Kilmelfort

Kilmelfort

 

Name	Value	Date	Grid Ref	Map Sources	Other forms, comments etc
Asknish	4m	1581-2	NM 798105	Blaeu(Lorn) Langlands(1801) OS(1871)	4m(1609, 1621, 1622), 3m(1620, 1652, 1718, 1751). Included Eilean Gamhna (NM 7810) and Eilean Creagach (NM 7808/7809)
Kames	7½m (or 6m)	1508	NM 8111/8211	Blaeu(Lorn) Langlands(1801)	Camusnanesre(1203), Camasnanesserin(1561). See below. Upper & Nether Kaimes in 1751 (3m each).
Tullich	4m	1751	NM 835122	Blaeu(Lorn) Roy (PC 18) Langlands(1801) OS(1871)	Linked with Duaig? See below. Roy (PC 18) marks two more clusters of buildings near Tullich. Although neither are named I suspect one was for Dowaig.
Glenmore	2m	1656	NM 8514/8614 (based on Roy)	Blaeu(Lorn) Roy (PC 18) Langlands(1801) OS(1871)	Gleann Mor was marked in 1871 at NM 8613. This is a geographical feature and is repeated on Explorer 360. The farm of Glenmore is now marked at NM 8412 although I suspect this is the former site of  Barr Beithe. See also below.
Barr Beithe			NM 8412/8512	Blaeu(Lorn) Langlands(1801)	See above under Glenmore. See also below.
‘Areloske’	1½m	1656	NM 8611/8612		Several references but only one valuation. Likely to be beside or between Loch an Losgainn Beag (NM 8612) & Loch an Losgainn Mor (NM 8611/8612). Blaeu(Lorn) marks L. na Loisken. See also below.
Kilmelford	1½m	1594-5	NM 8412/8512	Blaeu(Lorn)	Included ‘Ellanapherson’ in 1657 (island on Loch a’ Phearsain). 4½m(1751)
Glenbeg	2m	1656	NM 858138 (based on Roy)	Blaeu(Lorn) Roy (PC 18) Langlands(1801)	The current Glenbeg is just beside the former site of Barachuile. See also below.
Ceann Mor	5m	1634	NM 8313/8413	Blaeu(Lorn) Langlands(1801)	Kenmore(1634)
Fearnach	6m	1634	NM 829143	Blaeu(Lorn) Langlands(1801) OS(1871)	Usually 6m with Soccoch 6m(1751)
An Socach			NM 8415		Soccoch(1634). Linked with Fearnach and Barachuile. See below.
Barachuile	2m	1751	NM 850133	Blaeu(Lorn) Langlands(1801) OS(1871)	Linked with Soccoch in 1634, 1651, 1669.
Ardanstur	5m	1634	NM 8213	Blaeu(Lorn) Langlands(1801)	In 1634, 1651 & 1669 included Arredowane and isle called Sgeir na Caillich. See also Misc (SHS) IV p 284 No 105.
Arredowane		1634			Part of Ardanstur. First element = airigh (shieling)?
Sgeir na Caillich		1634	NM 8012		Part of Ardanstur. Skeir Callichfinnen (1634), Skeircallychtfynen & Skeircallychfynnen (1651), Skeirchallych (1669). See below.
Lekmoir	4m	1618	NM 8013	OS(1871)	See below.
	40½

 

Kames

Kames is one of the first west-coast place-names for which we have a documentary reference. ‘Camusnanesre’ appears as a property of Iona in a list dating to 1203 printed in the Book of Islay p 6. JL Campbell (Canna p 14 fn) offers ‘Camus nan Eisirean’ (Bay of Oysters) as a possible interpretation. I notice also that the burns running into the sea on this stretch of coast all begin with the word ‘Eas’ (waterfall).

The valuations from 1508 are, with one exception, for £5 or 100 shillings (7½m). The exception is in the Rental of the Bishopric of the Isles for 1561 (printed in CRA p 3 – see also footnote) where it is given as 6m (£4). Over time the early valuation of 7½m seems to have become one of 6m (divided into 2 x 3m units). For instance we find in AS II (938) of 1657 a sasine of ‘half the lands of Camusnesrin, commonly called Nether Kames, … (conform to the grantor’s infeftment in half of a 100s land, ordinarily reckoned as a 3m land)’. Now half of 100s is 50s or 3¾m not 3m so I am puzzled as to what happened to the missing 1½m. The most likely solution is that it early became detached and combined with another farm.

Langlands marks Upper Kaims a little to NE of Kaims in 1801.

 

12m estate of ‘Tulloch, Glenmore, Ariloisk, Dowaig, Glenbeg and Barbey’

Several documents refer to this 12m estate in Kilmelford. In Genealogist 38 p 184 No 9 of 1584 the constituent farms are listed as: Tulloch, Glenmore, Ariloisk, Dowaig, Glenbeg and Barbey. The same 6 farms are also given in Argyll Retours 24 of 1621 and AS I (240) of 1643. All but Glenbeg are listed again in AS I (407) of 1659. (Since this also totals 12m it is likely that the omission of Glenbeg is a mistake). Finally these 6 farms (plus ‘Auchlone’ – which I cannot trace) are specified in RMS III (826) of 1529.

I suspect Dowaig was hard by Tullich and does not refer to the Duaig by Loch Avich. Blaeu(Lorn) marks Dowaig a little north of where I think it actually was. Clan Campbell I p 257 of 1767 carries a reference to 4m Tulloch and Duaig and in all documents (except that of 1584) the names appear next to each other in the lists which suggests that they were neighbouring properties. Blaeu(Lorn) shows Gle(n) B(eg) a little north of Gle(n) Moir. Roy (PC 18) locates them more accurately.

Their individual valuations were as follows:

Tullich and Dowaig    4m

Glenmore                    2m

Ariloisk                       1½m

Glenbeg                       2m

Barr Beithe                  (Unknown but notionally 2½m for the total to equal 12m)

 

An Socach

The lands of Soccoch seem to have been divided between two farms. Soccoch is linked with both Fearnach and Barquheill in AS II (523) of 1634, AS I (330) of 1651 and AS II (1471) of 1669. (In 1634 and 1669 these lands included ‘part of the lake’). In 1651 Miscellany(SHS) IV p 284 No 105 refers to 6m Fernoch and Soccoch as well as 2m Barquheil and Soccoch.

 

Sgeir na Caillich

More than one rock in Highland waters bears the title of ‘Old Woman Rock’ but this name is unusual because of the suffix ‘finnen’ which suggests ‘white’. Elsewhere the adjective ‘black’ with ‘old woman’ implies a nun. Is this also the case here? It faces ‘Camusnanesre’ (a property of Iona) across Loch Melfort. There is an ‘Eas na Caillich’ in NM 8512.

 

Lekmoir

The only reference is in Clan Campbell VI p 208 for 1618. The context is definitely Kilmelfort but I have no other data. There is a ‘Creag na Leachd Moire’ at NM 8013 which must have been at the western border of Kilmelfort.