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3000 BC to 2000 BC
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Neolithic people in the Black Isle raising cattle, sheep and pigs, and cultivating wheat and barley
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1179
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Ormond Castle may originally have been one of the two royal castles erected on the Black Isle by William the Lion in 1179
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1297
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Andrew de Moray escaped from the English in the Spring of 1297 (Ormond Castle in existence at this time)
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1563
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Dunbar family leased from the Bishop of Ross “three fourths of the town and lands of Avach with the mill and multures” - so meal mill already present
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1614
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John Mackenzie, Archdeacon of Ross and minister of Killearnan fined for raiding the harvest in Avoch. He was fined £100
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1660s
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The lands of Pittanochtie (later known as Rosehaugh) were acquired by grant by Sir George Mackenzie, the son of Simon Mackenzie of Lochslin Castle
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1670
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First church was built on the present site of the Parish Church
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1683
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First written record of potatoes in Scotland by John Reid, gardener to Sir Goege Mackenzie of Rosehaugh in his book “The Scots Gard’ner” Reid recommends its use as a garden vegetable and gave instructions for its cultivation.
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1696
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Run-rig system of farming known to be in use at Fortrose (etching of the area shows it)
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1720s
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Donald Sinclair (Donald the Sailor) took cargoes of salt and tallow from Caithness to Avoch
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1740
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Record of “walk” mill in Avoch
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1762
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First house on site of Rosehaugh built - initially a modest L-shaped building, on the lands known by the two names of Pittanochtie and Rosehaugh
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1763
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Small’s light chain plough invented (a Scottish invention)
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1764
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Alexander Mackenzie born in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis
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1774
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Alexander Mackenzie set sail for New York on the “Peace and Plenty”
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1777
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First appearance of turnips in Scotland - from Sweden - hence the name “swedes”
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1789
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Mackenzie started in the first of his expeditions from Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca, to open up new trading routes for the fur trade
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1790
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The first substantial house at the site of Rosehaugh was built by Roderick Mackenzie
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1793
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Mackenzie traces route across Canada to the Pacific Coast near Bella Coola where he inscribed on a rock, “Alexander Mackenzie from Canada by land, 22 July 1793”; Potatoes recorded as a common crop in the Statistical Account of the time.
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1807
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James Jack born in Elgin
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1810
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31-ton sloop “Gracie”, built in Avoch
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1812
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Mackenzie married Geddes - she was 14 at the time, Mackenize was 48. He bought the estate of Avoch,
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1814
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Avoch harbour was built by Sir Alexander Mackenzie
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1817
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Sea wall between Avoch and Fortrose was built. The inexperience of the contractor led to delays but it was finished ahead of schedule - with money to spare.
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1818
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First record of a school at Killen
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1828
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Open moor grazing land at Mulbuie divided up between neighbouring estates
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1830s
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Last use of run-rig system of farming in the Black Isle
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1832
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Cholera in the village; Sir Alexander Mackenzie died
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1840
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The burn powered three meal mills and one wool carding mill. Avoch mill produced oatmeal until the late 1940s. Turnips common in Avoch as a crop.
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1841
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80-ton schooner “Rosehaugh”, built in Avoch by D Davidson
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1846
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Potato blight
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1852
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James Jack married Frederica Mary Stephen in London. Frederica was the widow of Lieutenant Alexander Macleod Hay of the 58th regiment who had died in 1849.
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1854
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Geddes Mill, the woollen factory opened by Alexander George Mackenzie
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1855
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James and John Jack changed their name to Fletcher
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1857
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James Douglas Fletcher born, the fourth child of James and Frederica Mary
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1860
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Tenancy of Geddes Mill passed to John Shaw, an Englishman. It employed 67 people in total including 9 wool sorters, 16 power loom weavers, 3 woolen cloth teasers, 5 wool spinners and a dyer.
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1864
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Rosehaugh House and lands were bought by James Fletcher. At this time the estate extended to 6,400 acres
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1870
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Current building of the Parish Church built
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1871
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The “droonins” - fishing disaster in the firth
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1873
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Free Church (now Tower House) opened
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1874
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Land acquired from James Douglas Fletcher for school to be built
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1878
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Caroline Violet May Hope, only child of Colonel Montagu Hope and Constance Maud, only daughter of James Fletcher, was born
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1879
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First boat of the Zulu design, “The Nonesuch”, built at Lossiemouth
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1883
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Avoch minister receives gift of money for the most needy families after failure of the herring and garvie fishing
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1893
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James Douglas Fletcher commissioned Flockhart to remodel Rosehaugh House. This was to take until 1902
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1894
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Black Isle Railway opens
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1895
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James Douglas Fletcher formed the Avoch Tweed Mill Company
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1902
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Remodelling of Rosehaugh House completed
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1906
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The harbour was rebuilt
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1908
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Geddes Mill closed as mill and reorganised into living accommodation which had no running water and outside “privvies”
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1909
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James Douglas Fletcher married Lilian Maud
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1914
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Outbreak of World War I. HM Inspector of Schools advises that practical Household Economy lessons be introduced - Killen was unable to do so because of lack of water supply so offered gareding instead
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1922
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Nursing services started in schools
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1923
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By this time, electricity had reached Dingwall, Invergordon and Foddery only
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1927
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James Douglas Fletcher died
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1929
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The pit system of conveniences in schools was replaced by a pail system
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1932
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Combine harvester arrived in Scotland - to Black Isle some time after this
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1940s
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Geddes Mill building demolished
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1941
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According to a report in this year, the number of verminous heads in the County was “a disgrace”.
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1948
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Start of National Health Service
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1950
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“Clever Lassie” was the last Zulu in Avoch; Campaign against tuberculosis through innoculation
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1953
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Lilian Maud Fletcher died and was buried alongside her husband.
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1959
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Rosehaugh House was demolished
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1970s
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Last coal boat comes to Avoch harbour
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1984/85
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Killen School closed
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