Alvie, a parish of Badenoch, SE Inverness-shire, traversed for 10 miles from its south-western to its north-eastern border by the Spey, Wade's military road, and the Highland railway, with the central station on the last of Kincraig, 18½ miles SSW of Grantown. It is bounded NE and E by Duthil, SE by Aberdeenshire, S by Perthshire, W by Kingussie, and NW by Moy: its greatest length from N to S being 21½ miles, its breadth from 3 to 11 miles, and its land area 86,618 acres or 135 square miles. Most of this area is occupied by mountains, those to the left of the Spey forming part of the Monadhliath range: those to its right, of the Grampians. The former culminate in Càrn na h'Easgainn (2656 feet) on the western boundary beyond the Dulnan river, and, between the Dulnan and Spey, in Geal Càrn Mar (2702 feet) and Beinn Bhreac (2618). These heights are surpassed by those of the SE or Glen Fishie portion, where an outskirt of Braeriach rises upon the eastern border to 4149 feet, while lesser elevations are Sgoran Dubh (3658 feet), Càrn B n (3443), Meall Dubh-achaidh (3268), and Monadh Mòr (3651). There are in the whole parish 27 summits exceeding 2000 feet above sea-level or 1279 above Loch Insh, the lake into which the Spey expands, and the western shore of which belongs to Alvie. Loch Alvie, in the NE, the only other lake of any size, measures 1 by ½ mile, and communicates with the Spey, which has a width here of 150 feet, and which, 3 miles higher up, receives the Fishie. The latter stream, rising in the extreme south of the parish, winds 23 miles northward: its glen was the object of the ' delightful, successful expedition ' made by the Queen and Prince Consort, 4 Sept. 1860. ' The Fishie,' Her Majesty writes, ' is a fine rapid river, full of stones. As yon approach the glen, which is very narrow, the scenery becomes very fine, particularly after fording the Eidart [a considerable affluent]. . . . The rapid river is overhung by rocks, with trees, birch and fir: the hills rise very steeply on both sides, with rich rocks and corries-while the path winds along, rising gradually higher and higher. It is quite magnificent ' (Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the Highlands, ed. 1877, pp. 140-144). The Journal goes on to relate how the royal party came upon ' a most lovely spot, the scene of all Landseer's glory,' and 7 miles lower down emerged in Strathspey, where they saw the cairn at which Argyll halted before the battle of Glenlivet (1594), and passed by Kinrara. This lodge belongs to the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, and gives him since 1876 the title of Earl of Kinrara, but at present is tenanted by the Earl of Stamford. It stands between Loch Alvie and the Spey, on a rocky knoll embosomed in continuous beech forest: was visited by Prince Leopold (afterwards King of the Belgians) in 1821: and was the summer residence of the ' sprightly ' Duchess of Gordon (1746-1812), whose grave in the valley below, at a spot she had chosen herself, is marked by a beautiful monument. Above on Tor Alvie are a granite column, 90 feet high, to her son, the fifth Duke (1770-1836), and a cairn to the officers of the 42d and 92d slain at Waterloo, the 92d Gordon Highlanders having been raised in Strathspey in 1794. Belleville House, 2¼ miles SW of Loch Insh, stands where Raits Castle, the Comyns' ancient stronghold, stood and, built by ' Ossian Macpherson ' (1738-96), was the scene of his literary labours and death. A marble obelisk, ½ mile distant, is sculptured with the Bard of Morven's bust: and a pond in a meadow before the house is the ' Lochandhu ' of Sir Thomas Dick Lander's romance (1825), a birch-grove that once surrounded it having formed the retreat of the bandit Borlum. A cairn, two concentric circles, and an obelisk at Delfour, make up with some tumuli the antiquities of Alvie, whose sparse population is almost confined to Strathspey, the only arable portion of the parish. ' Most striking, ' writes the Queen, ' was the utter solitude on our whole long journey. Hardly a habitation ! and hardly meeting a soul ! ' At Lynwilg in the NE is a post office (under Aviemore): Lynchat is a hamlet in the extreme SW: near Loch Alvie stand the parish church (1798), the manse, and a school, with (1879) an average attendance of 70 children, and a grant of £61, 11s.: at Kincraig are a Free church and another post office (under Kingussie). Valuation (1881) £8947, 6s. 6d., of which £3337, 18s. 6d. belonged to The Mackintosh, and £2319, 15s. to Sir Geo. Macpherson-Grant of Ballindalloch. Pop., mostly Gaelic-speaking (1821) 963, (1831) 1092, (1871) 882, (1881) 707.—Ord. Sur., shs. 64, 74, 1874-77.
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errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from
the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be
different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original
text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity.
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