The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

The Estate of Btight.
Before the present Urquhart road was formed early this
century, the enlarged Bught and Kinmylies march ran a
little to its left, and any one passing the road westwards,
say opposite to the road leading to Balphadric, will observe
inside the present wall the remains of a feal dyke—the old
march. When the late Mr Grant erected the present stone
wall, he was permitted to do so along the present road, the
narrow intervening stripe 'twixt the old feal dyke and the
public road being useless to Kinmylies Estate,
Bught was now a compact Estate, and Mr Grant began
to improve and square off the arable land. He also planted
Torvean, hitherto a bare, ugly hill, covered with whins.
He enlarged the house, and formed the fine extensive
garden, with its remarkable holly hedge fence. It is a pity
that the ancient burial ground of Kilvean, a little to the
south of the Bught steading, has been obliterated.
In Mr Duncan Grant's time, the Canal was formed,
bisecting the estate, but it is said the compensation, and
for land taken, about ten barren acres, viz., ^1500, almost
equalled the price paid to Clerk Eraser's Trustees for the
original Estate.
Provost Grant, the only son of Duncan Grant, suc-
ceeded. He was one of the most hospitable of men, was
twice married, first to Miss Gillanders of Highfield, and
second to Miss Mackintosh, Dalmigavie. The Provost was
succeeded by his only son, the late Mr Duncan Grant,
through whose beneficence the present handsome Town
Hall of Inverness greatly owes its existence. To Mr
Grant's memory I take the opportunity of adding my
hearty tribute for his kindness, continued from the time of
his father, and spreading almost over a century, in allowing
the poor women of Tomnahurich Street and the neighbourhood
to gather and carry off sticks and decayed
branches, free firing for their humble homes, from the
woods of Torvean, and which old kindly custom terminated
in the North with Mr Grant.
In the time of Mr Grant's relict, the late lamented Mrs
Warrand, the Miln of Bught with its pertinents was added