Introduction:
The Linked Parishes of Daviot & Dunlichity, and Moy, Dalarossie & Tomatin.
We, the Vacancy Committee of these two rural parishes, covering the parallel valleys of Strathnairn and Strathdearn, are very pleased to introduce you to the profiles we have drawn up of our two parishes.
We are a friendly folk, who though separate parishes with separate Boards and Sessions, and a Service at both Parishes on Sundays, do like to get together at times through the Church year for example, World Day of Prayer Services alternate between the two Parishes, as do Good Friday Evening Services. Members of Moy, Dalarossie & Tomatin have run eight Alpha Courses, two of them in Daviot, involving the local congregation there. 'Midweek at Moy', begun in 1997 by the Kirk Session of Moy, Dalarossie & Tomatin as an inter denominational Christian Fellowship meeting over the summer, is also attended by several folk from Daviot & Dunlichity. And, for the Year of the Child, the two Daviot & Dunlichity elders who are organising Pulpit supply for both parishes, will meet with Kirk Session members at Tomatin to plan together events for the Year of the Child. The "Church without Walls' Report and its implications for our congregations, is another important topic which the Boards and Sessions of both Parishes will meet to consider together. And, of course, since we share a minister, whose needs are met by both Parishes, we have more regular joint Board and Session meetings about once a year, to discuss issues of joint interest like the manse and its maintenance!
The manse itself is a 1960's bungalow, with four bedrooms, a study, dining room, and spacious lounge. It has been very well maintained over the years, and would be a cosy family home though equally suited to a single person or couple! It is situated in a large garden, next to the Church at Daviot, so very convenient for the city of Inverness, while being easily accessible to both parishes.
The profiles prepared by the two parishes will describe more fully what you may expect to find should you decide to come so please, read on enjoy what you read and we pray, be intrigued enough to make more inquiries ....
God Bless You for your interest
Daviot Church:
The Parish of Daviot & Dunlichity Church is a rural charge, covering an area of roughly 25 miles west to east and 5 8 miles north to south. It is a mixture of commuter land for the new city of Inverness, traditional hill farming, small cottage industries, like wood turning or herb nursery, and tourism. There are two large quarries, which inhibit further development around the settlement of Daviot but Farr, and Inverarnie are experiencing some growth.
The population of the area is around 750, but with five churches in the Strath of different denominations, the Communicant Roll of the Parish presently stands at 63, with 39 adherents.
At Farr there is a Free Church of Scotland, and a Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, while at Croachy, a small settlement at the west end of the Strath, there is a Scottish Episcopalian Church. All churches have regular attenders, of roughly the same size as our own this means that on a Sunday morning friends and neighbours wave to each other as they pass on their way to whichever denomination is their own particular tradition! We do, however, have very good relations especially with the Scottish Episcopalian Church at Croachy, holding a joint Service of Remembrance with them at Daviot each year, and inviting them to our evening services during the summer months at Dunlichity. They are also often invited to social functions we may hold during the year, and joined with us and members from Moy, Dalarossie & Tomatin, and Dores & Boleskine, when we entertained the Moderator of the Church of Scotland during his visit to the Inverness Presbytery in November 2000.
Our own two churches are Daviot Church a famous landmark on the A9 on an ancient site of worship and Dunlichity Church - an old small church nestling on the hillside, also on an ancient Christian site of worship dating back to the time of St Finan.
Daviot Church dates from 1826 and is situated on a small hillock, locally known for generations (at least from the times of the old drove roads) as the 'Priest's Hillock'. It had been a landmark, a Christian landmark, since long before the church was built.
In 1989, a survey of the church was done as a result of which it was found that the roof was in a very perilous state. It was to cost about £50,000 simply to repair the roof, but to restore the church to its original condition was to cost hundreds of thousands. However, with the help of a grant from Historic Scotland, a grant from the General Trustees, money was found for a complete restoration of the church. It was re opened in November 1991 the roof repaired, the gallery restored, the buttresses holding up the walls no longer necessary therefore removed, and even the cockerel on the steeple re gilded. It was a tremendous undertaking, but with God's help and inspiration the work was done and paid for with no debts outstanding.
