PLACE NAMES IN FARR PARISH
& those parts of Reay parish which are now in Farr
This list has been compiled by myself solely to aid those researching their genealogy in this area. It can be very difficult when you are a new researcher trying to find places. Some of the places our ancestors lived in are now no longer – some names are difficult to find through many spellings – etc, etc. All designed to make researching more difficult! This list shows the names of the places I am aware of through my own researching plus numerous other sources which are all listed in my notes.
Place names are shown in capital letters, followed in brackets by any different spellings which I have come across. I have also tried to give an indication of where places are. I have also shown the first and last date on which I have found a place mentioned i.e. census or burial ground, etc. In the case of burial ground year this simply means the last time the name of the place appeared on a gravestone. Where I have added 20th century to a place this literally means people still lived there then and in most cases do now.
As always if you spot any errors or indeed can add anything use the contact me link at foot of this page. It would be great to make these place names list as complete as possible. Together with the other parishes of Sutherland this could grow into a very useful database for future researchers.
Maps of Farr can be viewed here.
PLACES IN FARR
ACHANLOCHY – 1809 militia
ACHARGARY (Achargry) – Strathnaver – below Skelpick looking south – 1809 militia – there was a shepherd & his family living here in 1881 – 20th century
ACHARGRY – see Achargary
ACHAWMAND – was part of Bighouse Estate, 2 tenants there in 1819
ACHFRIESS – 1809 militia
ACHIEMORE - Strath Halladale – on A897 – 20th century
ACHINESKICH (Achneskich) – near Cattlefield – 20th century
ACHKILBORGIE – near Achina, croft here in 1881 – this could be Achkellamborgie shown on a list in 1691
ACHINA – Gaelic, place of the ford – close to Bettyhill on A836 – 20th century
ACHNABOURIN – see Achnaburin
ACHNABURIN (Achnabourin) – Gaelic, place of roaring – Strathnaver – 1754 militia (Achnaburime) – a sheep farm on 1881 census – 20th century
ACHNAMOIN – possibly in Strath Halladale – burial grounds 1871
ACHNANCLACH – Strathnaver, near Syre, shepherd family here in 1881
ACHNAVAST – possibly Strath Halladale – burial grounds 1876
ACHNESKICH – see Achineskich
ACHOUL – 1754 militia
ACHNESS - inhabited in 1667 – 1809 militia – in 1881 only a gamekeeper and his family lived here
ACHRAMSCRAIG (Achowramscaig) – part of Bighouse Estate, 3 tenants there in 1819
ACHREREGAN – Strath Halladale – burial ground 1875
ACHRIDIGILL – part of Bighouse Estate, 3 tenants there in 1819 – 1825 burial grounds
ACHRISGILL – is this Achridigill? – burial ground 1853
ACHOWRAMSCAIG – see Achramscraig
ACHURAH – 1809 militia
ACOPLE – 1809 militia
AIRD – 20th century
AIRDNESKECH – see Airdniskich
AIRDNISKICH (Airdneskech) - near Achina – 1917 burial grounds
ALTIHURST – see Aultiphurst
ALTNAHARRA (Aultnaharra) – Gaelic, burn of the sheiling or summer pasture – from airigh – small village at head of Loch Naver – 1754 militia (Auldnaharry) – 20th century
ALTSUISGIL – was part of Bighouse Estate, 1 tenant there in 1819
ARDACHADH - Strath Halladale
ARDBHINGLASS (Ardvinclash) – hamlet – occupied in 1881 – burial ground 1919
ARMADALE (Armidale) – Norse, arma’s dale or valley – small crofting township between Bettyhill and Strathy – just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – 1754 militia - 20th century
AULTYLAYARD – Strathnaver – shepherd family here in 1881
AULTIPHURST (Altihurst) – hamlet – just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – 20th century
AULTIVUILIN (Aultimbullin) – hamlet close to Strathy
AULTWILLAN – was part of Bighouse Estate, 1 tenant there in 1819 – see Aultivuilin
ARDVINCLASH – see Ardbhinglass
BALIGILL (Balligle) – local tradition has the name from the Gaelic Baile na Gillean, township of the boys but could be Norse, township of the ravine – crofting township close to Strathy Point – 1754 militia – 20th century
BALNACRAIG - inhabited in 1667
BETTYHILL (Cnocan Betty) – Said to be named after the Countess of Sutherland – a crofting township and village on the headland between Torrisdale and Farr bays – on the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – 20th century - the old church of Clachan stands here and is nowadays the Clan Mackay museum
