To my poor and defenceless flock, the dark hour of trial came at last in right earnest," wrote Rev. Donald Sage. "They were all, man, woman and child... on one day, to quit their tenements and go - many of them knew not whither."

Later that night, Donald MacLeod climbed a hill and counted 250 blazing houses. The fires lasted for seven days, during which time a ship lost its way in the dense smoke and was guided to shore by the light of these fires.

The Highland Clearances [John Prebble]

Across the River Naver from Achness, on a hill, is the Cemetery of the Aberach Mackays, now in ruins. It is a large area, enclosed by crumbling stone walls. At the front, an inner wall separates the small rectangular section where the Aberach Mackay chiefs are buried. There is no gate.

Willie Mackay of Coul, Rogart accompanied Mrs. Ida MacKay and myself on a visit to this cemetery in May 1983. "The sheep are walking on the graves of our ancestors! It's a disgrace!" he exclaimed with deep feeling.

One of Mr. Mackay's skills was the type of masonry used in building the walls of this burial ground. Although he offered his services free of charge to install a gate if one would be provided, the gate never materialized.

Today Strathnaver is a barren and desolate area. Only a few houses, that of Patrick Sellar at Rhilosk among them, are found. A reforestation project has been attempted, but the village of Rossall is preserved in its original condition after the burnings as a memorial.

Across the River Naver from Rossall stands a monument to Donald MacLeod, who persisted against great and cruel opposition in writing against the injustices of the Clearances.

There are also the sheep, the "four-footed clansmen" who replaced the Mackays of Strathnaver, which wander freely over the hills and roads.

Perhaps there are some native wild animals. There are the wind and the rain and, in the winter, snow. Nothing else is evident.

-- Compiled by Janet Mackay, 1985

EVENING IN STRATHNAVER

Softly the sandpirt flits across the water,
       Brown river water heading northwards to the bay,
Sweet rocket glimmers in the crofters' gardens
       Huskily the corncrakes are calling from the hay.

Gone is the gleam of the sunlight on the ripples,
       Darkling now the river as the curlews cry,
Haunted forever by the dispossessed and homeless
       Sad and foresaken are the lost lands of Mackay.
                                          
                                          - E. O. Beetham

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