Contin (

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, an ...

: Cunndainn) is a

Ross-shire Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting ...

village, and a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

and community council area between Strathpeffer and Garve 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. The parish has a population of 675.General Register Office for Scotland : ''Census 2001 : KS01 Usual Resident Population : Contin Civil Parish''
Retrieved 2009-12-18 The church in Contin is dedicated to St Maelrubha or Máel Ruba and is on Contin Island which lies in the

Black Water (Conon) The Black Water (Scottish Gaelic: An t-Alltan Dubh) is a river in the Highlands of Scotland. It begins at the confluence of the Glascarnoch River with the Abhainn Srath a' Bhàthaich, near where it is crossed by the Black Bridge, carrying the A83 ...

and is reached from the rest of the village by two bridges, one foot and the other road. The present building dates back to the 18th century but there has probably been a church on this site since the 7th or 8th century. According to a booklet "Parish of Contin 690 to 1990", based on research by Rev. A.C. Maclean FSA, JP Minister from 1906 to 1937, published by the Church of Contin "Between 1485 and 1487 the Macdonalds and some of their allies (about 1,000 men) meeting at Contin, at the appropriately named ( gd, Blar' na'n Ceann) or ''the field of heads'' on their way to a punitive raid against the Mackenzies of Kinellan, discovered the church was filled with the aged men, women and children trusting to its sanctuary. Alexander Macdonald ordered the door to be shut and the building to be surrounded so that none could escape. He gave orders to set the church on fire, and everyone within - several hundreds - were burnt to death. Vengeance from the Mackenzies and Macreas was swift. After the battle at Pairc, one or two hundred out of 1,800 to 2,000 Macdonalds and their followers, who had eventually gathered at Contin, were left to escape as they might."

Notable people

* Runrig songwriter and percussionist Calum MacDonald lives in the village in the Old Manse. Coul House Hotel is situated in the hills to the North of the village. * John Mackenzie, recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

* Dr Paul Monaghan, SNP MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross from 2015-17.

References

{{reflist Populated places in Ross and Cromarty Parishes in Ross and Cromarty