Donald Ross, Scourie

From Donald Munro’s Records of Grace in Sutherland:

Donald Ross, Scourie village, was a beautiful Christian character who apparently feared the Lord from his youth. When a young man, he was forced to leave home to join the army, but after reaching Fort George, he was allowed to return. On that occasion, be heard Dr. MacDonald preach in Dingwall, and the great preacher’s fervent appeals be could never forget. Alexander Ross, Foindle, Loch Laxford, elder in the Free Church and a cousin of Donald Ross, was another grandson. As a Friday speaker, he was better remembered for his strong testimony against the innovations in worship and errors of the day than for any original thought On one occasion, Donald Ross, Scourie, was working at peats in Reay Forest, near the road, and on the week of the Rogart Communion, he saw John Mackenzie and John Gunn pass on the mail-coach on their way to the services. The thought occurred to him — “These men are putting themselves to trouble for the good of their souls, and surely my soul is as needful as theirs of the blessing which they seek after”, and so he resolved to attend the sacrament. His work allowed him to go away when be liked, and so be returned home to Scourie, a distance of fourteen miles, for a change of clothing. Travelling during the night, for it was the middle of July, he reached Rogart – a distance of over fifty miles, walking practically all the way, in time for the Fellowship meeting. He was never in the place before, and was not known to the people, and his modesty made him shrink from making any attempt to look for a house to stay in, so he remained outside all that night. He had a piece of oatcake in his pocket which, with a drink out of a spring near the place of meeting, sustained him. At the dead of night, he rested in the preaching tent. He spent the night of Friday and Saturday in this fashion, and on Sabbath evening after the service of the day, he retired to the spring of water, intending to spend that night also outside. He was observed by a shepherd, who was on his way home about three-quarters of a mile from the place of meeting, and knowing he was a stranger, he took him to his own house. Dr. Mackay, Inverness, assisted at that Communion, and preached a sermon on “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost”, which to Donald proved to be a feast full of marrow.

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In the Report of The Commissioners of Religious Instruction, Scotland, 1837, mention is made of another Donald Ross connected with the Parish — a teacher employed by the Society in Scotland for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge. He had been appointed a catechist for both the Eddrachillis parish and the quoad sacra parish of Kinlochbervie, which latter appointment was said to be six years previously. He was employed as an SSPCK teacher in the parish of Assynt at a station called ‘Slishachilish,’ probably in the Drumbeg area. He was listed as a teacher there as early as the 1809 report but may have been earlier. He was still teaching in 1836. In 1831, the Presbytery records indicate that Roderick Mackenzie was catechist and in the 1841 census, George Campbell is listed as catechist living in Scourie.