Month: June 2012

Tracing one’s ancestors is a major interest today. The purpose of this page is to give you some help and assistance in doing so, particularly in relationship to local families and past residents of the Strath. With the digitisation of past records it is becoming easier to gain access to useful sources of information. Some local archives are held in Inverness. Some useful information may be obtained at Inverness Library. But, for records such as births, deaths, baptisms and marriages most of these pre-1900 are held in New Register House in Edinburgh. However, there are internet sites, some, for access to you have to pay, others are free, such as those containing past census records. This means that if you have a computer and access to the internet much basic research can be done from the comfort of your own home. There are also several helpful monthly magazines now produced very informative and certainly worth looking at. There is also computer software which you can purchase such as Family Historian 3 or, RootsMagic, to name but two, which can help you to organise, store and present your findings as wallcharts, family trees etc. Alternatively, you can even employ someone to do the searching for you but the deeper you dig the more time consuming and costly the searching is likely to be. It would be good to build a database of local family histories.

Do let me know if you have done any research in this area. There are also several books and guides produced which can help you know how to go about researching your family history, if you know of any really good ones do let me know, so that we can pass such useful information on.

Let me give you however some useful sites to begin with and if you know of others please do let me know and I will add them to my list!

Introduction and advice

• www.genuki.org.uk/big.sct
• www.cyndislist.com/scotland
• www.ancestralscotland.com
• www.scotlandgenweb.org

Civil registration- Births, deaths, marriages

• www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
• www.sctbdm.com/
• www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/famrec/hlpsrch
• www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/famrec/bdm.html

Census returns

• www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
• www.freecen.rootsweb.com

Church Records

• www.genuki.org/big/sct
• www.gro-scotland.gov.uk
• www.familysearch.org
• www.freepages.geneology.rootsweb.com/~hughwallis
• www.catholic-heritage.net/sca

Probate records

• www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
• www.scottishdocuments.com/content/default.asp

Archives, catalogues, manuscripts

• www.scan.org.uk
• www.nas.gov.uk/catalogues
• www.nas.gov.uk/guides
• www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra
• www.archiveshub.ac.uk
• www.nas.gov.uk/nras/register.asp
• www.gashe.ac.uk
• www.nls.uk
• www.familia.org.uk

Local History

• www.scotland-inverness.co.uk
• www.edina.ac.uk/statacc
• www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz
• www.nls.uk/digitallibrary/index.html
• www.maphistory.info/imagebi.html
• www.chartingthenation.lib.ed.ac.uk

Family and Clan Societies

• www.genuki.org.uk/Societies/Scotland.html
• www.scotsgenealogy.com
• www.scotlandscalns.com
• www.scotlandsfamily.com
• en.wikipedia.org/wki/Clan_MacKintosh
• www.myclan.com/clans/MacKintosh_83/default.php
• www.clanchattan.org.uk/associated_clans.html
• members.tripod.com/a2fister2000/id71.htm

Magazines

• www.family-tree.co.uk
• www.ancestorsmagazine.co.uk

There are of course many more more specific sources of infromation that can be sought out, school records, war records, employment records, immigration or emmigration records, local newspapers etc. as well as the many existing family websites connected to specific surnames or people. Books also can be a helpful source of information for example I was loaned a book the other day with was a record of all the local people who fought at the Battle of Culloden, giving their names and where they had lived and what clan they had fought for. Happy searching!

Strathdearn Football Club was formed in the early 90’s by Jimmy Irvine and managed by him until 2005. Club Captain Kenny Macdonald has been with the Club since it was formed. The current squad comes from Tomatin and Strathnairn and plays in the Strathspey and Badenoch Welfare League.

This winters weather has played havoc with the Inverness League programme due to end in February. As at date of writing, Tomatin have played just 8 of their 16 scheduled league games and currently lie in second position in the league. However, in view of the varying number of games played by different teams, a true position is difficult to establish at present. Hopefully the weather will improve and allow more matches to take place.

Bruce Harman

Team

The present team comprises of a squad of 20 players. The team strip is maroon with yellow flashes. League matches are played on Tuesday nights and Cup matches on Friday nights both at 7pm.

(Gaig nan Corp agus Uaigh nan Saigh dear)

After the Battle of Culloden (16th April 1746) two exhausted, unknown members of Prince Charles Edward Stuart’s defeated Jacobite Army took refuge for the night in a hollow at the top of the brae. The following morning the sleeping soldiers were executed by marauding Hanoverian dragoons, early victims of the savage retribution inflicted across the Highlands by the Duke of Cumberland’s forces. The bodies were later taken down the slope by local people and buried at the edge of the arable ground.

In 2004 a memorial cairn was built at the grave which incorporates an old inscription stone placed by Mr James Dunbar, Invereen, on the burial mound in 1940.

The top inscription on the cairn reads: “On this spot lies the remains of two Highland soldiers members of the army of Charles Edward Stuart executed nearby while returning home after the Battle of Culloden fought on 16th April 1746”

An Information Board is fixed to a stone plinth at the top of the brae. The Cairn can be found at Grid Ref NH79653/BNG 30124.

