Note (return) — Chapter IX

By the above record, which is a regrant of the Strathnaver lands by Archebald Bishop of Moray in May 1269 to Reginald Chen II, not only is his marriage before that date to Mary daughter of Johanna by Freskin de Moravia proved, but the lands in Strathnaver are identifiable. They were "Langeval and Rossewal, tofftys de Dovyr, Achenedess, Clibr', Ardovyr and Cornefern," which now are known in part as Langdale, Rossal, Achness, Clibreck and Coire-na-fearn, while "tofftys" are "tofts," and "Dovyr" and "Ardovyr" are respectively old Gaelic for "water" and for "upper water." "Dovyr" would denote the River Naver and loch of that name, and "Ardovyr" would mean Loch Coire and the Mallard River, that is the "Abhain 'a Mhail Aird" of the Ordnance Map (whatever that may mean),19 which rises in Loch Coire, and, after a course of six miles from its upper valley, falls about 330 feet below its source into the River Naver at Dalharrold. These lands of the Lady Johanna lay partly to the south of Loch Naver, extended southwards nearly to Ben Armine, and stretched westwards to Loch Vellich or Bealach and the Crask and Mudale, eastwards to Loch Truderscaig, and northwards down the valley of the Naver at least as far as Syre. Part of them, close to Achness,20 is to this day known locally as Kerrow-na-Shein, or Chen's Quarter, either after Johanna's son-in-law, Sir Reginald Chen II, or after her grandson of the same name, the great "Morar na Shein," about whom so many legends still survive in Cat. These lands in Strathnaver are roughly hatched on the map of Cat in this volume, and, as she gave them away in charitable trust, they probably formed only a small part of her whole estate after her marriage with Freskin de Moravia, which probably comprised the old Parish of Farr, now divided into Tongue, Farr, and Reay.