Farr is a mountainous parish in the northern division of Sutherlandshire. It is bounded by the North Sea, and by Reay, Kildonan, Clyne, Rogart, Lairg, Eddrachillis, and Tongue. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Altnaharra or Altnaharrow, Armadale, Bettyhill, Clachan, Farr, Melvich, Portskerra, Strathnaver, Strathy
The parish of Reay was situated partly in the county of Caithness and partly in the county of Sutherland. No change was made in the boundary between the counties; but the portion of the parish in the county of Sutherland was disjoined from the parish of Reay and annexed to the parish of Farr, i.e., so much of the old parish of Reay as was situated in the county of Sutherland now forms part of the parish of Farr. See affected properties and landholders. (1892: Boundary of counties and parishes in Scotland as settled by the Boundary Commissioners under the Local Government Act, 1889, by Hay Shennan)
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church of Farr was a commune kirk of the Cathedral of Dornoch. There is within the bounds a mission chapel in Strathnaver.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Strathy. The parish of Strathy was disjoined from Farr on 4 February 1846.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Farr (QO)
Strathy (QS)
(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
Parish registers turned over to the Registrar-General, as a result of the Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Scotland) Act of 1854. The letters B. D. and M. indicate Births (or Baptisms), Deaths (or Burials), and Marriages (or Proclamations of Banns) respectively. Numbers indicate separate volumes or books. Note: These records are by no means complete or without damage; consult the Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland (1872) to learn more about the condition of the records.
| OPR and RD Numbers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date Range | Name | Number | Type |
| 1790-1854 | Farr | 50 | OPR |
| 1833-1854 | Strathy | 50 | OPR |
| 1855-1855 | Farr | 50 | RD |
| 1856-1971 | Kirkton (Farr) | 50-1 | RD |
| 1856-1971 | Strathy | 50-2 | RD |
| 1972-2001 | Kirkton | 174 | RD |
| 1972-2001 | Strathy | 175 | RD |
| 2002-2006 | (Farr) Kirkton and Tongue | 174 | RD |
| 2002-2006 | (Strathy) Thurso, Strathy, and Mey | 161 | RD |
| 2009 | (Farr) Highland, Kirkton and Tongue | 174 | RD |
| 2009 | (Strathy) Highland; Thurso, Strathy and Mey | 161 | RD |
| 2026 | (Farr) Highland Council; Bettyhill, Strathnaver and Altnaharra Community Council | ||
| 2026 | (Strathy) Highland Council; Strathy and Armadale Community Council | ||
| 2026 | (Tongue) Highland Council; Tongue Community Council | ||
(2009: Parishes and Registration Districts of Scotland - Old and New, National Records of Scotland)
Local community councils (2026) are provided as a potential source of additional information for settlements within the original boundaries of the parish. (Source)
Statistics from informal and official censuses
Anderson, Campbell, Gordon, Gunn, MacKay, Munro, Murray, Robertson, Ross, Sutherland
Note: Names appearing in research materials, other than censuses. Simple names (First name, surname only) have been omitted unless they appear associated with large properties. All women's names, and men's names with occupations, military ranks, or peerage titles are included.
By the Reverend Mr James Dingwall.
"There are in this parish 186 families, 4 millwrights, 4 house carpenters, 12 wrights, 34 weavers, 24 shoemakers, 20 tailors, 100 household servants (40 males and 60 females), and 37 labouring servants. The population is not materially different from what it was 5, 10, or 20 years ago. Each marriages produces, at an average, from 4 to 5 children. In 1772, there were 77 persons who emigrated to North Carolina, and others have been going annually since to the south of Scotland. Some have left the parish for want of employment."
(This section contains excerpts, at times restructured or paraphrased, from an article appearing in Statistical Account of Scotland, Sir John Sinclair, 1791-1799)
Primary Sources:
Statistical Account of Scotland (1791-1799), Volume 3, p. 538
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 15, Section I, p. 66
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
