Urquhart, Moray
Encyclopedia
Urquhart is a small village
in Moray
, Scotland
with a population of 420 (as at the 2001 Census). It is approximately five miles east of Elgin
, and between the villages of Lhanbryde
and Garmouth
.
, with the stewardship of the estates of Pluscarden Priory and four years later, she gave the Priory to his son, her godson, Alexander Seton
. During the troubled years that followed, the Setons lost possession, but they regained control in 1581 when Alexander was appointed Commendator. They subsequently retained it when, six years later, the monastery was dissolved and its rich lands, scattered across the southern plains of Moray Firth from the approaches to Castle Urquhart in the west to Urquhart-on-Spey in the east, were erected into a barony for him, providing him with the title of Urquhart when he became Lord of Session the following year. Subsequently, Lord Urquhart, 1st Baron of Urquhart was created Lord Kyvie in the Peerage of Scotland, and was later created Earl of Dunfermline. In 1605, he was appointed Lord Chancellor of Scotland, a post he held until his death in 1622. Since that time the feudal Barony of Urquhart has been passed by inheritance and through land acquisition many times. The current and 19th Baron of Urquhart is Robert A. Cromartie of Urquhart-on-Spey, FSA (Scot).
age have been found, as well as some fine gold armlets.
In 1125 David I
, King of Scots, founded a priory
, as a cell of the Benedictine
Dunfermline Abbey
, on low ground just to the ENE of the village. This was an attempt to 'introduce civilisation' to the local native population of Celts. However, in 1454 the Benedictine's abandoned Urquhart Priory
, moving instead to Pluscarden Abbey
, SW of Elgin, after the merger of the two had been agreed by a bull of Pope Nicholas V
. The buildings soon started to fall into disrepair and decay and in 1654 the site had become a ruin and the remaining building materials were removed to be used in the construction of a granary in the nearby village of Garmouth and in the repair of the manse and churchyard wall.
The first reference to a church in Urquhart, which was dedicated to Saint Margaret
, appears in a deed of 1237. This church fell into disrepair early in the 19th Century and in 1843 was replaced with the building of a new Parish Church on Gashill just to the north of the village. At around the same time, the remains of the original church were used to build a new Free Church of Scotland
at the east end of the village. In 1938 the 2 churches were united and in the mid 1940's the St. Margaret's Free Church and manse were sold and the proceeds used to refurbish the St. Margaret's Church Hall. Two beautiful stained glass windows from the Free Church and a Celtic Cross, thought to have come from the priory, were incorporated into the building. In 1988 the Parish Church was closed and united with Saint Andrew
's Church in the neighbouring parish of Lhanbryde
. With the closure the communion table, baptismal font, and several chairs were placed in St Margaret's Hall. The Parish Church and manse were sold, the former now converted to a bed and breakfast
and St. Margaret's Hall is now used as the village place of worship, with services being held there on the last Sunday of each month.
In 1884 a station was opened in Urquhart on the Great North of Scotland Railway
(GNSR) Moray Coast line. This saw the village become more attractive as a place to live with people working elsewhere along the railway line, especially in Elgin. The railway line was closed in 1968 as a result of the 'Beeching Axe
'.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
, 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...
with a population of 420 (as at the 2001 Census). It is approximately five miles east of Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
, and between the villages of Lhanbryde
Lhanbryde
Lhanbryde is a village in Moray, Scotland, four miles east of Elgin. Previously bisected by the A96, it was bypassed in the early 1990s and now lies to the north of this busy trunk road....
and Garmouth
Garmouth, Moray
Garmouth , spurious ) , is a village in Moray, north east Scotland. It is situated close to the mouth of the River Spey, and the coast of the Moray Firth at nearby Kingston .Garmouth has a claim to fame as the landing point of King Charles II on his return...
.
Barony of Urquhart History
Mary Queen of Scots, the Dowager Queen of France, in 1561 rewarded her trusted friend, and most loyal supporter George Seton, 7th Lord SetonGeorge Seton, 7th Lord Seton
George Seton V, 7th Lord Seton was a Lord of the Parliament of Scotland, Master of the Household of Mary, Queen of Scots and Provost of Edinburgh. He was the eldest son of George Seton, 6th Lord Seton and Elizabeth Hay, a daughter of John Hay, 3rd Lord Hay of Yester...
, with the stewardship of the estates of Pluscarden Priory and four years later, she gave the Priory to his son, her godson, Alexander Seton
Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline
Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline was a Scottish lawyer, judge and politician. He was Lord President of the Court of Session from 1598 to 1604 and Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1604 to 1622....
