Clachan Mhearchaird
This is Clachan Merchard, or Balintombuie cemetery, Dalchreichard. About this spot here, there was a baptismal font. It was quite a small hollow in a rock, about that size, a bowl. There was reputed to be always water in it. Well it rained a lot anyway. There was always water in it anyway. But in their wisdom the cemetery department has tidied everything up and buried it. That looks like the cover of it, that two or three stones there. It was originally a single stone but you can see it was broken into three parts. St Merchard has a cell here. It was somewhere in the middle of the church yard there. Beside it there was a stone, rather like a small fencepost, supposed to be where the bell was set. It fitted over the top of this, it was a square section bell. I've seen one like it made of iron without a tongue in it. This bell was supposed to ring miraculously before a funeral. It was also supposed to be able to return to it's place in the cemetery here if it was ever removed. It was here until rather more than 100 years ago... no a bit more than 100 years ago. Somebody tested its powers by throwing it in the river (it was meant to float). It didn't float and it didn't come back. His name was Garrow and he's supposed to have lived in Forres in later years. Willuc the blacksmith met him there. Willuc died 20 years ago say; an old man, and he met Garrow when he was an old man. The stone the bell was resting on was tidied up as well and buried.
(In a later telling of this story Pat recounted how Willuc as an apprentice in Forres, came home to Invermoriston. The people there heard from him about Garrow and gave him a shilling. He was to use this money to buy Garrow drink, and once he was drunk enough, Willuc would get him to reveal the resting place of the bell. Unfortunately, when Willuc returned to Forres with his shilling, Garrow had just died).
In the far corner of the cemetery there are several graves. You'll notice that all the graves here are facing to the east. This ones are facing to the west towards Coire Doe. At the resurrection, you see, they would rise up and see Coire Doe. These men were from Coire Doe. Coire Doe was heaven.