(This corresponds to diagram SDD 37
https://coigachlines.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/sdd37-grant-127-162-181-cont-sdd38/)
The Coigach Grants were descended from Private John Grant of the 73rd Regiment and his wife Ann Macleod. Their sons Roderick and William, both of Ullapool, were married early in 1819; Roderick to Margaret Macdonald of Ardmair and William, a boat carpenter, to Catherine Fraser of Morefield (Croft 5).
After bearing two children in Ardmair, Margaret died; Roderick was remarried to Annabel, daughter of Duncan Macgregor of Polglas and had six more Ardmair children before moving to croft 127 (Polglas) about 1838. This croft was tenanted by Roderick and his descendants until within living memory (just)
The two Grant brothers had a little sister Catherine who never married and also moved to Coigach and lived in Polglas (croft 139?) from 1841 to 1861 with her nephew Alex from Roderick’s first marriage.
William and Catherine and their first four children moved about 1828 from Ullapool to croft 162 (Achininver), where they had another five children. He was both the crofting tenant and one of the Coigach millers until his death in 1863. The ruins of a stone-built watermill, with mill-lade and millstone, survives on the east bank near the mouth of the Allt Achabhraigh
William’s descendants also spread to croft 181 (Tanera), where son Roderick and his wife Mary Matheson of croft 183 (Tanera) raised nine Grant grandchildren. His son Alex married Christine Macleod of croft 172 (Culnacreag) and built a dressed stone house on croft 174 (Culnacreag), which he tenanted from 1860 to1881.
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Then the landlord, Cromarty Estates, decided to acquire the Grant’s house and croft to accommodate their newly-married gamekeeper George Macleod. Alex and Christine were evicted, their house was invaded, the door was fitted with locks and bolts and they were locked out of their own home; all is stated in the evidence presented to the Napier Commissioninto crofting. The Crofting Acts which resulted from the Napier Commission’s report would not have permitted this eviction, which unfortunately was too early to benefit from the new protection available to crofters. The census returns of 1891 and 1901 have the gamekeeper and family in occupation of what is still known as the keeper’s house.
Coigach Lines 