Ardurness
Durness is a parish in Sutherlandshire. It comprises the north-western extremity of the mainland of Scotland. It is bounded on the west and the north by the sea, on the east by Tongue, and on the south by Eddrachillis. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Durine, Durness, Sangomore
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
Durness was a prebend of the Cathedral of Dornoch.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
Parish registers turned over to the Registrar-General, as a result of the Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Scotland) Act of 1854. The letters B. D. and M. indicate Births (or Baptisms), Deaths (or Burials), and Marriages (or Proclamations of Banns) respectively. Numbers indicate separate volumes or books. Note: These records are by no means complete or without damage; consult the Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland (1872) to learn more about the condition of the records.
| OPR and RD Numbers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date Range | Name | Number | Type |
| 1764-1854 | Durness | 48 | OPR |
| 1855-1971 | Durness | 48 | RD |
| 1972-2006 | Durness | 170 | RD |
| 2009 | Highland, Durness | 170 | RD |
| 2026 | Highland Council; Durness Community Council | ||
(2009: Parishes and Registration Districts of Scotland - Old and New, National Records of Scotland)
Local community councils (2026) are provided as a potential source of additional information for settlements within the original boundaries of the parish. (Source)
Statistics from informal and official censuses
Campbell, Grant, Gunn, MacKay, Morrison, Munro, Ross, Stewart, Sutherland, Whyte
Note: Names appearing in research materials, other than censuses. Simple names (First name, surname only) have been omitted unless they appear associated with large properties. All women's names, and men's names with occupations, military ranks, or peerage titles are included.
By the Reverend Mr John Thomson.
"About 17 or 18 years ago, several families emigrated from this parish to North America. A few have removed, within these 2 or 3 years, to seek employment at the cotton mills. Of the character of the inhabitants of this parish, it may be observed, that they are moderately industrious, hospitable, and fond of a military life. Many a brave hardy soldier has gone from Durness; and of these, some have raised themselves considerably in the army."
(This section contains excerpts, at times restructured or paraphrased, from an article appearing in Statistical Account of Scotland, Sir John Sinclair, 1791-1799)
Primary Sources:
Statistical Account of Scotland (1791-1799), Volume 3, p. 576
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 15, Section I, p. 82
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
