OS1/33/27/17
| List of names as written | Various modes of spelling | Authorities for spelling | Situation | Description remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRATH OF KILDONAN | Strath of Kildonan Strath of Kildonan Strath of Kildonan |
Joseph Peacock Esqr Factor Golspie Revd. [Reverend] P. Clark Estabd. [Established] Church manse Helmsdale Mr Donald Sutherland Suisgill Cottage |
067; 068 | This strath extends through the whole length of the parish Keeping nearly parallel with the east or Caithness Boundary It is diversified at intervals with patches of Arable, Rough Pasture, and natural birch woods, Formerly it was thickly populated by small tenants; but about fifty years ago they were all with the exception of a few at Helmsdale ejected from their homes to make way for extensive sheep farms, which at the present time this strath is almost exclusively devoted The Duke of Sutherland is the sole proprietor |
Continued entries/extra info
[Page] 17County of Sutherland -- Parish of Kildonan
Strath of Kildonan [Note]
The leading valley, and most important part of the parish, is, however,
as frequently called Strath Helmsdale, (disregarding the tautology of Strath
and Dale) as it is called Strath of Kildonan; but in Gaelic it is alone known
by the Stra' Iligh, while the river is called Aven-Iligh,_ and the village of Helmsdale , at the
mouth of the river, Bun-Iligh, _ the root or lower end of Iligh. All this strengthens the belief
that the river Helmsdale is the "Ilius flumen ," or river Ilie of Ptolemy, who places that river on the present
east coast of Sutherland, and close to "Verubium promontorium," which is unquestionably the Ord of Caithness.
The name Ilie is therefore older than that of Helmsdale, which must have been introduced, long subsequent to the time of
Agricola, by the northmen, whose inroads and adventures on the coasts of Sutherland and Caithness, during
the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth centuries, are so often narrated in the northern Sagas, and historically arranged
by Torfaeus. Kildonan, again, is believed to have originated after the settlement of Christian missionaries in the
north of Scotland, and is, therefore, in all probability, of more ancient origin than the name Helmsdale.
New Statistical Account page 134
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