OS1/7/3/86
| List of names as written | Various modes of spelling | Authorities for spelling | Situation | Description remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST JOHN'S LOCH | St. John's Loch | Mr Campbell Teacher Dunnet Mr Manson East Dunnet Mr Taylor Dunnet |
006 | This Loch is nearly a mile in length and about half a mile broad. In olden times it was greatly famed for it's supposed virtues in curing all Kinds of chronic disorders, and in consequence people resorted to it from all parts of the county, and even from Sutherland, and the Orkneys. There were particular times for visiting it viz. on the first monday of each quarter of the year - "the Raith" as it is principally called. The summer quarter was on many accounts considered the best. The patient had to walk round the Loch early in the morning and if his strength did not permit him to do so he was carried round it; the ceremony which he had to go through consisted in washing his face, and hands in it's water, and throwing a piece of money - commonly a halfpenny - into it; and if he would desire any permanent benefit to his health it was necessary that he should be out of sight of it before sunrise on the morning of the application of the cure. The origin of this superstition is not Known - superstition it undoubtedly was. The water of this Loch does not appear to possess any medicinal quality. There was anciently, at the east end of this Loch, a Roman Catholic Chapel dedicated to St. John and it is very probable that the alleged virtues of the water may have been conferred on it by the priests thereof, and converted by them into a source of pecuniary gain. For many years after the subversion of the Popish Religion in this district, the practice was maintained; but the money which was previously given to the church was then thrown into the "consecrated" waters of St. John. The people living in its vicinity have no faith in it's healing powers, but it is highly probable that from the united influence of imagination, change of air and exercise some persons were benefited by their jaunt to the "halie lock". I found a coin in the Loch; probably it was one of those "penitentiary coins". Robert Kane Sapr. R.E. [Sapper Royal Engineers] |
Continued entries/extra info
[Page] 86Co. [County] of Caithness -- Parish of Dunnet
[Name Kneevag crossed out, not in Index] -- [Authorities] - Mr Campbell Teacher Dunnet
Mr Manson East Dunnet
Mr Taylor Dunnet
[Description] - A small hillock - cultivated - said to be natural, of nearly the same size and shape of ordinary Pictish houses: The property of Mrs B.T. Sinclair of Freswick.
[Signed] Robert Kane
Sapr R.E. [Sapper Royal Engineers]
Transcribers who have contributed to this page.
Moira L- Moderator, David Glass
Location information for this page.
Linked mapsheets.
