July 17th 1574

The Nine Virgins market

Inchadney is not even a name on the map today, but it was at one time the parish church of Kenmore and a place of some ecclesiastical importance. The church, manse and graveyard all lay within that area of land between the River Tay and Drummond Hill opposite to where the hamlet of Newhall now stands. Among local lairds who were buried within the church grounds were the McGregors of Balloch, the Robertsons of Carwhin and the Macnaughtons of Edragoll.

The markets for the district were also held at Inchadney, the most important being the Feill-nam-ban-naomh or Fair of the Holy Women which was held on July 17th, the day of the Nine Virgins. It was believed that this market was associated with the nunnery of the Isle of Loch Tay and it is believed that the nuns came out of the seclusion of the Isle on this one day of the year to sell their goods for the general benefit of the priory.

There was a ford across the river beside the church but even so it was not easy to cross and in 1575 the market was moved. “On the Nyn Vergines day the prasyn and margat was haldin and began at the Kenmore at the end of Lochtay and there was no margat or fayr haldin at Inchadin.”

Four years later a petition was submitted to the Commissioners for permission to erect a church at Kenmore as the church at Inchadney was in a ruinous condition, but they “reserved alwayes the place of the auld kirk and kirkyaird for ane buriall for the quilk use it served of befoir.” Some work was done to repair the church but from then on it was only used when the minister was unable to cross the ford to the church at Kenmore. The situation did not change for the next seventy years and indeed in 1746 the Earl of Breadalbane made an order forbidding burials to be made at the kirk green at Kenmore. “The kirk beddal for the time being shall make all the graves within the churchyaird of Inchaidane.”

But sixteen years later, after the kirkyard at Kenmore had been laid out, the Earl closed the graveyard at Inchadney.

It was said that the last two burials there were from Bolfracks and Fearnan. By arrangement they took place on the same day at the same hour to relieve both of them from the task of Faire-claodidh. That was the obligation of the last person buried to keep watch at the entrance to the graveyard until the next burial took place.

After the closure, some of the headstones from Inchadney were taken to Kenmore, but many were thrown aside and the churchyard planted with trees. Later, other stones were taken to the roadway leading to Taymouth Castle during the course of erection of the Castle where the constant traffic had made the ground soft.

The final desecration took place around 1800, when the 1st Marquis (4th Earl) ordered the old church and manse to be completely destroyed. Today, no signs remain of the ancient church, manse or graveyard.