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Cats' Den (The)

Kennapole Hill, Rothiemurchus, Inverness-shire.

Cave / shelter.

The Cats' Den is on Creagan a' Chait of Kennapole Hill [NW of Loch Gamhna], and is a curious recess in the rock. It is associated with the legendary history of the Grants of Rothiemurchus. [McConnochie, 1907]

Alternative Names: The Cats' Den, The Cat's Den

Notes: The given coordinates are a general location for the Creagan a' Chait [crag/rock of the cat] as shown on the 1903 6-inch OS map (onwards). However, Creagan a' Chait is shown to be further north at c.NH 887 072 on the 1875 1st Edition, an area called Creag an Fhithich [crag/rock of the ravens] in later editions.

[from McConnochie, 1907]: "About a century ago The Croft was occupied by a younger son of the laird, whose housekeeper had presented him with several children. There were grounds for fear at The Doune that these children and their mother might be left money which otherwise would find its way to the laird, so a diabolical plot was conceived to make the personal appearance of the housekeeper repulsive to her master.

"Black Sandy" [Sandy Grant], an unscrupulous character, was appealed to, and, watching his opportunity, waited till he found the housekeeper alone, when he cut off one of her ears. He had taken the precaution to disguise himself, so the poor woman was unable to identify the man who so cruelly treated her. Black Sandy, however, found it judicious to remove to Revack, near Grantown, where he took to sheep farming. He had a difference with a drover, which ended in his leaving him for dead near Spey Bridge. Once more he had to fleece; this time he retired to the Cats' Den."