GLENORCHY-AND-INISHAIL, a parish, in the district
of Lorn and district of Argyll, county of Argyll, 14 miles
(N. by E.) from Inverary; containing 1644 inhabitants,
of whom 247 are in that portion of the parish which
was foratime annexed, quoad sacra, to Strathfillan church.
These two ancient parishes, which were united in the
year 1618, derive their names from the situation of their
respective churches, the former in a picturesque glen
watered by the river Orchy, and the latter on the beautiful
island of Inishail in Loch Awe. The lordship of
Glenorchy was granted in the fifteenth century, by
James II., to an ancestor of the Breadalbane family,
whose descendant, the marquess, is the present proprietor;
the lands of Inishail are divided among several
owners, of whom Mr. Campbell of Monzie is the principal.
The parish, which is partly bounded on the
west by Loch Etive, is twenty-four miles in length, varying
from five to twenty miles in breadth, and comprising
an area of nearly 300 square miles. With the exception
of the vale of Glenorchy and the district of Inishail,
the surface is hilly and mountainous, abounding in
boldly romantic scenery. Of the mountainous ranges,
the most conspicuous is that of Cruachan, on the north
and north-eastern boundary, separating the parish from
the parishes of Ardchattan and Appin, and in which are
the heights of Beinabhuiridh, Stob-an-Daimh, Beinmacmonaidh,
and Beindourain. The range extending
from the western to the eastern extremity of Loch Awe,
along the south side of the vale of the Orchy, terminates
at the bases of the mountains Tighearnan and Beinachleidh,
near Beinlaoidh, the highest mountain in the
parish. These ranges are in several places broken by
intervening glens, through which run the rivers Orchy
and Awe, which in their course form some pleasing
cataracts, flowing between banks densely wooded and
marked with features of strikingly romantic character.
Both the rivers abound with salmon and trout, and are
much frequented by anglers. The chief lakes are Loch
Awe and Lochtolla, which contain salmon, trout of large
size, eels, char, perch, and pike, the last of recent introduction.
Of the former extensive lake, only the eastern
extremity is in this parish; but from the beauty of the
scenery on its shores, it forms a very interesting feature.
Lochtolla, which is situated among the hills of Glenorchy,
is about four miles in length and a mile in average
breadth: on the north bank is a picturesque shootinglodge
belonging to the Marquess of Breadalbane, surrounded
with thriving plantations. There are several
smaller lakes in the parish.
On the banks of the rivers the soil is a mixture of
light earth and sand, and on the sides of Loch Awe a
deep and rich loam resting on a gravelly subsoil; the
crops are oats, barley, bear, potatoes, and turnips. The
system of husbandry has made considerable progress,
and the farm-houses are generally substantial and well
built; but the offices are of rather inferior order, and
the lands only partially inclosed. Embankments have
been raised on the Orchy, and the channel of the river
Awe deepened. The upland portion of the parish is
purely pastoral, and great numbers of sheep and blackcattle
are reared on the hills. The sheep, with the exception
of a few of the Cheviot and Leicestershire, are
all of the black-faced breed; and the cattle of the pure
Argyllshire breed, except some Ayrshire cows on the
dairy-farms. The sheep and cattle are sent principally
to the markets of Falkirk and Dumbarton, and the wool
to Liverpool. There are about 4000 red-deer in the
Marquess of Breadalbane's deer-forest. Though comparatively
little remains of the ancient woods with which
the parish formerly abounded, the lands are still far from
being destitute of timber, and various modern plantations
have been formed, which are in a thriving state,
and add much to the beauty of the scenery. The annual
value of real property in the parish is £8886.
Among the seats is Inishdrynich House, a handsome
mansion beautifully situated on the north side of Loch
Awe, in a demesne richly wooded, and laid out with
great taste. Inverawe, about a mile from Inishdrynich,
and also on the banks of the loch, is an elegant modern
mansion, surrounded with plantations; and Rockhill is
likewise a pleasant residence, on Loch Awe, of which
it commands an extensive and interesting view. There
is no village of any importance. At Dalmally is a posting
inn, affording every accommodation; and facility of
communication is maintained by good roads which have
been formed in various parts of the parish, and are kept
in excellent order. Fairs are held on the third Wednesday
in March, and the fourth Tuesday in November.
For ECCLESIASTICAL purposcs the parish is within the
bounds of the presbytery of Lorn, synod of Argyll; patrons,
the Duke of Argyll and the Marquess of Breadalbane.
The minister's stipend is £206, with a manse, a
glebe valued at £22 per annum^ and the privilege of
pasturing eight cows on four farms in the neighbourhood,
which is equivalent to about £10 more. Glenorchy
church, erected in ISll, is a handsome structure in the
later English style of architecture; it is beautifully situated
on an islet formed by the windings of the river
Orchy, and contains 500 sittings. Inishail church, formerly
on an island of that name in Loch Awe, but rebuilt
on the shore of the lake, is a plain structure containing
sittings for 2.50 persons. The members of the
Free Church have a place of worship. There is a parochial
school in Glenorchy, of which the master has a
salary of £34. 4., with fees amounting to about £8, and a
house and garden. Two parochial schools are supported
in Inishail, the masters of which have each a salary of
£25. 13., and each fees averaging £5 per annum, without
accommodations. The parochial library contains about 300 volumes.
There are some remains of ancient castles, among
which are those of Fraocheilein Castle, situated on a
rock in Loch Awe, and erected in the reign of Alexander
in. by the chief of the clan MacNaughton. The castle
of Caolchurn, at the eastern extremity of the lake, was
for many centuries the stronghold of the Breadalbane
family; the great tower or keep was built by the lady
of Sir Colin Campbell, ancestor of the family, during his
absence in the Holy Land, in 1440. This castle, after
the removal of the owners to their seat at Taymouth,
fell into decay, which was greatly accelerated by the appropriation
of the materials to the building of farmhouses
in the parish. There are slight remains, also, of
the castles of Achallader, Duchoille, and others. On the
island of Inishail are the ruins of a convent for nuns of
the Cistercian order, the chapel of which was used after
the Reformation as the parish church of Inishail, till the
erection of the present structure in 1736. Upon a small
islet in the lake, called the Priest's Isle, are the remains
of the house of the priest of Inishail, surrounded with a
wall of dry stones; and from the south shore of the lake,
may be traced some huge blocks of stone intended for
the foundation of a bridge, and still called the Druid's
Bridge. On opening a cairn on the farm of Stronmilchan,
a few years since, was found a stone coffin containing
an urn. The Rev. Dr. John Smith, translator of
the Biljle into the Gaelic language, and Duncan Mclntyre,
an eminent Highland bard, were natives of the parish.
Glenorchy gives the title of Viscount to the Marquess of
Breadalbane.