THE OLD VILLAGE

There are many documented events and tales throughout time that shape the history of the Old Village.

We can trace the McMillan’s barony of Lawers commencing in 1160, granted by the Scottish King, Malcolm IV. This allows us to state that the area was occupied at least to some extent, possibly spanning from prior to that era, and over the next 750 years or more until its last occupants left between the First and Second World Wars, early in the 20th Century.

Between these dates, The Old Village of Lawers witnessed turbulent times and many changes in ownership.

In 1473 Sir Colin Campbell was granted the Barony of Lawers, gifted by King James III in reward for Campbell’s role in facilitating the capture of the men who slew the King’s grandfather, King James I. One of those captured was Thomas Chalmers who had been the previous owner of Lawers. Chalmers had taken Lawers by force from the McMillan’s around the mid 1400s.

While developing initially as a fishing village, Lawers was passed from father to son, through the next seven generations of Campbells, each bestowed with the title Laird of Lawers. The sixth laird encountered debts that forced the sale of Lawers. James, his son and last Campbell Laird of Lawers, held his title in name only, until a further sale of the land in 1693 allowed it to become under the ownership of the First Earl of Breadalbane and subsequently part of the Breadalbane Estate.

By the mid 18th Century the first mill was built, located close by Lawers Burn. Flax production began. A second mill was introduced some twenty years later. Lades (channels of water) were directed to the mill wheels, all of which have long been filled in. The village enjoyed it’s highest population count around this era.

100 years onwards to the middle of the 19th Century and the population had plummeted to under 20 people, partially as a result of now crippling rents enforced on the occupants of the buildings.

Finally, by 1926, the very last family departed the Pier Master’s House (adjacent to the House of Lawers). The demise of the ferry service to and from Lawers thus provided no income or reason for the family to remain. The village then sadly became fully abandoned.

Building decay, assisted by cruel Scottish weather conditions, set in over the remainder of the 20th Century. A Historic Environment Scotland Preservation Order was applied to the site in 1995.

As a starting point for sources of further historical information, please visit our page of media links here.

THE LADY OF LAWERS

In the mid to late 1600s, the Lady of Lawers, previously a Stewart from Appin on the west coast of Scotland, is said to have resided in the House of Lawers. She is much celebrated and quoted by some for her fascinating prophecies, even to this day.

One report states that she is buried within the ruins of the village, close to her home, the now ruined two-storey House of Lawers, which had been built following the destruction of the previous Laird’s castle at the same location.

It is not entirely clear, but one possibility is that she was wife to a brother of the sixth laird.

Her prophecies, originally stated in Scots Gaelic, include ‘fire-coaches yet to be seen crossing the Drumochter Pass’, almost 200 years before the introduction of steam trains along the Highland Railway.

‘A mill will be on every streamlet’ came to pass (even locally), as the Old Village developed from a fishing village to include areas for flax milling.

A tree planted next to the Kirk had a number of her prophecies linked to it including ‘whoever shall cut it down will come to an evil end’. Eventually in the later part of the 19th century a tenant of nearby Milton Farm removed part of the tree, helped by a neighbour who soon after lost his sanity and was placed in an asylum. The farm tenant, John Campbell, was killed by one of his bulls.

‘A ship driven by smoke will sink in Loch Tay with great loss of life’ has still to be realised. It is fascinating to ponder that this was a prediction made long before the advent of the steam ship.

It is said that ‘The Lady’ remains as a ghostly presence within the Old Village.