Beauly

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Coordinates: 57°29′05″N 4°27′43″W / 57.484662°N 4.462035°W / 57.484662; -4.462035

Beauly
Scottish Gaelic: A' Mhanachainn[1]
Scots: Beuly[2]
Beauly is located in Inverness
Beauly

 Beauly shown within the Inverness area
Population 1,164 [3] (2001 census)
est. 1,130[4] (2006)
OS grid reference NH525465
Council area Highland
Lieutenancy area Inverness
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Beauly
Postcode district IV4
Dialling code 01463
Police Northern
Fire Highlands and Islands
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament Ross, Skye and Lochaber
Scottish Parliament Ross, Skye and Inverness West
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Beauly (play /ˈbjuːl/ bew-lee; from French: Beaulieu meaning "beautiful place"; Scottish Gaelic: A' Mhanachainn) is a town of the Scottish county of Inverness-shire, on the River Beauly, 10 miles west of Inverness by the Far North railway line. Its population was 855 in 1901. The town is now within the Highland council area.

The land around Beauly is fertile and the town historically traded in coal, timber, lime, grain and fish.

Contents

[edit] Early years

Beauly is the site of the Beauly Priory, or the Priory Church of the Blessed Virgin and John the Baptist, founded in 1230 by John Byset of the Aird, for Valliscaulian monks. Following the Reformation, the buildings (except the church, now a ruin) passed into the possession of Lord Lovat.

Beauly is also the site of Lovat Castle, which once belonged to the Bissets, but was presented by James VI, to Hugh Fraser, 5th Lord Lovat and later demolished.

[edit] Recent history

In 1994 Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat sold the castle to Ann Gloag of the Stagecoach Group to pay off debts. In 2002, the Beauly railway station, built in 1862 and closed in 1960, was renovated and reopened.

In January 2010, the Scottish government approved controversial plans for a power line upgrade that will begin in Beauly and end in Denny, Falkirk.[5] The new power line, part of a plan to carry electricity generated by wind farms on the Western Isles, was called "the most significant grid infrastructure project in a generation" by Jim Mather MSP.[5] The 220-kilometre (140 mi) line will consist of a network of 600 pylons, ranging in height from 42 to 65 metres (138 to 213 ft).[5]

Badge of Beauly Shinty Club, drawing on town coat of arms.

[edit] Other attractions

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

To the south-east of Beauly is the church of Kirkhill, Highland 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 modern mansion in the Scottish baronial style. It occupies the site of a fortress erected in the time of Alexander II., which was besieged in 1303 by Edward I. This was replaced by several castles in succession, of which one, Castle Dounie ,was taken by Oliver Cromwell and burned by Prince William, 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.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Specific:

General:

[edit] External links

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