It is a building with a long history, but its latest chapter has transformed or rather recreated a wonderful feeling of light and uplifting spirit which makes worship there an awesome experience. The restoration completely transformed a rather dark little church, which was recognised when it won the Cookson Conservation and Restoration Award in 1992 for that work. It like Dunlichity, is really rather plain, but light and on a Sunday, full of the Spirit. Services are held here every Sunday at 12 noon.
Dunlichty
Dunlichity Church was surveyed at the same time, and work was needed there too, but it was met from our (healthy) Fabric Fund. Dry rot was found there a couple of years ago, but was fortunately found in time, and dealt with immediately. A possible cause of the dry rot was the fact of earth being close to the church building, and no proper drainage in the ancient churchyard. However, with the cooperation of the local council, steps were taken to remedy the situation, and finally, in the year 2000 an old wall holding back a bank behind the church was repaired and the whole problem solved. It was a fairly costly exercise, but thanks to a bequest by a former minister, Dr John MacPherson, our Fabric Fund has an income of £3,000 - £4,000 per annum, so it was affordable.
Dunlichity Church is on a very ancient site. It is believed that St Finan preached on the site, although at that time probably not in a building. The church that we have today is also not the original, but even so, dates from 1758. It is a wonderfully quiet and blessed place, and although at present congregations there are very small, it is a place that never fails to bring spiritual benefit to those who come. It is never truer to say that 'where two or three are gathered together, there too am I, for that is certainly felt in Dunlichity Church.
Services are held here only once a month the first Sunday morning of the month at 10.45 am from November till March, and the first Sunday evening of the month at 7.00 pm from April till October. Members of St Paul's, Croachy regularly join us for worship during the summer months.
It is interesting to note that on a rocky hillside beside the church there is the baptismal stone believed to have been the original stone used in baptisms in the area. To celebrate the anniversary of St Columba in June of 1999, a walk was held from Dunlichity Church to St Paul's Croachy, when other ancient ties with our past, and past times in the Strath were discussed as we passed.
The whole Strath is rich in history from the standing stones and burial chambers at Clava, to the lesser known standing stones at Gask; Dun Davie presiding over Daviot, and preserved although the quarry has now to work around it; esker formations at Wester Lairgs; to boulders left by retreating glaciers at the end of the ice age at Farr. Further west too are remains of stone circles to be found, and of course, it is possible to plot the journey of retreating Jacobites after Culloden through the Strath to the west. It is said that Bonnie Prince Charlie himself rested for a while in the oldest part of what is now Aberarder House not too long though, as the redcoats were close behind him not quite so close as they were slightly further west, in the next Strath, when at Gorthleck House it is said he had to jump out of a window to escape the pursuing redcoats!
It is a Strath with a long a varied history, and being close to the new city of Inverness has the potential for a bright future.
Our parish is rural, following the valley of the River Nairn. We have no large village in the parish, but a series of small settlements. From west to cast, there is Croachy 15 houses or so, plus St Paul's Episcopal Church; Farr a spread out settlement comprising Farr Estate, 15 - 20 houses, Farr Primary School with some 20 or so children, Daviot Free Church, and Farr Free Presbyterian Church; a little further on, is the growing settlement of Inverarnie again about 15 20 houses, the shop and Post Office, and the new Farr Community Hall. Here too, 6 amenity houses have been built this year for people of the community living in tied houses, e.g., who would like to retire here, and between the hall and the shop two new sports pitches have been created one full sized shinty pitch, plus one almost full sized football pitch. Sites for the hall, the pitches and the amenity houses were the gift to the community of a local farmer when he retired.
Some four miles or so further on is the settlement of Daviot. Again, it is a scattered community, this time divided by the A9, so that we now have Daviot East, and Daviot West. In Daviot West there is, of course, Daviot Church and Daviot Manse, Daviot School and the Strathnairn Hall, as well as one of the two quarries at Daviot. The other quarry is still in Daviot West but on the other side of the river.
