Ardchattan
Principal Sources
RHP 6216
RHP 12237 Estate of Lochnell
RHP 30419
RHP 44712 – 1832
RHP 44128
Robertson’s Index p 26 No 31
APS VII p 339 ff c. 1647
RMS II (3075) 1506-7
RMS V (691) 1584
RMS VI (1436) 1603, (1362) 1602, (891) 1599
RMS VII (587) 1607
HP II p 142 1355
HP IV pp 17-18 1385-1425, p 196
RRS V (393) ?1321-22, (366) 1329
Argyll Retours (26, 27) 1626, (40) 1631, (61) 1642, (96) 1697
Macphail:Dunstaffnage Castle p 260
AS I (5) 1617, (244, 248) 1643, (290) 1648, (303, 311) 1649, (319, 325) 1650, (350, 357) 1652, (438) 1660, (601) 1675
AS II (1, 2, 11) 1617, (27) 1618, (41-3, 45) 1619, (123-4, 147) 1622, (172) 1623, (201) 1626, (253) 1628, (273-4) 1629, (324, 338) 1630, (376) 1631, (461-3) 1633, (510, 515) 1634, (583-4) 1636, (623, 625, 629, 634, 640) 1638, (663) 1640, (672) 1641, (675) 1642, (827, 832) 1654, (900) 1655, (917, 925-6, 933-4) 1656, (949-50) 1657, (1002) 1661, (1049) 1662, (1125) 1663, (1123-4, 1152, 1155, 1161) 1664, (1323) 1666, (1327) 1667, (1479, 1532) 1669
NAS CS 46/1913/May No 6 pp 344-6 1669
GD 1/426/1/23/31 1558
GD 13/57/9 1724
GD 112/1/7 1448-9
GD 112/2/1/4,11,18,20,22 1694-1702
GD 112/2/1/20
GD 112/2/1/27 1700
GD 112/2/17/1/1 1566
GD 112/2/17/2/7 1665
GD 112/2/17/4 1584-5
GD 112/2/17/8/13 1698
GD 112/2/24/1/1 1524
GD 112/2/26 1692
GD 112/2/51/6 1697
GD 112/2/56/1/1 1540-1
GD 112/2/56/1/2 1556
GD 112/2/56/2/1 1630
GD 112/2/56/2/2 1632
GD 112/2/56/2/5 1649
GD 112/2/79/1 1656
GD 112/2/82a 1656
GD 112/2/82/3 1664
GD 112/2/93/1 1728
GD 112/2/93/2 1739
GD 112/2/104 1656
GD 112/2/107 1470
GD 112/2/110/1 1564
GD 112/2/110/3 1669
GD 112/2/116/1 1540-1
GD 112/2/116/11 1571
GD 112/2/131 1660
GD 112/3/5 1470
GD 170/2 1677
GD 170/87 1686
PNP = Scottish Place-Name Papers, WJ Watson, London, 2002
There is clear evidence from the farms of Glencarne, Achnacree and Culcharron (and possibly from Cadderliemore, Ferlochan & Glentendill) that the exchange rate in this parish was 1d:2m. This is the same as that in Kilmore & Kilbride. I find a total of 167½m but 41m of this is the area between River Etive and the River Awe.
(This 41m sub-total includes a merkland each for Barsalchan and Barnadeass which may have been later subsumed under other names. Accordingly I am going to assume that 40m is the true figure. At the suggested rate of exchange, 40m would be equivalent to 1 ounceland. In a geographical sense this latter district is not really Benderloch (ie ‘the ben or ridge between two lochs’) although included in the same parish. It is possible that these lands between Etive & Awe represent the holdings of Gilcalme MacGillevnan (or Gilcalme and Gillewin) which are first mentioned in RRS V (366) of 1329).
The balance of 126½m for Benderloch proper suggests 63¼d or more than three ouncelands. Given the rate of attrition of surviving land-assessment valuations I think Benderloch was originally 3½ ouncelands or 70d.
Another way to tackle this problem is from the top down. Can we establish Benderloch’s assessment on the basis of those charters which deal with the whole area? RRS V (393) of (?)1321-2 gives us 20d in Benderloch proper plus 3d at Inverawe. RRS V (366) of 1329 refers to all the rest of Benderloch except what was granted in No 393. Argyll Retours (26 & 27) of 1626 are an early seventeenth-century scam (see HP IV pp 194-5) but the total assessment they give for that part of Benderloch granted in RRS V (366) may be accurate at about 70¼m. This would be equivalent to about 35d. In addition to these two estates Ardchattan Priory held another 26m (or 13d) in Benderloch proper. Together these figures give us a total assessment for Benderloch of about 68d or 136m. Again these suggest an overall original total of 70d or 140m. Furthermore it was claimed in 1626 that c. 70¼m represented half of all Benderloch which would then be c. 140½m or about 70d.
In summary it appears that Benderloch was probably 70d or 3½ ouncelands or 140m. The area between Awe and Etive was another 20d or 1 ounceland or 40m. The two districts together made the parish of Ardchattan which was probably 90d or 4½ ouncelands or 180m.
Smith lists Ardchattan as 220m with Muckairn. I think the true total of the combined parish was 250m. (See under Muckairn).
Watson (CPNS p 183 & PNP p 134) refers to Allt na Dabhaich at Dunvallary, Ledaig, in Lorne and clearly thinks that the term ‘davach’ here refers to a vat-like hole in the burn. I cannot find this stream on the map but do wonder if it might not reflect the old land-measure instead. Lots of burns have holes in them and I think this burn, like other examples in Skye and Islay, could just as easily be the march-burn for a davach of land.
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