Glenkirk Windfarm

Glenkirk Windfarm Ballot Results

Strathdearn Community Council decided at its meeting on 28 November 2006, attended by 8 Community Councillors and 28 members of the public, to ballot the community to ensure that as accurate a community response as possible on the above development was sent to the planning authorities.

The ballot count took place at a Public Meeting in the Strathdearn Hall on Wednesday 20 December at 7.30 pm. Present were 8 Community Councillors, the Minutes Secretary and 23 members of the public. Rev R F Campbell, the Parish Minister who lives outwith Strathdearn, acted as Returning Officer, assisted by Mr Alistair Cameron, an independent witness.

At the close of the ballot result, Strathdearn Community Council unanimously resolved (on the motion of Mr Hart, seconded by Mr Bonniface) to send a letter to both the Scottish Executive and Highland Council stating that:

Strathdearn Community Council now wishes to formally object to the development of a Wind Farm at Glenkirk for the following reasons contained in the ballot responses:

1. On the grounds of visual and environmental adverse impact, during construction and in use, on an area of great natural beauty, and also an area dependent on tourism and recreation.
2. Adverse impact on local businesses and employment.
3. Strathdearn Community Council also wishes to record that Strathdearn already has had to accommodate the Farr Wind Farm with 45 turbines, which is having a noticeable effect in the village. Strathdearn Community Council considers the proposed Glenkirk Wind Farm to constitute an undue proliferation of turbines in a relatively small geographical area.

If, despite these strong objections, the Scottish Executive is minded to approve this development, Strathdearn Community Council wishes to continue to object to the use of the Balvraid Road as an access route to the Wind Farm as a condition of planning as stated in our letter to you dated 19 January 2006.

Latest news:

Mr E Usborne and Mr A Wallace have had an introductory meeting with Mr Sakamoto, of Eurus Energy re. the propossed windfarm at Glenkirk. Discussion had taken place re possible projects including the potential use of a turbine for the Strath, and also a new Village Hall. They were now awaiting response.

Planning Contact for Strathdearn Community Council

Eurus Energy

Dunmaglass Windfarm

The Community Council has objected to the Dunmaglass windfarm on the grounds that the development would pose an economic threat to jobs and tourism; have a wider impact on protected species; and a detrimental impact on wild land.

Coignafearn estate has raised a legal challenge to the contentious decision by Highland Council not to object to the proposed 33 turbine windfarm.

Dumnaglass Wind Farm update
It was noted that planning by the Scottish Government had been given. No further feedback regarding Community Benefit had been received and William Gillfinnan had been approached prior to the meeting for any updates, no response had been received. It was noted with some disappointment that the RES webpage detailed that Community Benefit had been agreed. To date the Community Council had not been approached on matter re the planning approval by RES or Highland Council over road improvements/community liaison.

Tom nan Clach Windfarm at Cawdor

The view of the meeting was that there was concern that the Tom nan Clach windfarm may use the same access and grid connection as Glenkirk, resulting in a second lot of construction traffic for a further period and more disruption.

Infinergy is a Dutch company who have submitted a Planning Application to Highland Council seeking permission for the erection of 17 wind turbines each 110m high plus 2 temporary compounds and 2 temporary rock quarries at Tom nan Clach.

Moy Windfarm

Proposed windfarm by Carbonfree see: www.moywindfarm.co.uk

Discussion over community benefit remains complex and challenging for all concerned. It was noted that John Macleod and Paul Davies had been co opted onto the Community Council to represent the Community Council in the work of the Liaison Group process.

Kyllachy/Farr Extension

RWE npower renawables has requested a scoping option for a 20-turbine development on Kyllachy and Farr Estates

Proposal for Wind Farm Daviot

Simon Green from West Coast Energy attended and presented on the proposal for 13 turbines to be located in Daviot: Craggie with the potential to produce 32.5 MW of energy. Community Benefit of £4,000 per mega watt is proposed with the option of sharing the revenue from one of the turbines.

Daviot wind Farm Public Exhibition – Tues. 29th March 3-8pm Strathdearn Hall, Tomatin, Wednesday 30th March 3-8pm Daviot Village Hall

Most recent news from Community Council

Glenkirk

Re-submit our objection to this application.

N Power/Robert Warren

Concerns regarding the visual impact and the noise levels. Mr Bryden has put in an extra eight locations to get visual reports on, and an extra 6 locations for noise levels, with all these submitted to the Scottish Government.

Relevant Websites

• Scottish Renwables
• BWEA
• Tom nan Clach Windfarm
• Moy Windfarm

The two-year Upland Solutions project deliberately set out to understand the uplands through the eyes of those who live and work in them. We wanted to capture how those at ground-level see the opportunities and challenges that they face on a daily basis. We wanted to explore how they see those opportunities and challenges impacting on the future livelihood of their jobs, families, communities and surrounding landscapes. We wanted their views on where systems are working well and delivering secure and sustainable opportunities. At the same time, we wanted to understand where those at the sharp-end feel that their aspirations for the future are being frustrated by barriers, constraints or uncertainty.