The Tinkers' Burn

Bridge over the Tinkers's Burn by Dava village on a glorious but cold December morning.

The Dava Inn, of which there is now no trace was close to the bridge. Before the arrival of the railway crossing the Dava Moor the Inn was a busy staging post for travellers between Forres, Elgin and Nairn and Grantown-on - Spey and the South. The arrival of the railway greatly reduced the Inn's trade and led to its demise.

In 1789 a dispute about straying cattle damaging neighbours' crops between Dava tenants who were drinking at the inn led to the murder of John Dow McQueen, tennant of Tirriemore. His bleeding body was found on the inn's peatstack by a maid. He appeared to have been felled by blows to the head with a heavy cudgel but who had dealt the blows was never proved. Although suspicion fell on Peter Nairn, one of the men with whom McQueen had been drinking the previous night. Nairn was arrested and tried but was found not guilty.

Unexpectedly sinister goings on for such a tranquil place.