There is some reason for concern re the second one, and an action group has been set up locally, as there is the possibility of an application for landfill coming to that quarry. This will naturally be resisted, as a landfill is the last thing we want in this beautiful Strath!
The Manse is next to the church and is a four bedroomed bungalow in a large garden. The primary school a 2 teacher vibrant focal point of the community is only a couple of hundred yards away. Secondary schooling is in Inverness, but with transport provided. Millburn Academy is a school of very good reputation.
The parish carries on then along the river Nairn, through Daviot Muir and Nairnside on the north side of the river, and Mealmore and Craggie on the south side again also scattered communities.
At Mealmore, we have a private Nursing Home, catering for the elderly, and the confused. There are also patients who have come from long term care at Craig Dunain, (mental hospital in Inverness closed a few years ago, when patients were gradually introduced to community care) but still require care.
Our congregation comes from all the ends of this scattered Strath, as well as a fair number who come up from town. Unfortunately, it has to be said that the congregation is ageing. There are not many regular attenders who are aged less than 50, and there is really only one family who attend regularly. Because of a lack of facilities and teachers the Sunday School folded some years back, and the children of the parish relied on monthly family services at Daviot, and regular visits to the schools by the minister for their contact with the church. For some, regrettably, this was their only contact with the church and the message of the Gospel. However, this is something that the Session has recognised, and one of our elders has, on his own initiative, completed the Children's ministry training course, and we hope in the future to establish, if not a Sunday School, then a mid week club at the new hall at Inverarnie where most of the children live an exciting, challenge for our whole parish which we are keen to take up.
The Session itself consists at present of 8 working members 3 men and 5 women. The Session Clerk is one of the women, as is the Treasurer, and the Clerk to the Board is also a woman. The Session itself, besides being a good mix of the genders, is also a good mix of country dwellers and 'townies' with 2 farmers, 2 farmers' wives, (one of whom is incidentally the local councillor) a retired farmer, a hospital accommodation manager, and a retired university lecturer, who did much of her work overseas in Africa, and a local builder's wife.
We are active during Christian Aid week, and have a joint house to house collection with St Paul's, Croachy. Our Presbytery elder leads our campaign for Christian Aid, and is a member of the World Mission committee. Our links extend beyond the parish to our World Mission Partners in Tabeetha School in Israel.
The Session is enthusiastic to see the parish progress, and to see the revitalisation and rejuvenation of the congregation.
The Parish
The Parish of Moy, Dalarossie and Tomatin covers 151 square miles and has a population approaching 500. Living in Tomatin (halfway 16 miles) between Inverness and Aviemore, gives easy access to shopping, the cinema, Eden Court Theatre, etc. in the city, and winter sports, hill walking and climbing, in the Aviemore area.
Moy, Dalarossie and Tomatin have 38 members and 23 adherents. Most of our regular worshippers are over 50. There are two further Churches in Tomatin the Free Church of Scotland (the Minister belongs to the Free Church Continuing), and the Free Presbyterian Church, with approximately 10 local members and adherents. Other faith groups represented in the Parish are Roman Catholics, Methodists, Baptists and Episcopalians, all of whom travel outwith the Parish to attend worship.
At the northern end of the Parish lies the village of Moy. The home of the Chief of the Clan Mackintosh, Moy Estate once employed many estate workers while other residents were employed as forestry and railway workers. Nowadays there are only about half a dozen workers on the estate, although part of the hill and moorland has been leased to a consortium of businessmen who have re established a sporting estate employing two gamekeepers. The remaining residents work in agriculture, commute to Inverness, are self employed, or retired.
Every year at the beginning of August, the Moy Game Fair attracts people interested in field sports, as well as locals and tourists, from far and wide. Crafts, clothing and local produce can also be purchased at this two day event.
Driving south from Moy along the side road and then the A9, for about three miles, takes one to the Tomatin Junction and the Little Chef and Tomatin Filling Station. A little further on is the entrance to the Tomatin Distillery (The largest malt whisky distillery in the world) around which cluster a Visitor Centre, about 25 workers cottages, 5 managers houses and a farm. Another mile takes one to the village of Tomatin.
