The Troubling of the Waters

He was succeeded by Thomas Fleming. It was during Fleming’s ministry that the “remarkable agitation” of the waters of Loch Tay took place. On the morning of 12th September, 1784, the water at Kenmore receded some
fifty yards from the bank. There was no wind, no earthquake and the water retreated quite tranquilly. This ebb and flow took place repeatedly over a period of several days after which the water gradually returned to its former place.

It was the local blacksmith, by the name of Maclntyre, who was the first eye-witness. He had come down to the loch-side to wash his face and hands and was more than a little perturbed to find the water receding while he attended to his ablutions. Naturally he ran to tell his neighbours who all came to watch the phenomenon.
Unfortunately the minister was not at home, being in Amulree taking the Service. When he returned, however, he found everyone talking of the strange happening and he was able to write a full account for the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

It was three years after this phenomenon that Robert Burns visited the district and was greatly struck by the beauty of the surroundings. Staying in Kenmore Hotel, he wrote a poem in praise of the natural beauty surrounding,
The Tay meandering sweet in infant pride This poem is in its original script above the mantel of the fireplace in the
Poet’s Parlour in the Hotel.

In 1791, the Society for the propagation of Christian knowledge, with the help of funds from Lady Glenorchy’s Bequest, established a mission station with a minister to serve Lawers and Ardeonaig. Cohn McVean was appointed, but, when Kenmore became vacant, he was inducted to the charge there. With his induction in 1793, there began a unique succession of long ministries. From then until the four hundredth anniversary of the Church at Kenmore in 1979 there have been but five ministers in the Parish Church. At the beginning of McVean’s ministry there were 40 persons on the Poor Roll of the Parish. They were maintained by collections amounting to £32, a sum which was augmented by philanthropic gifts from
the Breadalbane family, including the sale of balls of wool for “widows and orphans”. It was during Mr. McVean’s ministry that the new Castle of Taymouth was built. However, changes in the economic life of the Parish were
becoming inevitable, and a further prophecy of the Lady of Lawers now began to be fulfilled.

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