Contin is a Ross-shire

Ross-shire

Ross-shire is an area in the Highland Council Area in Scotland. The name is now used as a geographic or cultural term, equivalent to Ross. Until 1889 the term denoted a county of Scotland, also known as the County of Ross...

 village and civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 between Strathpeffer

Strathpeffer

Strathpeffer is a village and former spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469.-Geography:It lies in a glen 5 miles west of Dingwall, with varying elevation from 200 to 400 feet above sea level...

 and Garve

Garve

Garve is a village on the Black Water river, in Ross-shire, and is in the Highland Council area of Scotland. It is situated 5 miles northwest of Contin, on the A835, the main road to Ullapool on the west coast, close to where the A832 branches off towards Achnasheen.The village is served by the...

 in the Highland council area of Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. The parish has a population of 675.

The church in Contin is dedicated to St Maelrubha or Máel Ruba

Máel Ruba

Máel Ruba , Máelrubai , Maol Rubha , or Malruibhe , sometimes Latinised as Rufus, is a saint of the Celtic Church...

 and is on Contin Island which lies in the Black Water (Conon)

Black Water (Conon)

The Black Water is a river in the Highlands of Scotland. It begins at the confluence of the Glascarnoch River with the Abhainn Srath a' Bhàthaich, near where it is crossed by the Black Bridge, carrying the A835 road. It flows in a south-easterly direction past the village of Garve, then passing...

 and is reached from the rest of the village by two bridges, one foot and the other road. The present building dates back to the 18th century but there has probably been a church on this site since the 7th or 8th century.

According to a booklet "Parish of Contin 690 to 1990", based on research by Rev. A. C. Maclean F.S.A., J.P. Minister from 1906 to 1937, published by the Church of Contin "Between 1485 and 1487 the Macdonalds and some of their allies (about 1,000 men) meeting at Contin, on their way to a punitive raid against the Mackenzies of Kinellan, discovered the church was filled with the aged men, women and children trusting to its sanctuary. Alexander Macdonald ordered the door to be shut and the building to be surrounded so that none could escape. He gave orders to set the church on fire, and everyone within - several hundreds - were burnt to death. Vengeance from the Mackenzies and Macreas was swift. After the battle at Pairc, one or two hundred out of 1,800 to 2,000 Macdonalds and their followers, who had eventually gathered at Contin, were left to escape as they might."

Runrig

Runrig

Runrig are a Scottish Celtic rock group formed in Skye, in 1973 under the name 'The Run Rig Dance Band'. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The current line-up also includes longtime members Malcolm Jones, Iain Bayne, and more...

 song-writer and percussionist Calum MacDonald

Calum MacDonald (musician)

Calum Macdonald is the percussionist of the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig, as well as their primary songwriter with his old brother, Rory MacDonald. Rory tends to write the melody, and Calum the lyrics...

lives in the village in the Old Manse. Coul House Hotel is situated in the hills to the North of the village.