Olrig
Olrig is a parish in Caithness, Scotland. The main settlement in the parish is Castletown. Prior to the 19th century, the parish was sub-divided into ten townlands or "fermlands". Townland boundaries were mostly disregarded and lost during the agricultural improvements in the 19th century, but many townland names remain identifiable with farmstead names ending with Mains. Early history The name Olrig (or Olrick) is thought to signify “the son of Erick,” from one of the Norwegian chieftains prominent in the locale following the invasion of Caithness by the King of Norway at the beginning of the ninth century. The Danes invaded Olrig at a distant period, landing at the bay of Murkle but were defeated by the inhabitants in a conflict on a height called, from the slain, Morthill, which is the origin of the name Murkle. There are numerous Pictish houses in the parish, and a nunnery is said to have been located on the lands of Murkle, its site perhaps being marked by a small burn called Closters, a corruption of the word cloisters. At the top of the hill of Olrick are the remains of an ancient watchtower, and it is believed that a church called St. Coomb's Kirk once stood near the eastern boundary of the parish. Its name is derived from its probable dedication to St. Columba. This church is supposed to have been the church of the united parishes of Olrig and Dunnet. There is a tradition that the kirk and the adjoining manse disappeared overnight when they were suddenly overwhelmed by a sandstorm, but “there is no trace of any structure in an area of consolidated sand dunes.” Sinclairs of Olrig Members of Clan Sinclair became associated with Olrig in the mid-seventeenth century. They were as follows: George Sinclair, the fifth son of Sir James Sinclair of Canisbay. Alexander Sinclair, the son of George. He was killed in a duel in 1710 by William Innes of Sandside. Donald Sinclair of Olrig and Bilbster, son of Alexander. Charles Sinclair, the son of Donald. Donald Sinclair, the son of Charles. He died without issue on 9 March 1722. Fenella Sinclair, the sister of Donald, who married Archibald Cullen. She sold the lands of Olrig and Bilbster. Myths and legends Various legends and folk tales are associated with the parish. Versions of these two tales appear in James Traill Calder's History of Caithness 1887 (pages 55 to 61, as republished 1973 by Stansfield, Fortrose). The hillock and well of Sysa figure in both. According to Calder, the well dried up as a result of 19th century agricultural improvements. The hillock is still there, on the south side of Olrig Hill (). The words of Dorrad, in the first tale, are re-quoted from The Raven Banner (page 19) by Ian Cassells, Thurso, circa 1995. See also the Stone Lud Dorrad's vision at Sysa, 1014 At the time of Clontarf, the 1014 battle near Dublin, Caithness was ruled as a part of the Norwegian earldom of Orkney. At