Driving past Tomatin Church, one passes the Village Shop and Post Office, the award winning Tomatin Inn, and the entrance to Old Mill Road, comprising 20 council houses (a few of which have been bought) and 3 private houses. A hundred yards further along the old A9 is the Strathdearn Village Hall, made up of the original 1960's Hall and a smart new building opened in 1999 where our Sunday Club meets at the same time as the Morning Service.
The existing primary schools at Raigbeg (Tomatin) and Moy are closing in June 2002. A new three classroom primary school with attached nursery, opposite Tomatin Church is to open in August 2002. Driving a further mile past Morile Farm, a few cottages, and approximately twenty new houses which have sprung up in the last 10 - 15 years (this area is zoned for further housing development in the Local Plan) takes one to Findhom Bridge. A right turn just before the bridge leads onto the single track: Glen road and four miles further on Dalarossie Church is situated in a field off the road. This road continues past Dalarossie for another five miles or so to Coignafearn. Apart from the Distillery, the Little Chef the Shop and Filling Station, residents are employed on the various sporting estates, in agriculture, in tourism, or are self employed, commuters, or retired.
Tomatin Church
Tomatin Church, built in 1903, is a fine example of the 'tin churches' erected at the turn of the century by the United Free Church to serve as mission churches and halls in areas of new population. Being very well maintained for the past 100 years, it has become a significant piece of architectural history. However, it is also an interesting part of the social history of Tomatin. Many new workers were required for the building of the railway which opened in 1898, as well as the new road (a previous A9) and the new distillery. This meant that new families were coming to live in the parish, with housing beginning to be provided not only by the estates but also by the new employers, and in time, by the Council. Therefore the need was identified for a mission church to be near where the people had their houses. When the United Free Church reunited with the Church of Scotland in 1929, the 'tin church` at Tomatin became one of the three parish churches of Moy, Dalarossie and Tomatin.
There is one service each Sunday, held in' rotation in one of our churches or the Village Hall as follows:
Moy Church - 10.45 am
4th Sunday of the Month - April to October
3rd & 5th Sundays - November to March
Dalarossie Church - 10.30 am
1st & 3rd Sundays - April to October
1st Sunday of the Month - November to March
Tomatin Church - 10.30 am
* 2nd & 5th Sundays - April to October
* 2nd & 4th Sundays - November to March
* On the second Sunday of each month during school term time, Morning Worship takes place in the Strathdearn Village Hall at 10.30 am where a Family Service is held with the Sunday Club children and their families.
The Parish of Moy, Dalarossie & Tomatin was linked with Daviot and Dunlichity in 1971.
The congregation is mainly over 50. The Kirk Session is made up of four elders, one of whom is an experienced male elder with over 30 years service. The other three are younger women, ordained since 1997. We are also grateful for the assistance given by our two male assessor elders from Inverness. The Congregational Board is made up of the Kirk Session plus three women and one man. The Clerk to the Board is female.
Three elders took a Lay Training in Pastoral Care Course at Raigmore Hospital. Two undertake voluntary work as Chaplaincy Assistants. Three elders took a six week course in Christian Healing. One elder remains involved with, and Treasurer of, the Christian Fellowship of Healing (Highland). This elder also revived the Sunday Club in 1998. Twelve primary school aged children now attend regularly. The Kirk Session was concerned, however, that the Sunday Club was becoming a separate entity as the children and their parents were never seen in Church. To counteract this, the Kirk Session moved the monthly Family Services to the Village Hall where children are now involved as far as practicable in the worship. Tea, coffee and orange squash are served after the Service to encourage fellowship. These services are well attended and three of the Sunday Club parents have become adherents.
The Session Clerk, Sunday Club Leader and three helpers attended a seminar organized by Inverness Presbytery in January 2002 on the Year of the Child. Following this, the Session Clerk visited the Sunday Club to listen to what the children had to say about how they felt about Church, and what would make them feel more welcome.
The Manse