Contin

Coordinates: 57°34′05″N 4°34′43″W / 57.56802°N 4.57868°W / 57.56802; -4.57868

Contin
Scottish Gaelic: Cunndainn
Contin Stores
Contin  Contin shown within the Highland council area
Population	675 (2001)
OS grid reference	NH458560
Parish	Contin
Council area	Highland
Lieutenancy area	Ross and Cromarty
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	STRATHPEFFER
Postcode district	IV14
Dialling code	01997
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 •

Contin (Gaelic: Cunndainn) is a Ross-shire village and civil parish between Strathpeffer and Garve in the Highland council area of Scotland. The parish has a population of 675.^[1]

The church in Contin is dedicated to St Maelrubha or Máel Ruba and is on Contin Island which lies in the Black Water (Conon) and is reached from the rest of the village by two bridges, one foot and the other road. The present building dates back to the 18th century but there has probably been a church on this site since the 7th or 8th century.

According to a booklet "Parish of Contin 690 to 1990", based on research by Rev. A. C. Maclean F.S.A., J.P. Minister from 1906 to 1937, published by the Church of Contin "Between 1485 and 1487 the Macdonalds and some of their allies (about 1,000 men) meeting at Contin, on their way to a punitive raid against the Mackenzies of Kinellan, discovered the church was filled with the aged men, women and children trusting to its sanctuary. Alexander Macdonald ordered the door to be shut and the building to be surrounded so that none could escape. He gave orders to set the church on fire, and everyone within - several hundreds - were burnt to death. Vengeance from the Mackenzies and Macreas was swift. After the battle at Pairc, one or two hundred out of 1,800 to 2,000 Macdonalds and their followers, who had eventually gathered at Contin, were left to escape as they might."

Runrig song-writer and percussionist Calum MacDonald lives in the village in the Old Manse. Coul House Hotel is situated in the hills to the North of the village.

References

1. ^ General Register Office for Scotland : Census 2001 : KS01 Usual Resident Population : Contin Civil Parish Retrieved 2009-12-18