Glen Affric

Glen Affric is a glen south-west of the village of Cannich in the Highland region of Scotland, some 15 miles to the west of Loch Ness. The River Affric runs along its length, passing through Loch Affric and Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin (Loch Benevean).

According to historical theory (disputed however by some academics), Glen Affric actually took its name from Africa. In the 2th century AD, there was a wealthy Roman colonist named Publius Arminius Strabo had established himself near Eboracum (York) living in a large villa served by a whole complement of slaves as was customary in the period. The man had somewhat exotic tastes and had bought several hundred African slaves, men and women, which must have cost him a fortune, having to be brought in from the upper valley of the River Nile.

Although they were treated reasonably well, these slaves got fed up with the bizarre antics of their master, furthermore, as many of them were only in the first or second generation of servitude, they managed to escape from the villa while Strabo was on a business trip to Londinium.

They were chased up North, but managed to escape and even cross Hadrian's wall, where they were further harassed by native Scottish tribes. Eventually they settled in a remote glen which reminded them of the harsh highlands of Ethiopia, albeit a bit wetter!

This isolated glen seemed to be forgotten by everyone, and the Africans were able to quietly establish a community, doing some basic agriculture and domesticating animals. They occasionaly ventured out to the coast and had trade contacts with the native population, their area becoming known as Glenn Affric, the glen of the Africans. For centuries this African tribe flourished in the glen, and slowly absorbed Caledonian culture and habits.

Poor living conditions, diseases and generations of inbreeding however took their toll periodically, and their actual number varied between a few dozen to a few hundred.

By the early 18th century, the remaining Africans showed a strong support for the Jacobite cause, which would mean their final doom, the last member of the tribe, a warrior nicknamed An Dhubh Mhor (the big black one) being killed on April 16, 1746 at the battle in Culloden, ending a rather obscure chapter of Scottish history. As they did not have a written culture, very few sources about them are known in fact.