. During the troubled years that followed, the Setons lost possession, but they regained control in 1581 when Alexander was appointed Commendator. They subsequently retained it when, six years later, the monastery was dissolved and its rich lands, scattered across the southern plains of Moray Firth from the approaches to Castle Urquhart in the west to Urquhart-on-Spey in the east, were erected into a barony for him, providing him with the title of Urquhart when he became Lord of Session the following year. Subsequently, Lord Urquhart, 1st Baron of Urquhart was created Lord Kyvie in the Peerage of Scotland, and was later created Earl of Dunfermline. In 1605, he was appointed Lord Chancellor of Scotland, a post he held until his death in 1622. Since that time the feudal Barony of Urquhart has been passed by inheritance and through land acquisition many times. The current and 19th Baron of Urquhart is Robert A. Cromartie of Urquhart-on-Spey, FSA (Scot).
Village of Urquhart History
In farmland on the northern part of the village lies the a small but well-preserved stone circle near which flint and stone implements of neolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
age have been found, as well as some fine gold armlets.
In 1125 David I
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
, King of Scots, founded a priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
, as a cell of the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey is as a Church of Scotland Parish Church located in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. In 2002 the congregation had 806 members. The minister is the Reverend Alastair Jessamine...
, on low ground just to the ENE of the village. This was an attempt to 'introduce civilisation' to the local native population of Celts. However, in 1454 the Benedictine's abandoned Urquhart Priory
Urquhart Priory
Urquhart Priory was a Benedictine monastic community in Moray. It was founded by King David I of Scotland in 1136 as a cell of Dunfermline Abbey in the aftermath of the defeat of King Óengus of Moray. It remained a dependency of Dunfermline, and by 1454 had only 2 monks. The pope, Nicholas V,...
, moving instead to Pluscarden Abbey
Pluscarden Abbey
Pluscarden Abbey is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery located in the glen of the Black Burn about 10 kilometres south-west of Elgin, in Moray, Scotland...
, SW of Elgin, after the merger of the two had been agreed by a bull of Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V , born Tommaso Parentucelli, was Pope from March 6, 1447 to his death in 1455.-Biography:He was born at Sarzana, Liguria, where his father was a physician...
. The buildings soon started to fall into disrepair and decay and in 1654 the site had become a ruin and the remaining building materials were removed to be used in the construction of a granary in the nearby village of Garmouth and in the repair of the manse and churchyard wall.
The first reference to a church in Urquhart, which was dedicated to Saint Margaret
Margaret the Virgin
Margaret the Virgin, also known as Margaret of Antioch , virgin and martyr, is celebrated as a saint by the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches on July 20; and on July 17 in the Orthodox Church. Her historical existence has been questioned; she was declared apocryphal by Pope Gelasius I in 494,...
, appears in a deed of 1237. This church fell into disrepair early in the 19th Century and in 1843 was replaced with the building of a new Parish Church on Gashill just to the north of the village. At around the same time, the remains of the original church were used to build a new Free Church of Scotland
Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)
The Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish denomination which was formed in 1843 by a large withdrawal from the established Church of Scotland in a schism known as the "Disruption of 1843"...
at the east end of the village. In 1938 the 2 churches were united and in the mid 1940's the St. Margaret's Free Church and manse were sold and the proceeds used to refurbish the St. Margaret's Church Hall. Two beautiful stained glass windows from the Free Church and a Celtic Cross, thought to have come from the priory, were incorporated into the building. In 1988 the Parish Church was closed and united with Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
's Church in the neighbouring parish of Lhanbryde
Lhanbryde
Lhanbryde is a village in Moray, Scotland, four miles east of Elgin. Previously bisected by the A96, it was bypassed in the early 1990s and now lies to the north of this busy trunk road....
. With the closure the communion table, baptismal font, and several chairs were placed in St Margaret's Hall. The Parish Church and manse were sold, the former now converted to a bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
and St. Margaret's Hall is now used as the village place of worship, with services being held there on the last Sunday of each month.
In 1884 a station was opened in Urquhart on the Great North of Scotland Railway
Great North of Scotland Railway
The Great North of Scotland Railway was one of the smaller Scottish railways before the grouping, operating in the far north-east of the country. It was formed in 1845 and received its Parliamentary approval on June 26, 1846, following over two years of local meetings...
(GNSR) Moray Coast line. This saw the village become more attractive as a place to live with people working elsewhere along the railway line, especially in Elgin. The railway line was closed in 1968 as a result of the 'Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
'.