Glenorchy, of which the Marquis of Breadalbane is sole proprietor,
was, like many other places, ruthlessly cleared of its whole native
population. The writer of the New Statistical Account of the Parish,
in 1843, the Rev. Duncan Maclean, “Fior Ghael” of the _Teachdaire_,
informs us that the census taken by Dr. Webster in 1755, and by Dr.
MacIntyre forty years later, in 1795, “differ exceedingly little,” only
to the number of sixty. The Marquis of the day, it is well known, was a
good friend of his reverence; the feeling was naturally reciprocated,
and one of the apparent results is that the reverend author abstained
from giving, in his Account of the Parish, the population statistics
of the Glenorchy district. It was, however, impossible to pass over
that important portion of his duty altogether, and, apparently with
reluctance, he makes the following sad admission:--“A great and rapid
decrease has, however, taken place since [referring to the population
in 1795]. This decrease is mainly attributable to the introduction of
sheep, and the absorption of small into large tenements. The aboriginal
population of the parish of Glenorchy (not of Inishail) has been
nearly supplanted by adventurers from the neighbouring district of
Breadalbane, who now occupy the far largest share of the parish. There
are a few, and only a few, shoots from the stems that supplied the
ancient population. Some clans, who were rather numerous and powerful,
have disappeared altogether; others, viz., the Downies, Macnabs,
Macnicols, and Fletchers, have nearly ceased to exist. The Macgregors,
at one time lords of the soil, have totally disappeared; not one of the
name is to be found among the population. The Macintyres, at once time
extremely numerous, are likewise greatly reduced.”
By this nobleman’s mania for evictions, the population of Glenorchy was
reduced from 1806 in 1831 to 831 in 1841, or by nearly a thousand souls
in the short space of ten years! It is, however, gratifying to find
that it has since, under wiser management, very largely increased.