Beauly: Guide

Beauly (pronounced Bewley; a corruption of Beaulieu), is a town of the traditional Scotland|Scottish Counties of Scotland|county of Inverness-shire, on the River Beauly, 10 miles West of Inverness by the Far North Line|Far North railway line. Its population was measured as 855 in 1901. The town is now within the Highland council area.

Its chief interest is the beautiful remains of Beauly Priory, or the Priory Church of the Blessed Virgin and John the Baptist, founded in 1230 by John Bisset of the Aird, for Valliscaulian monks (Historic Scotland). At the Reformation the buildings (except the church, now a ruin) passed into the possession of Lord Lovat. On the right bank of the river is the site of Lovat Castle, which once belonged to the Bissets, but was presented by James VI, to Hugh Fraser and afterwards demolished. To the south-east is the church of Kirkhill containing the vault of the Lovats as well as a number of septs of the Mackenzies, including Seaforth and Mackenzies of Gairloch. Three miles south of Beauly is Beaufort Castle, the chief seat of the Lovats, a fine modern mansion in the Scottish baronial style. It occupies the site of a fortress erected in the time of Alexander II of Scotland|Alexander II., which was besieged in 1303 by Edward I of England|Edward I. This was replaced by several castles in succession, of which one–Castle Dounie—was taken by Oliver Cromwell and burned by the duke of Cumberland in 1746, the conflagration being witnessed from a neighbouring hill by Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, before his capture on Loch Morar.

The current Lord Lovat sold the castle to Ann Gloag of the Stagecoach Group to pay off debts. The land around Beauly is fertile and the town historically traded in coal, timber, lime, grain and fish.

The town is famous for its shinty team, Beauly Shinty Club, who have won the Camanachd Cup three times and have been World Champions once.

See also