No register of deaths kept in the parish.
| The average number | of persons | under fifteen years of age, | 1693 |
| " | " | betwixt fifteen and thirty | 1128 |
| " | " | betwixt thirty and fifty, | 927 |
| " | " | betwixt fifty and seventy, | 602 |
| " | " | upwards of seventy, | 95 |
There are only four blind individuals within the bounds of this parish; ten fatuous persons; and six deaf and dumb; four of the latter belong to one family, and two to another.
"Language, &c.—The language generally spoken is the Gaelic. I am not aware that it has lost ground within the last forty years. Some young men, indeed, who have received a smattering of education, consider they are doing great service to the Gaelic by interspersing their conversation with English words, and giving them a Gaelic termination and accent. These corrupters of both languages, with more pride than good taste, now and then introduce words of bad English or of bad Scotch, which they have learned from the Newhaven or Buckie fishermen, whom they meet with on the coast of Caithness during the fishing season. The Gaelic, however, is still spoken in as great purity by the inhabitants in general as it was forty years ago.
"The houses of the people in general have but one outer door, and as they and their cattle go in by that one entrance,—the bipeds to take possession of one end of the house, and the quadrupeds of the other,—it cannot be expected that a habitation common to man and beast can be particularly clean. Some of the people, indeed, are now getting into the way of building byres for their cattle, contiguous to their dwelling-houses; and it is acknowledged even by the most indolent that a great improvement is thus effected. It is hoped that the practice may soon become more general. When the young people go to kirk or market, few appear more 'trig or clean;' and a stranger would hardly be persuaded that some of them lived in such miserable hovels. When a girl dresses in her best attire, her very habiliments, in some instances, would be sufficient to purchase a better dwelling-house than that from which she has just issued.
"The people are in general contented with their situation and circumstances. If they have a lot of lands, grass for two or three cows, and fishing materials, they seldom have any further objects of ambition. Owing to the means of education not being commensurate with the increase of population, the intellectual character of the people does not keep pace with their moral and religious character. They are naturally a shrewd, sensible, steady sort of people. With a few exceptions, they are of good moral character. They seldom quarrel among each other; and when they have any differences, these are generally settled by the proprietors or factors. A law-suit is seldom heard of from this parish.
"When I advert to their religious character, I am constrained to acknowledge my fear that their knowledge of the truths of our holy religion is more of the head than the heart. The form of godliness is not so much wanting as its power. I do not mean, however, that in this respect the people of this parish are not on a parity with those of the neighbourhood.
"Smuggling was carried on to a great extent in this parish some years ago, but is now very much on the decrease; indeed while there is a vestige of such a demoralizing practice remaining there can be but slender hopes of moral improvement. It may be mentioned to the honour of one of the heritors, that he has erected a licensed distillery, for the sole purpose of giving a death-blow to the smuggling on his estate.
"IV.—Industry.
"Agriculture.—The number of families employed in agriculture, including those who employ servants, is 556; male servants upwards of twenty years of age, 86; female servants of all ages, 141. Number of acres under wood, 5000. The woods are generally kept in good condition, by thinning, pruning, &c.
"Rent of Land.—Average rent of arable land is from 10s to £1 per acre; rent of grazing a cow or ox for a year, from £1 to £2; rent of pasturing a ewe or sheep for a year, from 1s 6d to 2s 6d.
"Wages.—Farm servants receive from £5 to £8 per annum for wages, exclusive of their victuals; masons receive from 2s 6d to 3s, carpenters from 2s to 2s 6d, blacksmiths 3s, weavers from 1s 6d to 2s, per day, all including victuals.
"Fisheries.—The various kinds of fisheries carried on in this parish are salmon fishing, cod and ling fishing, and herring fishing. The salmon fishings are let at £150 per annum. Salmon fishing is carried on by cruives, stell-nets, bag-nets, and stake-nets. Cod and ling are taken by long lines and the hand-line; and herring by the common mode of meshed nets.
"Navigation.—There are four vessels belonging to the several ports in the parish, averaging about thirty-five tons burthen each.
"V.—Parochial Economy.
"Means of Communication.—This parish is extremely ill supplied with the means of communication, owing to the want of roads. We have one post-office, situated at Poolewe.
"Ecclesiastical State.—The parish church is as conveniently situated as it could well be, considering the extent of the parish; its distance from the eastern extremity of the parish is twenty-eight miles, from the southern fifteen miles, from the western twelve miles, and from the northern extremity twenty miles. The church was built in the year 1791, and got a thorough repair in 1834. The church affords accommodation for five hundred sitters only. The manse was built in the year 1805; but a considerable addition was built to it in the year 1823. The glebe is worth about £30 per annum; the amount of the stipend is £240. There is one Government church in the parish; it is situated at Poolewe, six miles to the north of the parish church, and fourteen from the northern extremity of the parish. It is now erected into a new and separate parish quoad sacra, called the Parish of Poolewe. We have one catechist employed by the Committee for managing His Majesty's Royal Bounty, and another paid by contributions from the parishioners. There is not a single Dissenter within the bounds of the parish. The average number of communicants at the parish church and Government church is 360.
"Education.—The total number of schools in the parish is nine; the parochial school is one of that number; all the rest are supported by different religious societies. The branches of instruction taught at the parochial school are Greek, Latin, mathematics, arithmetic, writing and English, and Gaelic reading. The branches taught at the Society schools are arithmetic, writing, English and Gaelic reading. The salary in the parochial school is £30 sterling, and £4 are obtained from school fees; at the Society Schools the salaries are from £5 to £25 sterling. Scarcely any school fees can be calculated upon, owing to the poverty of the people. From six to eight schools are still required in the parish; and some of the schools now in operation ought to be put on a more permanent and efficient footing. Not more than one in every ten of the whole population is able to read and write in English. In 1833, 1773 persons above six years of age could not read either in the Gaelic or English languages.
"Poor.—The number of poor receiving parochial aid in the parish is about one hundred, each receiving from 2s 6d to 6s per annum. The annual amount for their relief is about £16, principally arising from church door collections.
"Inns.—There are five licensed inns in the parish. Their effects are most destructive to the morals of the people. This is evident from the fact, that those who live in the close neighbourhood of these houses are in general given to tippling and idleness, while those who have not such a temptation at their doors are sober industrious people.
"Fuel.—Peat is the only kind of fuel used by the people; it is procured in the mosses contiguous to their dwelling-houses, at an expense of from £1 to £2 for a family, in the year.
"September, 1836.
F.
EXTRACTS from the Records of the Presbytery of Dingwall relating to the Parish of Gairloch.
I.—Minutes Referring to the Inaccessibility of Gairloch.
At Kilmorack, 8th August 1649.
"The Brethren tacking to their consideration the expediencie of visiting the Hiland Kirks and the ordinance made thereanent formerly, appoynts to tacke journey (God willing) upon Monday nixt, and to visit the Kirk of Kintaill upon the Wednesday, the Kirk of Lochalsh upon the Thursday, and the Kirk of Lochcarrin upon the Fryday immediately following; and ordaines Mr Dod. McRae to advertise them conforme, and to writt to Mr Alexr. McKenzie, minister of Lochcarrin, requiring him in the Presbyteries name to advertise Mr Rorie McKenzie at Garloch and Mr Dod. Ross at Lochbroome to meete with them at Lochcarrin the said Fryday for appoynting dyats for visiting their Kirks."