The Aird (from the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well a ...

: ''An Àird'' (IPA: �anˈaːɾʃt̪ meaning "The High Place") is an area of the County of Inverness, to the west of the

City of Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histo ...

. It is situated to the south of the River Beauly and the Beauly Firth, and to the north of

Glenurquhart Glenurquhart or Glen Urquhart ( gd, Gleann Urchadain) is a glen running to the west of the village of Drumnadrochit in the Highland (council area), Highland Council areas of Scotland, council area of Scotland. Location Glenurquhart runs fr ...

and the northern end of

Loch Ness Loch Ness (; gd, Loch Nis ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for clai ...

. Villages within the Aird include

Kirkhill Kirkhill or Kirkhills may refer to a number of places. In Canada: *Kirkhill, Nova Scotia *Kirkhill, Ontario North Glengarry is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. It is a predominant ...

, Kiltarlity, Lentran and Inchmore. It is the traditional heart of the

Clan Fraser of Lovat Clan Fraser of Lovat ( gd, Friseal french: link=yes, Fraiser) is a Highland Scottish clan and the principal branch of Clan Fraser. The Frasers of Lovat are strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gaine ...

's territory, containing their family seat of Beaufort Castle. The first known Lord of the Aird, however, was Iain Mac Eoin Nan Gleann or "John Bisset of the Glens" in English. The area gives its name to a

Highland Council The Highland Council (' ), the political body covering the Highland (council area), Highland Local authorities of Scotland, local authority created in 1995, comprises 21 wards, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable v ...

ward - "Aird and Loch Ness".

History

Blar Nam Feinne Blàr nam Fèinne (Battlefield of the Fingalians) on Cnoc na Moine (Hill of the Peat) in The Aird, to the west of Inverness, is the site of the 11th century battle between Scottish forces led by Malcolm III of Scotland against Norwegian forces le ...

( is a site on Cnoc na Moine that reputedly saw a battle in the early 11th century between King Malcolm and Thorfinn of Norway. The Aird is first documented as a provincial lordship between 1203 and 1221. It only survived as a single territory until 1259, when it was divided among the three female heirs of John Bissett of Lovat and their husbands. The extent of the lordship is uncertain. It can be shown to have included the parishes of Convinth, Farnua, Kiltarlity, and Dunballoch, which all lay within the

Province of Moray Moray ( mga, Muréb; la-x-medieval, Moravia; non, Mýræfi) was a province within the area of modern-day Scotland, that may at times up to the 12th century have operated as an independent kingdom or as a power base for competing claimants to t ...

, and may also have included the parish of Glenelg on the west coast. Uniquely among Moravian lordships it may also have included land outside the province, including Edirdovar (now Redcastle) on the

Black Isle The Black Isle ( gd, an t-Eilean Dubh, ) is a peninsula within Ross and Cromarty, in the Scottish Highlands. It includes the towns of Cromarty and Fortrose, and the villages of Culbokie, Jemimaville, Rosemarkie, Avoch, Munlochy, Tore, and ...

, and land within the parish of Kilmorack, both of which lay within the Province of Ross. The Aird is also supposed to be the site of the defeat of Donald Balloch in the 15th century. Various cairns marked the burials from the battles, about 20 mounds have survived forestry operations with varying degrees of mutilation.

History

References

Bibliography

See also