BIGHOUSE – at the mouth of the river Halladale, once seat of a major branch of the Clan Mackay – locals call in ‘An Torr’ – the heap! – shows on 1667 list – 12 small tenants here in 1819 – burial grounds 1918
BLARANRACH – near Newland – 1881 large farm
BRARATHY – shows on 1691 list – 1754 militia – 1809 militia
BRAWL – just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – 1754 militia (Braeall)– 20th century
BRAYOLTHAIR – 1809 militia
BREACRIE - Strath Halladale – 1700 list (Brekru)
BUNAHOUN - Strath Halladale – was at one time part of Bighouse Estate – burial grounds 1898
CAOLFEARN – part of Bighouse Estate, 1 tenant there in 1819
CARGARY BEG - Strath Halladale – was part of Bighouse Estate, 1 tenant there in 1819 – burial grounds 1855
CARNACHY – Strathnaver – shown on 1691 list (Carnach) – 1809 militia
CATTLEFIELD – small township near Achineskich – burial grounds 1863
CHEALMY
CHILSEY - Strath Halladale – 20th century
CLACHAN – on the edge of Bettyhill travelling westward on the A836 – church and burial ground here – now the Mackay Museum – 20th century
CLAICKBEA – 1854 burial grounds
CLATEQUOY – possibly Strath Halladale – burial grounds 1856
CLERKHILL – Cnoc a’ Chleirich, the clerk’s or cleric’s hill – close to Crask & Bettyhill – just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – 20th century
CLIBRIG - inhabited in 1667 – 1809 militia – burial grounds 1812 – occupied 1881
COIRR – 1809 militia
CONIGILL – was part of Bighouse Estate, 2 tenants there in 1819
CORKALL – was part of Bighouse Estate, 6 tenants there in 1819
CORIPHURAN – 1754 militia
CORRYNAFEARN – Strathnaver – 1881 only a shepherd there
COULFERN – see Culfern
COURNGILL – burial grounds 1851
CRAIGTOWN - Strath Halladale (Craigton) – was part of Bighouse Estate, 5 tenants there in 1819 – burial ground 1867
CRAGGY (Craggie) - Strath Halladale – 20th century
CRASK – Gaelic, An Crasg, the crossing – near Clachan just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – 20th century
CRIVACH – 1700 list
CROICK - Strath Halladale – 1700 list – was part of Bighouse Estate, 4 tenants there in 1819 – 20th century
CROSSBURN – Strath Halladale – burial grounds 1888
CULFERN (Coulfern) - Strath Halladale – 20th century
DALLANGALL (Dallangwall) – shows on 1691 list – 1754 militia – 1881 shepherd family & a gamekeeper only – burial grounds 1912
DALCHARN – just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road after Bettyhill – 20th century
DALHALVAIG - Strath Halladale (Dalhalva) – was part of Bighouse Estate, 4 tenants there in 1819 – 20th century
DALHARAL (Dalharold) – Norse elements in Gaelic gives Harold’s flat - flat area in the upper part of Strathnaver
DALNADROT – 1809 militia
DALTINN (Daltenn) – shows on 1691 list (Daltine) – 1754 militia – 1809 militia
DALVINE (Dalvina) – Strathnaver, near Syre – in 1881 only a gamekeeper here – 20th century
DINACHARY – 1754 militia (Dinachorry) – 1809 militia
DISPOLLY – was part of Bighouse Estate, 3 tenants there in 1819
DRUIMBASBIE – south west of Armadale – in 1881 a sheep farm
DUNVIDEN – shown on 1691 list
DYKE - inhabited in 1667 – was part of Bighouse Estate – 3 tenants there in 1819
FARR – see Clachan and Bettyhill
FASTLEY – 1881 shepherd family only
FISCARY – see Fiskary
FISKARY (Fiscary) – near Clachan – occupied in 1881
FLEUCHARY – the wet sheiling – just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – one family there in 1881
FORSINAIN – Norse & Gaelic, waterfall of the low ground - Strath Halladale – 1700 list - was part of Bighouse Estate – burial grounds 1850
FORSINARD – Strath Halladale – 14 miles south of Melvich on the A897 - you can visit the Flow Country visitor centre here
FORSS MAINS – 20th century
GARVE – 1809 militia
GILNOCKIE – 20th century
GIOBCORAM – 1923 burial grounds
GNUBEG – see Grumbeg
GNUBMORE – see Grumbmore
GOLVAL - Strath Halladale – was part of Bighouse Estate, 12 tenants there in 1819 – burial grounds 1886
GREAMACHARY - inhabited in 1667
GRUMBEG – on edge of Loch Naver – shows on 1691 list (Grubeg) – 1809 militia – cleared township - unpopulated today although a shepherd family there in 1881 – ruins of old burial ground here which was said to be the final resting place of many of the Aberach Mackays – burial grounds 1818
