Aberchalder (

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

: ''Obar Chaladair'') is a small settlement and estate at the northern end of

Loch Oich Loch Oich (; gd, Loch Omhaich) is a freshwater loch in the Highlands of Scotland which forms part of the Caledonian Canal, of which it is the highest point. This narrow loch lies between Loch Ness (to the north-east) and Loch Lochy (to the sout ...

in the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland S ...

and is in the

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

council area of Scotland. It lies on the A82 road and is situated in two parishes, Boleskine and

Kilmonivaig Kilmonivaig ( gd, Cill Mo Naomhaig) is a small village, situated close to the southeast end of Loch Lochy in Spean Bridge, Inverness-shire, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland. Fort William lies approximately 15 ...

Fort Augustus Fort Augustus is a settlement in the parish of Boleskine and Abertarff, at the south-west end of Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands. The village has a population of around 646 (2001). Its economy is heavily reliant on tourism. History The Gaeli ...

is within .

Etymology

The town is named for its location. The prefix ''Aber'' refers to "the mouth" or " confluence", while the suffix ''Chalder'' translates to "of the calder". ''Calder'' itself is a corruption of ''Coille Dur'' with ''Coille'' meaning "of the wood" and ''Dur'' used as an obsolete Gaelic term for "water".

History

Aberchalder was owned at one time by Randolph, Earl of Moray, then passing to Dunbar, Earl of Moray, and later to 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 ...

, and still later to

Glengarry The Glengarry bonnet is a traditional Scots cap made of thick-milled woollen material, decorated with a toorie on top, frequently a rosette cockade on the left side, and ribbons hanging behind. It is normally worn as part of Scottish military ...

. On 27 August 1745 the MacDonald of Glencoe's and Glengarry's Regiment joined the Jacobite Army at Aberchalder. In 1812, residents of Aberchalder produced a petition which led to the building of a road connecting the eastern part of the Loch Oich to

Loch Hourn Loch Hourn ( gd, Loch Shubhairne) is a sea loch which separates the peninsulas of Glenelg to the north and Knoydart to the south, on the west coast of Scotland. Geography Loch Hourn runs inland from the Sound of Sleat, opposite the island of Sk ...

A swing bridge is located in the area, the Caledonian Canal and locks ( Cullochy Lock), built upon rocks. The locks were afforded to allow a depth of over 20 feet over its upper-gate sills. The canal flooded during the great floods of November 1834, rising some 27 feet and 3 inches above the upper-gate sills. Immediately before entering the loch, the Aberchalder Burn, a rapid mountain torrent, empties itself into the canal. Despite extensive work on the canal with cement in the summer of 1839, in 1849, further floods washed away the old bridge at Aberchalder, which subsequently led to a dredging of the canal. A new bridge, named the Victoria Bridge, was built about five years later. The new bridge was designed by James Dredge, a brewer turned civil engineer from Bath. In 1932, another bridge was built to accommodate traffic. The area was once served by the Aberchalder railway station. It was opened by the

Highland Railway The Highland Railway (HR) was one of the smaller British railways before the Railways Act 1921, operating north of Perth railway station in Scotland and serving the farthest north of Britain. Based in Inverness, the company was formed by merger ...

( Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway) and became part of the North British Railway, joining the London and North Eastern Railway during the

Grouping Grouping may refer to: * Muenchian grouping * Principles of grouping * Railways Act 1921, also known as Grouping Act, a reorganisation of the British railway system * Grouping (firearms), the pattern of multiple shots from a sidearm See also ...

of 1923. The line closed in 1935. Aberchalder gives its name to the 16,000 acre (65 km²) Aberchalder Estate which has been owned by the Ellice family since the 1860s.

Aberchalder Lodge

Aberchalder Lodge is a country house in the

Inverness-shire Inverness-shire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Nis) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Covering much of the Highlands and Outer Hebrides, it is Scotland's largest county, though one of the smallest in popula ...

region of Scotland's

Highland Council area Highland ( gd, A' Ghàidhealtachd, ; sco, Hieland) is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in the United Kingdom. It was the 7th most populous council area in Scotland at the 2011 census. It shar ...

. The original part of the Lodge dating from the 17th Century was destroyed in a fire in the 1980s. The remaining part of the building dates from 1934. It lies at the centre of the 16,000 acre (65 km²) Aberchalder Estate close to

Geography

There are several mountains and hills in the Aberchalder area. These include, Ben Van (''Bewinn Bhan''), Beinn Laragan, Carn Dearg, Carn na Larach, Goat's Crag (''Craegan nan Gobhar''), Eldrig, Leacann doire bannear (2091 feet), Letterfearn (''Leitir Fearn''), and Mullach a'Ghlinne (1734 ft). The three smaller rivers include Allt na Criche, Coachan a'Bhrudhaiste, and Fairies' Burn (''Allt nan Sithean''). Calder Burn, namesake of the town, is a river that runs through the district's wood for almost its entire length. Bealach Strep is a steep pass south of Laggan. Field of the Shirts (''Blar na Leine'') was the site of a 1543 feud between the Clan Ranald of Moydert and the Frasers. Maiden's Leap (''Ceum na Nighean'') is a rock, difficult to pass, that lies on the road between Aberchalder and Laggan. Coille Shlugan is a wood and Dalruary (''Dal ruairdh'') is a field. Shian (''Dubh Sithean'') is a knoll, specifically the black fairies' knoll, the fairies having been worshipped by the ancient inhabitants of this area. Feil Droman was a market ridge where an annual fair used to be held.

Notable people

* Donald Macdonell (1778–1861), political figure in

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of th ...

* Hugh McDonell, political figure in

* John McDonell, political figure in

* John Lamont (priest), John Lamont (fl. 1814), priest

References

{{Reflist, 2 Populated places in Lochaber Highland Estates