Dalfad

NJ30SW 1 31791 00548

For a second Roman Catholic Chapel (at Clashinruich) see also NJ30SW 8

(NJ 3178 0054) Chapel (In Ruins) (NAT)

OS 6" map, Aberdeenshire, 1st ed., (1868-9)

The chapel is decribed in the Ordnance Survey, Object Name Book as 'the ruins of an old chapel of which nothing is known. Situated in a wood a short distance east of the manse at Dalfad. Nothing but the four walls of it remains and a few gravestones which mark the site of the grave yard. The date of its erection is unknown as also is about its early history. Dedicating name unknown'.

Name Book 1868.

Nearly 100 feet above the river Gairn is the burial place of Dalafad, (a crofting township). It is situated within a small enclosure in which are also the remains of an ancient Roman Catholic chapel.

A Jervise 1875-9.

The remains of a chapel, c.14.4m by c.5.0m with walls c.1.0m thick and c.1.0m high, oriented E to W. Four grave slabs were noted within the now disused burial ground but all are almost completely illegible.

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (R L) 19 November 1968.

Scheduled as 'Dalfad, chapel and burial ground... the remains of a Roman Catholic chapel and burial ground... on the N slope of Glen Gairn, high above the River Gairn.'

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 20 January 2003.

Further examination of the Object Name Book and Jervise (Jervise 1875-9)shows that there were two Roman Catholic Chapels (NJ30SW 1 and NJ30SW 8) in the area of Dalfad.

The full quotation in Jervise is 'About two miles above the bridge, upon the north side of Gairn, are a very neat Roman Catholic Chapel and mission house. A little further up, and nearly 100 feet above the river, is the burial place at

DALFAD

It is situated within a small enclosure, in which are also the remains of an ancient Roman Catholic chapel. There are four rude flat tombstones. One, with an upright stone at the end and a cross upon it, is said to mark the grave of a priest; and here, in 1859, were also laid the remains of MARGARET M'GREGOR, who died at Laggan, at the age of 82. A second stone is unembellished, and the other two (the latter having carvings of crossed bones and a sandglass) are respectively inscribed thus:-

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G.M.G. 1734

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HERE LYSE JOHN GRIERSON

Who died the Second Day of May 1787

- Mr Michie, who was the first to inform us of this interesting burial-place, and kindly copied the inscriptions, says that they refer to "two brothers, who were the lairds of Dalfad, of the name of M'Gregor or Grierson, and who were decendants of the wild M'Gregors who, in the reign of Charles I., were such a scourge to the neighbouring lowlands." John was the immediate ancestor of the family that mustered themselves and dependants, twenty-four strong, on the Haughs of Dalfad to march to Culloden, of whom, it is said, only six returned to tell of the slaughter of their companions.

It appears from the Poll Book of 1696 that Malcolm M'Gregor was then the proprietor of Dalfad, and that he also represented the heirs of Duncan M'Gregor for the lands of Ardochie. There were no fewer than eleven tenants and servants upon the property who bore the name M'Gregor; and in a list of Papists which was given in to the Presbytery of Kincardine O'Neil in 1704, many interesting notices are given of the Griersons, alias M'Gregors of Glengairn. One of them, Calam of Baladar (Ballater) is reported to have built a chapel for the Papists, and to have "erected a very high crucifix on a hill a little near to his house, to be adored by all the neighbourhood." He had for children, one of whom was educated for the priesthood at "Dwi College;" and it is stated that his father's "visible fortune", estimated at 500 merks yearly, is much "adjudged upon decriets obtained against him for rob(b)ing the Laird of Glenkindie's house, and other suchlike barbarities" ... (Jervise 1875-9).

The first sentence would appear to refer to the Roman Catholic Chapel situated near Clashinruich, 740m NW at NJ 31386 01155 (NJ30SW 8), which is also depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Aberdeenshire 1869, sheet lxxx). The rest of the passage refers to the chapel in the woods at NJ 31791 00548 which is also depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (ibid), but not annotated as a Roman Catholic Chapel.

Information from RCAHMS (DE), July 2007