GRUMBMORE - 1809 militia
GULNAILY – Strath Halladale – burial grounds 1871
HALLADALE – Norse, Holy Valley
HAVARISDALE – burial grounds 1844
HEAVIG – was part of Bighouse Estate, 2 tenants there in 1819
INCHKINLOCH – possibly Strath Halladale – burial grounds 1898
INSHLAMPIE (Ishlambie) – in Strathnaver, south of Skaill – shepherd family here in 1881 – burial grounds 1930
INSHMORE – shows on 1691 list
INSLANDY – Inslanely
INVERNAVER – close to Achina – just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – shown on 1691 list – 20th century
INVERCROY - inhabited in 1667
KIDSARY – 1809 militia
KINKYLE – 1809 militia
KIRTOMY – Norse, little valley of the copse – crofting township in a narrow valley east of Bettyhill – just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – shows on 1691 list – 1754 militia – 20th century
KIRKTON - Strath Halladale - inhabited in 1667
KIRSTIMY – 1809 militia
KNOCKAN – may be in Strath Halladale – 20th century
LAIDNAGULLEN – see Leadnagullen
LANGDALE (Langdail) - inhabited in 1667 – Strath Naver, south of Skail – 20th century
LEADNAGULLEN (Lednagullen, Laidnagullen) – just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – 20th century
LECKFURIN (Leckviurn) – at head of Strathnaver on B871 – the road which goes from Bettyhill down Strathnaver – 20th century
LECKVIURN – see Leckfurin
LOCHSTRATHY – 1881 shepherd family only – 20th century
MELVICH – Norse, bent grass bay - coastal village – lies at the mouth of Halladale River, on the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road
MILBURN (Millburn) - Strath Halladale – 20th century
MUDALE - inhabited in 1667 – 1881 shepherd family only
NAVER – 20th century
NEWLANDS – 20th century
NHARE - Strath Halladale – was part of Bighouse Estate, 2 tenants there in 1819 – burial grounds 1879
OLTNAHARVE – 1809 militia
PAULOURSCAIG (Poulescraig) – north coast, near Kirtomy Point – 1946 burial grounds
PORTSKERRA – lies on the north coast on Melvich bay, north of Melvich. Geographically within the County of Sutherland but administratively within the civil parish of Reay, which is in Caithness – excellent beach and beyond Portskerra there are massive cliffs
POULESCRAIG – see Paulourscaig
RAVIGILL – shows on 1691 list – 1809 militia
REAY – 20th century
RHENEVIE (Renivie) – shown on 1691 list – burial grounds 1926
RHICHORK – 1809 militia
RHIFAILL (Rhifail, Rhiphail) – Strathnaver – shows on 1691 list – 20th century
RHILOISK
RHINORY – 1881 shepherd family only
RHIPHAIL – see Rhifaill
RHIROY – near Strathy west – shepherd family here in 1881
RIANCHAITED – burial grounds 1914
RINCHAELL – 1691 list
ROSSAL (Rosal) – Strathnaver – shows on 1691 list – 1809 militia - cleared totally during the Clearances - near Syre, some 16 miles south of Bettyhill on the B871 - the Rossal Pre-Clearance Township gives an insight into an 18th century crofting community prior to the infamous Strathnaver Clearances of 1814-18
SKAILL – Strathnaver, south of Rhiphail – shows on 1691 list – shepherd family here in 1881 – 20th century SKELPICK (Skilpig) – Norse, shelving or terraced – part of lower Strathnaver – shown on 1691 list – 1881 a sheep farm
STRATHNAVER – 20th century
STRATHY – Gaelic, little valley – just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – shows on 1691 list – 20th century
STRATHY POINT – north coast – the headland beyond the crofting community of Strathy - finged with spectacular cliffs and a beautiful beach, lighthouse and lots of seabirds
STROINDOW – part of Bighouse Estate, 1 tenant there in 1819
SWIGLEBURN – possibly Strath Halladale – 1870 burial grounds
SWORDLY – close to Kirtomy – just off the A836 Melvich to Bettyhill road – 1754 militia – 20th century
SYRE – Strathnaver – farmland – church and burial ground – shows on 1691 list – 20th century
TOTEGAN – hamlet near Strathy Point
TRANTLEMORE - Strath Halladale - inhabited in 1667 – was part of Bighouse Estate, 7 tenants there in 1819 – 20th century
TRANTLEBEG - Strath Halladale – 1700 list – was part of Bighouse Estate, 4 tenants there in 1819 – 20th century
TUBEG
TUDERSCAG – 1809 militia
VAGISTIE – 1881 shepherd family only
page last updated 20th July 2010
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