Gaelic Speakers on Upper Deeside
Several changes are apparent in the twenty year gap 1891-1911. In 1891, while there was a scattering of Gaelic speakers in the Dee valley, the biggest concentration was in Inverey, with a smaller concentration in Braemar village. However, by 1911, the number in Inverey had decreased, while the Braemar number had increased, probably by migration. Glen Gairn had a signifiicant number in 1891 but by 1911 this was much less. Glen Muick had very few, even in 1891. By 1911, there were very few Gaelic speakers left in the Dee valley between Ballater and Braemar and those few were on the north side of the Dee.
To see map for 1911, MOVE CURSOR onto the above map.
To see map for NON LOCAL speakers of Gaelic in 1911, CLICK on above map
In upper Deeside, 18% in the parish of Crathie and Braemar were bilingual in 1891. This percentage conceals wide variations, with as much as 61% in the western Inverey area and little as 2% downstream in the Crathie area while in Ballater, in the next parish, only about 0.3% of the town’s population (3,458 in 1891) were Aberdeenshire Gaelic speakers.
The pattern for non-local speakers is significantly different and the number had increased over the twenty year period. Very few were in the Inverey area but there was a cluster in Braemar, with a scattering in the Balmoral area south of the Dee, in contrast to the distribution of local speakers, who were on the north side. See Watson & Clement, 1981 p381
While the parishes of upper Deeside were the last areas where Aberdeenshire Gaelic was to be found, upper Donside, particularly the Corgarff area of Strathdon still had a very few native speakers around the the end of the nineteenth century. The Census of 1891 for Strathdon parish contains the name of only one Gaelic speaking person, born and living in the parish. This was Jane Taylor, born 1841 and living at Blairnamuick in Glen Nochty. However, Harry Michie born 1801 in Strathdon, is found In Tullich on Deeside in1891. The Census for 1911 shows that there were two speakers of Gaelic both born and residing in the parish, both in the extreme western reaches of the Don valley. .
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